While many designs rely on synthetic fill or horizontal construction, sports outfit manufacturer Nike employs the power of air to keep players warm. Drawing on almost five decades of innovation, the Air Milano Jacket uses Nike’s legendary AIR technology, computational design, and innovative materials to deliver warmth in all conditions. The AIR is short for Adapt. Inflate. Regulate. a breakthrough technology which signals a new era in sports design.
A.I.R.-powered Air Milano Jacket
The comfortable light jacket allows the athletes to regulate temperature without changing outfits. It uses an ACG pump, specifically designed to inflate or deflate the outfit in seconds, instantly changing the warmth level. The garment’s incredible temperature range spans from a hoody to a mid-weight puffer jacket and can be adjusted simply by adjusting the amount of air in the jacket’s baffles. The technology, featuring a two-layer composite laminate, delivers soft, durable results that are adaptable to athletes’ needs. The innovative materials created in the company’s Functional Innovative Technologies (FIT) system of apparel include Therma-FIT insulation, Storm-FIT weather protection, Aero-FIT cooling technology, and sweat-wicking Dri-FIT. The jacket builds on the company’s two-decade-long history of inflatable apparel, dating back to the ACG Airvantage inflatable jacket made in 2008. According to Danielle Kayembe, Nike’s Expert, Apparel Product Innovation Management:
“Air Milano shows Nike at its best — blending athlete science and data-driven design to create responsive, engineered garments that drive athletic performance.”
The Month of Innovations
The AIR system is one of four innovations Nike is presenting this month, including powered footwear, advanced cooling, and mind science.
The innovation is a result of years of tackling cold-weather challenges. AIR therefore solves one of the biggest problems athletes face when competing in harsh winter conditions- the regulation of heat during movement when it’s not possible to change clothing layers. For years, Nike Sports Research Lab has used data and body-mapping technologies to create dynamic designs. Furthermore, digital tools and computational design have been employed to tailor every detail.
The Jacket will debut at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano
As its name suggests, the jacket will appear at the upcoming Olympic Games in Milano and Cortina in Italy. The Team USA members will wear the new temperature control technology to the competition scheduled to take place less than 4 months from now, between February 6 and February 22, 2026. Every jacket will come with a custom-made ACG pump that will inflate the jacket, metallic twill branding, and a depiction of Garden of the Gods park on an interior lining, paying tribute to the team’s home in Colorado. The model is aligned with the needs of the USA Paralympic team as well, as it allows them to open and close the zip more easily through accessibility features such as a magnetic zipper and interior bottom-hem thumb loops. The athletes had an opportunity to try the outfit beforehand, and have spent over 380 hours running, biking, hiking, skiing, and snowboarding to test the outfit in a range of conditions.
Photo Credit: Nike
