Nike Zoom Air Kaiju
Japanese for “strange beast”, it’s no surprise that the Nike Snowboarding Zoom Air Kaiju snowboard boot is a monster of a release for Nike’s snow division this season. We had originally posted a glimpse of the boot when it surfaced after the SIA trade show, but now we have all the info on the features and tech that make this boot a must-have for riding this season.




The Zoom Force One could be considered the flagship model for Nike Snowboarding’s boot lineup, but its tech-ed out cousin the Zoom Air Kaiju is the new contender, crammed with enough features that would make you think twice that it was only meant for snowboarding.

The Kaiju uses some of Nike’s newer proprietary technology in order to give an overall comfort and supportive experience when out riding. More technical looking than the ZF1, there are many hidden features and cues of sneakers past embedded into the boot.



Features
The boot upper features a webbing lace system with a neoprene eye-stay that allows for easy tightening with the provided Nike snow lace locks at the fourth hoop, for zonal tightening. No need for re-tightening the entire boot, you can save time and still stay supported. No-weld stitching is in the toe area to protect against edge abrasion when you’re out of your bindings. The elephant pattern on the toe brings it back to the Air Jordan days too, a nice touch on the style side.

The Kaiju’s cuff is partly made out of neoprene to allow for freedom of movement and comfort, and there are support trusses with reinforced stitching in the upper quarter for maximum support with minimal material.



There is an articulating Flywire cuff integrated on the inside of the boot for increased heel-hold while decreasing the bulk around your ankle, keeping everything light weight, yet still supportive. A full length one-piece TPU backstay rounds things off in the back of the boot for better flex and rear protection against binding wear.



The Kaiju rocks a low profile Free sole, technology commonly found in Nike’s running shoes, but brought over to their snowboarding platform for the first time in order to get the benefits of comfort, flexibility, and increased board feel. A Zoom air unit is embedded in phylon for some more cushion for those hard impact landings.

All in all, the Zoom Air Kaiju is the boot to look out for this winter, great style and packed with features to keep you feet happy. A solid release from Nike Snowboarding

Image source: Nike Snowboarding

Kaiju poster artwork, 1 in a series of 5 for the 2010 season, by Jeff Proctor