Everything You Need To Know About Nike ACG

Nike’s latest ACG (All Conditions Gear) is coming to Superette and we couldn’t be more excited. In honour of this infamous collection arriving to our stores, we wanted to produce an encompassing feature on the ACG line and everything ACG-related.

“Designed, tested and made on Planet Earth. For outdoor use.”

The Inspiration.

Each season, Nike decamp to a different locale and take in the environment. Jungles, deserts, volcanoes, tundras: there’s no place they won’t go to find inspiration.

Nike ACG product is made on Planet Earth, so when they’re out there, they keep our eyes peeled for conditions that could inform our designs. Trekking over rocky terrain necessitates traction. Sticky jungle humidity becomes breathable mesh. Black-sand beaches inspire shoes that let you soak it all in.

The ACG philosophy works in harmony with nature. Earth is not something to conquer or tame, but a place to have fun. The only thing left to do is to get out there. We’re Still on Earth. Let’s go.

The Beginning.

Nike ACG began in 1981, where they launched their first ‘Hiking’ line. Unusual silhouettes, combining hiking syles with athletic shoes, GORE-TEX technology and footwear and unique colour ways – the new innovative collection was groundbreaking. Up until this point, Nike hadn’t ventured far from sportswear. This new line put them along the likes of Patagonia and Columbia, as after all, there aren’t many entities that can make all conditions gear.

Nike’s knowledge and experience from decades of creating sportswear, as well as their tenacious underdog attitude set them apart from their competitors in their newfound market. The huge success of their hiking line led to a remodelling, and the official launch of ACG. This remodel allowed Nike to delve deeper into the outdoors market, venturing further than footwear and further than hiking.

‘All Conditions Gear Means All Conditions’.

Nike marketed their ACG line with the motto ‘All Conditions Gear Means All Conditions’. Their goal with the line was to break the boundaries between gear specific for any one outdoor sport. Climbing, kayaking, mountaineering, trail running and other outdoor activities were all now seen as one.

The Technology.

Nike ACG borrows technically-informed details from Nike’s wholesome athletics line and combines them with innovative technologies to create the best all conditions gear possible. They are consistently pushing the boundaries of innovation, technology and wearability, with each line coming out more advanced than the last.

Nike’s relationship with GORE-TEX began in 1979, where they were one of the first sportswear brands to utilise and incorporate the waterproof and breathable technology into their footwear and other ACG products. Incorporating this technology was revolutionary and groundbreaking for the beginning of Nike ACG. Decades later, and everything ACG touched turned to gold. The line became a creative playground for their finest designers, giving them creative freedom to design innovative and above average products never before seen.

How do they come up with gear that matches ACG standards? Before their customers wear it, they test it. All over the planet, in all conditions. The logo is their seal of approval.