NIKE MAYFLY WOVEN

While other running shoes looked to strike a balance between performance, durability and comfort, the only concern Nike’s founding father Bill Bowerman had with the Mayfly was shedding weight. Like its winged namesake, the Mayfly was intended to live for one day only – race day. It was called the Marathon Racer at the prototype stage, before it was passed over to the brains in marketing who devised a metaphorical moniker that references its disposable nature. They’re smart like that, the Swoosh. 

While its lifespan as a performance shoe was fittingly fleeting, the Mayfly was reincarnated in 2013 under Nike’s lifestyle arm, boasting street-ready looks. Gone was the insectoid patterning and racing credentials, replaced by braided suede and minimal, embossed branding. Suddenly the Mayfly went from a runner for a single day, to a sneaker for the everyday. 

The airy upper makes the Mayfly an ideal summer shoe, so pairing it up with smart shorts and some white denim makes for winning Scandi style every time. Grab a Breton-striped boxy tee for when the sun decides to show. Alternatively, go with cropped trousers and straddle the smart-sport divide with a windbreaker. The tête-topper of the moment, the dad cap, finishes things up nicely.