Gymnasts like eye-catching Nike podium shoes
RIO DE JANEIRO — Simone Biles wouldn’t be blamed for praising the Nike shoes that Team USA athletes wear to the podium. She is sponsored by the shoe giant.
But Biles — the standout gymnast who’s had to don the shoes five times after winning medals here — has a different reason
“Oh, we love these things. They’re so bright,” she said. “You can’t miss us. You can see them from a mile away.”
That is correct. As Americans have climbed onto the podium 93 times in the Rio Olympics, they’ve worn navy blue track suits with red ribbed knit sleeves and the USA lettering between their shoulders.
And they’ve worn Nike Free RN Flyknit shoes in a bright shade of yellow called volt.
“I love them,” said Aly Raisman, Biles’ Final Five teammate who won three medals here.
“I saw that Brazil has the same ones, so I think they figured bright yellow goes with every single color. It’s very 2016. It’s on trend.”
Nike says its designers were inspired by the rainforests and the fauna in them.
“Yellow is the most visible color to the human eye and volt is the most visible version of yellow, which means it makes a statement,” the company said in its press release about the shoes. “In the case of Nike, that statement is speed.”
While many countries wear shoes that match their country’s flag colors, the Americans stand out for the stark contrast.
That’s OK with the gymnasts.
Danell Leyva put on his podium outfit immediately after he was the first to compete in the parallel bars final. He needed it as he claimed silver, and he donned the outfit again later Tuesday after winning silver on high bar.
“They’re so comfy. And they’re bright,” Leyva said of the eye-catching shoes. “I love it. I mean, I’m from Miami. I’m all about bright colors.”
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