Nike has created a material called Nike Forward that requires fewer steps than traditional Nike knits or woven, which significantly reduces the environmental impact of the material. Nike Forward is created with an average 75% carbon footprint reduction and a significantly lighter density than traditional knit fleece, and the finished product is comprised of 70% recycled content by weight.
The material is the result of a five-year development process aimed at simplifying the production of fabric. Nike Forward turns fiber directly to textile through needle-punch, which greatly reduces the number of steps compared to a more traditional creation cycle that includes spinning yarn, knitting, cutting and sewing, among other steps.
