Nike Revives Mayfly Look Across Six Modern Running Silhouettes

Nike’s legacy in running innovation is built on years of technical experimentation: ranging from featherweight racers to maximalist, carbon-plated marathon machines.

Back in the early 00s, the Beaverton developed the Mayfly, a purpose-built runner made to last just 100 kilometres before being retired, echoing the brief lifespan of its insect namesake. Its stripped-back build and Tyvek-like upper made it one of Nike’s earliest forays into sustainability through planned obsolescence, an early experiment in closed-loop product design, and recyclable footwear systems.

Now, more than two decades after the Mayfly’s original debut, the Swoosh revisits their legacy through the Modern Mayfly Collection: a six-piece offering that pays tribute to the inaugural colourway.

Featuring the Pegasus 41, Pegasus Premium, Pegasus Plus, Vomero 18, Vomero Plus, and Structure 26, each model is dressed in the same vibrant yellow and detailed with the fly-inspired graphic pattern that defined the original.

That includes the digital clock graphic from the original Mayfly, now reimagined and repositioned across the updated line-up. Crucially, while the look nods to the past, the performance certainly doesn’t. Each model retains its standard construction and modern tooling, leaving the Mayfly’s ultra-minimal, short-lifespan design firmly in the rearview.

The Nike Modern Mayfly collection will release throughout July and August 2025, starting with the Pegasus versions on July 3. The rest of the collection will release on later this year, on August 7.