Schön! 48 | michael cimino

jacket. Falguni Shane Peacock
ear cuff. Gabriella Artigas
ring. De Liguoro

A Northern Star on the rise, ‘North of North’ actress Anna Lambe shines bright. When we think of the Arctic North, we think of vast, sweeping landscapes, bitter temperatures, nothingness for miles, mounds of snow, and dancing aurora borealis in the night sky. There are so few television shows that explore the Inuit communities that live there. Especially with a comedic spin and on a global scale, such as ‘North of North’, Anna Lambe is thrust right into the mainstream.

Lambe stars as Siaja, an Inuk woman who finds herself wanting more. Her story is a relatable one to many women; parentified from a young age, married to her high school sweetheart, and had a kid along the way. But Siaja is fed up, on a mission to become a modern Inuk woman, to stand on her own two feet and figure life out. Speaking with us about the character, Lambe’s eyes light up. She adores that Siaja is messy and embraces that messiness; it’s all part of her charm. She isn’t afraid to make mistakes and learns to adapt from the ones she does make.

While the show does deal with heavy topics, touching on the still very present aftereffects of residential schools in Canada, and the mistreatment of the Indigenous/Inuit community, ‘North of North’ doesn’t center on the dark; instead, it finds the light. Bringing indigenous humor to the masses, ‘North of North’ is gaining traction and notoriety, with Lambe being nominated for a Gotham TV Award for Outstanding Lead Performance in a Comedy Series, to being renewed for a season 2, there’s so much to be proud of, and Lambe is just taking it all in. But beyond the accolades, the thing she prides herself on is bringing awareness to communities that have been overlooked and highlighting their vibrancy, their humour, their versatility, and their fashion.

In conversation with Schön! Magazine, Anna Lambe discusses ‘North of North’, what she loves about the character of Siaja, the show’s production taking over her hometown of Iqaluit, Nunavut, and what she hopes audiences take away from the series.

jacket. Falguni Shane Peacock
shirt. No Maintenance
ear cuff. Gabriella Artigas
opposite
blouse. Kaos
jacket + trousers. As by DF
hat. Stetson
earrings. Erkoos
necklace. Gabriella Artigas

So Anna, with full discretion, my mom and I started watching the show a few days ago. It’s been on my list for a while, and we fell in love with it. It is such a beautiful show. You and all involved should be so proud. Congratulations on season two being announced.

Thank you. Season two was such a surprise. I mean, it was always the hope and the dream. When I got the call, I burst into tears because I was anxiously pacing about like, “I don’t know if it’s going to happen. Are we going to beat the Netflix curse?”

We’re Canadian. So, does the Netflix curse really exist for us?

[laughs] I don’t think so. We’ve got to keep it going.

Definitely! In an interview you did with Cherry Picks a bit ago, you spoke about it taking some time to realize how empowering storytelling can be for advocacy with the film Grizzlies. Can you touch upon what storytelling means to you now and how it’s altered your worldview?

I think there’s been a lot of growth and understanding in the power of storytelling and the impact that film and television have on the conversations that we have. I guess I’ll speak specifically to indigeneity and our communities, and healing. What does indigenous futurism look like? What is our perception of the past? How do we reclaim it? How do we reclaim our past identities? Because how we’ve been portrayed in film and television has always been so skewed or inaccurate, or just completely wrong and harmful. There’s very much, as I’ve come to understand, a past, present future impact on how we tell stories now. I think with every project, I’ve become more conscious and more careful about the kind of stories I choose to be a part of.

When creating things, I do try and advocate as best I can to make things – I don’t want to necessarily say ‘positively’ impactful, because people think positive means good, positive means happy, positive means this, that, or the other. But when I say ‘positively’ impact or portray or represent, I just mean accurately.

In my career, I have always wanted everything I’ve done to be something I can look back on and be proud of, and know that I made a good decision. I think the impact of storytelling has grown as I’ve come to understand it more and more, but also learning to navigate it has changed. Also, finding my voice as a young Indigenous woman in film and television it’s difficult. It’s scary. I mean, you want to advocate for yourself.

But there is that little undertow of fear of like, “What happens if people think I’m a diva? What happens if they think I’m going to be hard to work with?” Having to take that fear and hold it and nurture it and go, “This is valid and this is real and this makes sense. But this can’t be what stops me from doing the right thing.”

jacket. Falguni Shane Peacock
shirt. No Maintenance
trousers. Theory
ear cuff + bracelet. Gabriella Artigas
ring. De Liguoro
opposite
suit. Bianca & Bridgett
shirt. Maison Tai
brooch. Talia Perla

Hard agree. I would say that, at some point, you have to stop caring what other people think. You know what you’re doing is right, and it feels right to you. That’s what matters. You just push forward. Adding on to the storytelling aspect, what are the stories that impacted you growing up? Whether it’s film, television, or even books, why did they resonate?

I was an angsty teenager [laughter]. I was reading The Hunger Games on the couch. I had Christmas dinner early to go read Mockingjay. Those kinds of fantasy stories and coming of age, teenage angst, I felt very seen by. But I was also aware that I was this kid growing up in the Canadian Arctic, I relate to these stories, but they’re faraway stories. Of course, they’re fantasy and dystopian universes. So, of course, they’re far away. But there was also the aspect of wanting to see something with people like me in it. That would be cool. There’s Indigenous film and television I grew up with. Like I spent a lot of time with my mom going and helping out my grandma, my great grandma, but we called her Anana, which means mom.

We’d spend a lot of time at her house, and in the background was APTN, the Aboriginal People’s Television Network. It was always a rerun of Atanatua or North of Sixty. Those also had a massive impact on my upbringing. So, of course, I never really felt represented in the mainstream, but there is stuff that exists about us and who we are and our stories. There was always that. But I love seeing now the bridging of both of those things and how we get to do both and be both and create and foster space to tell more stories that keep expanding the range of what Indigenous film and television looks like and is.

In past years, we’ve been seeing things like Taika Waititi’s Boy or Reservation Dogs, or Rutherford Falls, or Grizzlies and Trickster, and being part of the expansion of Indigenous film and television has been really exciting. It’s fun in many ways because getting to be part of development and beginnings is really cool.

dress. Onalaja

Speaking of beginnings, I was going to ask when ‘North of North’ first came across your desk, what were your initial thoughts?

My initial thought was, “I want to do this. 100 percent. Yes. Yep.” [laughs] I want an audition. I’m going to do everything for this audition. Then I’m going to be so annoying about making sure I’m constantly in the mix, that the role isn’t dead to me yet. You know what I mean? I’ve not been passed on yet. I had first heard about the role from Alethea (Arnaquq-Baril), one of the showrunners, a few years prior, when they were going to streamers and pitching the show. I ran into her at the airport, and she had just come back from L.A. We were both flying to Iqaluit, and she was explaining what the show was.

She’s like, “Have you ever seen Sex Education?” I was like, “Well, no.” And she said it’s the grounded elements of that with some other things. It’s really fun. It’s a comedy. “Well, if you ever want someone to come around and bring you coffee and stuff, you can call me.” And then, in the spring of 2023, I saw that they had gotten the green light. Everything was ready to go. They were about to start casting this untitled Arctic comedy.

I was on high alert, my eyes? Peeled. When the audition did come through, it ended up being a four-month audition process, multiple callbacks, chem reads, and a really long, long waiting game. But the entire time, I was being so dramatic about it. Bless my family and my partner, who all held my hand and consoled me very gently. Everything was going to be fine, whether I got it or not. Eventually, they called me and said, “Well, if you want it, it’s yours.” I was just like, “Well, yeah. I mean, I guess if it’s on the table, I’ll take a look at what I have going on.” [laughter]

Let me check my schedule.

I’ll see if I can fit it in.

What about Siaja jumped out at you from the page?

She’s so messy. I knew that from the audition. She’s also complicated. She’s so messy. She’s so imperfect. But really sweet and endearing and charming. It’s the best of both worlds, of everything you want to be able to do as an actor while being fun and silly and a little bit chaotic at times. It was all of those elements where she’s so layered, and she ticks the box of what a perfect Indigenous woman should be. She’s sometimes the problem, and she’s sometimes the solution. I love her. I want to be her. I know so many women in my personal life like her. She is such a reflection of so many Inuit women that I know and love, and am surrounded by. To be able to be a part of that representation is something that I was thrilled to even get a shot at doing.

Absolutely. Like you mentioned, when we first meet Siaja, she’s going through it. She’s married to the town’s golden boy, who, let’s be honest, isn’t so golden. It’s hinted at that she was parentified from a very young age in the first episode. So, she’s understandably fed up, her story is such a relatable one for a lot of women. What has it been like for you to see the response to her plight?

I think it’s been so humbling and so exciting and heartwarming and sometimes even scary at times how many women feel seen and represented by Siaja and her experience. Whether it’s being parentified from a young age, which I know so many indigenous women have the experience of having to go through or having to be raised to cater to men, be raised to cater to a family and your needs will always come second, or whether it’s being a single mom and, trying to understand how to navigate co-parenting or toxic relationships.

Then also just in general, people who feel so afraid about having to get it right all the time. It’s been nice to kind of share so much of Siaja with so many people, and that people relate to her on such different levels. It’s also been kind of unhinged and chaotic how many people relate to the wild parts of her as well. You know, the fact that she has wants and needs to date and that she wants to lose her second virginity, and she can want all of these things for herself without feeling guilty. Indigenous women, I think, are so often portrayed as victims of sexual experiences, victims of relationships, especially in television and media. I think to show an Indigenous woman who’s like, “No, I want this.” She has control and sovereignty over her body and wants to understand herself.

I think that’s so powerful. To be able to have that representation and to have people be like, “Sex isn’t a negative thing. Wanting things isn’t a negative thing. Wanting to put myself out there, those aren’t inherently negative things.” The fact that Indigenous women are constantly told that they’re victims and that they are commodified and fetishized and sexualized like that. Those are all true things and things that also need to be represented. Those are things that happen. But the fact that we can also want things is so important. Being able to have so many women and people in general feel represented by that as well, I think, shows the importance of having this kind of show told in this way, a comedy told in this way, to capture the breadth of the Indigenous woman’s experience.

tank top. CDLP
jeans. Noend Denim
earrings. Christine Bukkehave
suspenders. Uncuffed Leather
opposite
faux fur coat. Anastasia Bull
tank top. CDLP
jeans. Noend Denim
necklace. Veronica Tharmalingam

At the end of the first episode, a lot of people would identify the crash out she has as cringe. I didn’t see it as cringe at all. I saw it as an act of rebellion, from a woman that has had enough and just wants to be given the opportunity to find herself and be given the opportunity to mess up. You’ve said in other interviews that the show was filmed in your hometown of Iqaluit, and you moved back in with your parents. Can you talk a little about that whole experience? Also, what was it like having the production basically take over the town? Do you have any memories from filming the first season that you can share with us?

I was so excited to go back home. I have dreamed about being able to live in Iqaluit as an adult. It’s really hard to get an apartment if you don’t have subsidized housing. It’s so difficult to pursue a career in the arts and acting in mainstream TV, if you live up north. So being able to have the opportunity to go back home was exciting to me and also getting the opportunity to live with my parents. I know for a lot of people they go, “Oh, no, no, no, no.” [laughter] The support system was really, really appreciated. It’s really freaking hard to make a TV show in the Arctic. It’s hard. There’s so little infrastructure. The production team were coming up on challenge after challenge after challenge, foreseen and unforeseen. The days were really long and difficult and sometimes complicated before we really managed to find our stride or before the snow managed to melt a little bit and it was less difficult.

But it was just nice after like a 14-hour day, coming home and my dad being like, “Hey, kid, there’s pasta for you in the fridge.” I would just have no words, nonverbal, eyes half closed, eating my pasta, shower, and going to bed. Then be up in eight hours for the next day. I was grateful for my family and my parents. It’s just nice to have a full house and all of these things at your fingertips, doing a shoot.

Then this production team comes in, and you get so close because you’re together every single day, all day. But then there were these weird moments where I would see people that I grew up with, and the production team together. I was like, “Oh, this is so interesting.” This is a crossover of two worlds that I never thought would happen. But it was really heartwarming. It was such a beautiful thing to see Iqaluit be so supportive of the show and welcome us with open arms. It was nerve-wracking to be leading a show and have your entire community as the audience. It was nice to have the production be so open to what life in the North is like. I was really excited to tell this story and go on this adventure, and to see their love for the North grow as the months went on was so beautiful.

Then, for Iqaluit to get the experience of filming a big budget series and be background and different positions in the crew was really, really cool. On the weekends, going out dancing and seeing this whole mishmash of worlds.

blouse. Kaos
hat. Stetson

I love that! What I adore about ‘North of North’ is just how vibrant and gorgeous the Inuk community is. What has been the most surprising thing about the response to the show and seeing your community in the spotlight?

I think it’s been really surprising how surprised people have been that the North is as vibrant as it is. We’re fun-loving communities. You know, of course, there’s hardship, of course, there’s darkness. We’ve seen it before. Been there, done that.

But we are very vibrant communities. We’re so full of colour, whether it’s our houses, whether it’s our clothing, we love a pop of colour. The love for the wardrobe has been so incredible because our team, our team is amazing. Debra Hanson, who was our head of costume, and Nooks Lindell, who was our Inuk designer, worked with Debra to really curate and make sure the wardrobe was as authentic as possible. The way they worked together to create such an incredible assortment of clothing was amazing. You go to the grocery store, and people are dressed to the nines. They look good. The parkas are colourful. The fur is big. That’s a real point of pride for a lot of people.

Whether it’s parkas that have been gifted, parkas that people have been made for them, I think it’s an important part of who we are, a real kind of combination of modern and traditional. To see all the love that that’s gotten and all the love the Indigenous designers who have contributed work to the production have gotten has been so exciting. For them to see their work on screen, I love seeing when people take a photo of their TV, and they’re like, “That’s my work!” That’s been so like heartwarming and fulfilling.

The response to the wardrobe has been shocking in all of the best ways, as well as the music. We have such an incredible music team that pulled together such great songs. And the fact that we were able to get clearance on some of these songs. What strings were pulled to get this? [laughs] Opening with Dua Lipa’s ‘Levitating’ (‘Ikiaqqik’) sung by Riit was so like, my heart burst and then came back together just so that it could burst again. It was the best feeling. To see Riit get her flowers, and so many other Inuit artists that did covers of pop songs and rock songs and songs that we all know and love, but then covered in Inuktitut has been so beautiful and amazing. The fact that people love that and come to the show just for that is really incredible. It’s beautiful to see that the community effort that it took to make this show is being appreciated so widely. It’s a beautiful thing.

It really is wonderful to see the whole community being given the flowers they deserve on such a global scale. On a slightly adjacent note, I have to ask about your mom’s parka, the one you wear in the first episode. I saw in another interview that she let you borrow it, but won’t let you have it. Any movement there? [Anna laughs] Did you end up adding it to your closet? Or is she still holding on to it?

She will very, very quickly let anyone know that it’s still hers. Her parka. It’s not mine. I’m allowed to wear it.

Dang it.

I know. I know. I’m like, “You know who it looks really nice on? You know who it fits perfectly?”

No dice, huh?

Nope!

suit. Bianca & Bridgett
shirt. Maison Tai
brooch. Talia Perla
opposite
top to bottom
faux fur coat. Anastasia Bull
tank top. CDLP
necklace. Veronica Tharmalingam
dress. Onalaja

I did want to touch a little more on the fashion of the show. How much of a say did you have in Siaja’s wardrobe? Did you have a favorite piece? What’s the story there?

I’m so lucky. As soon as they started getting wardrobe together for ‘North of North’, Nooks Lindell had messaged me and he was like, “Hey, I’m working with the team on wardrobe. Are there any specific designers that you want?” I immediately started typing out a list. I want Victoria’s Arctic Fashion, I want Winifred Designs. Can we get so-and-so-and-so-and-so-and-so-and-so. He was like, “That’s great because we already got all of them.” It’s Inuit design, Inuit craftsmanship, it’s not that it’s small, but it’s if you know, you know, kind of thing. Some people are so well known for their parkas and their designs. I could see a Victoria’s Arctic Fashion from a mile away and go like, “Yeah, that’s Vic.” If it’s not Vic, it’s inspired by Vic. Everyone’s got their own unique thing. It’s amazing that we have such a wide range from Greenland to Alaska of designers.

They were always very curious about what my thoughts were. We wanted Siaja to be very fun and colourful. She goes through this journey throughout the series with her clothing, where she becomes a bit more experimental. She’s got such a wide array of parkas and clothing. She’s a fashionable gal. Her husband may not be the coolest guy, but he takes care of her and he buys her stuff. Whether it’s as an apology or not, we don’t know. I have a crazy collection of earrings. I have a crazy collection of parkas that I’ve had for 10 years. It’s a collection, and people really take care of their things. It’s not too far from any version of reality that she has so much stuff.

In terms of favourite items, I would say Siaja’s kamiks were one of my favourite things in the show. They’re just so beautiful. The craftsmanship that goes into a pair of kamiks is crazy. From cleaning the seal skin to tanning it. The stitching that goes into them is just unbelievable. Then the designs vary from region to region. They take weeks to make. It’s so special wearing and showcasing these designers, because my art is, is acting and it’s the screen, but being able to wear their art is such a huge honour.

jacket. Falguni Shane Peacock
shirt. No Maintenance
ear cuff. Gabriella Artigas

Absolutely. The series is made with so much care from fashion to acting to production, and everything behind the scenes. What do you hope audiences take away from the show that has been made with so much love?

I hope that audiences are open to the fact that our lives, our stories, and our experiences really aren’t that different from the rest of the world. People, I think, a lot of the time forget the Arctic exists, or they think there’s nothing up there. That, you know, Inuit were once upon a time a people that existed and no longer do, they went extinct. It’s like, no, we’re very real and very vibrant communities, we’re still very much alive. Of course, history hasn’t been the kindest to us. Colonialism, for many people, hasn’t been kind to us. But we have managed to survive and persevere. 

Alot of that has happened through joy and comedy, through laughter, through community. Our show is very much a reflection of that. I hope people see that our communities exist in an array of ways, you know, of course, the darkness of cold winter, and the heaviness of that exists, but so does this vibrant, saturated, beautiful community. And that deserves just as much screen time, just as much representation, and attention as stories that are centred around trauma and hardship. It’s been exciting to finally feel like we have a show that represents our communities as they are in a bright way. This is us. I’m so tired of people saying, “Well, this isn’t like what I thought the Arctic was like.” Girl, who do you think knows better? Are the locals and the actors who are actually from here? Or people who have only ever heard about it through TV? This is who we are. I hope people can take that away and just be open to our self-representation. That would be cool.

Here’s hoping the series gets even more eyes on it come season 2. My last question, what is one thing you’ve learned from playing Siaja and from filming ‘North of North’ What is a lesson that you carry with you?

A lesson I’ve carried with me from Siaja and filming ‘North of North’ is that embarrassment passes. The cringe does pass, and it does go away eventually. I think it’s emboldened me to take more risks, to be more myself, and to not put myself into a box out of fear of how people might judge or perceive me. If I make a mistake, that embarrassment does go away, and your community more often than not want you to win. They want you to succeed. They want you to grow. And whether there’s a little bit of judgment that comes with that, it’s inevitable. You’ve got to keep pushing on if you really believe in what you want and what you’re moving towards.

jacket. Falguni Shane Peacock
shirt. No Maintenance
trousers. Theory
ear cuff + bracelet. Gabriella Artigas
ring. De Liguoro

‘North of North’ is streaming now on Netflix.

photography. Thomas Lynch @ Hype Creative
fashion. Tatiana Isshac
talent. Anna Lambe
hair. Sophia Porter @ Exclusive Artists using T3 Tools
make up. Robert Bryan @ Exclusive Artists using Prada Beauty
digital tech. Justin Bordeaux
photography assistants. Josh Telles + Alec Richter
location. Hype Studios
interview. Dana Reboe

Take a 3×4 photo, it lasts longer — this Schön! editorial photographed by Gabriel Perez G with art direction by Nataly Solari sees models Alina Miller, Nancy Shvab, Teo Toranzo, Radena Tsaneva, Vicente Zuñiga and Uma Trilnik get in frame for their close-up. Fashion for the feature is by Cesar Campusano who styles the models in looks by Jean Paul Gaultier, Diesel, Rick Owens and others, with hair and make up by artists Paulina Estay and Catalina Lagos.

top. Jean Paul Gaultier
opposite
top. Jean Paul Gaultier
skirt. Fanci Club
bag. Diesel
belt. Dsquared2

jacket. Rick Owens
tights. Stylist’s Own
opposite
jacket. Rick Owens
tights. Stylist’s Own

opposite
shoes. Adidas Originals x Avavav
belt. Dsquared2

opposite
trousers. Rick Owens

dress. Bryan Bo
opposite
dress. Bryan Bo
jeans. Acne Studios

top. Jean Paul Gaultier
jewellery. Simbolic
opposite
top. Jean Paul Gaultier
trousers. Rick Owens
shoes. Bravest Studios
jewellery. Simbolic
bag. Heliot Emil

jacket. La Piel Studio
shoes. Prada
opposite
jacket. La Piel Studio
shoes. Prada

opposite
jacket. La Piel Studio
belt. Dsquared2

dress. Bryan Bo
skirt. Fanci Club
opposite
top. Jean Paul Gaultier
tights. Stylist’s Own

photography. Gabriel Perez G
art direction. Nataly Solari
creative direction. Gabriel Perez G + Cesar Campusano
fashion. Cesar Campusano
models. Alina Miller, Nancy Shvab, Teo Toranzo,
Radena Tsaneva, Vicente Zuñiga + Uma Trilnik
agencies. We love models + Elite Model Chile
hair + make up. Paulina Estay + Catalina Lagos
runner. Fernanda Game
photography assistant. Javiera Soto Farias + Paula Peña

Faith Kipyegon

One mile is 1,609 metres – a distance that represents a challenge and an ambition. For over half a century, the holy grail of the four-minute mile has been the domain of male athletes. Now, in 2025, Nike wants to shatter that with Faith Kipyegon: twice Olympic champion, it’s time to rewrite the 4 mile record.

Breaking 4 is Nike’s latest dream project – with an ambition at its heart: to inspire. To achieve this, Nike has been working in partnership with Kipyegon to engineer every possible condition other than her own training and performance for her to become the first woman to run a mile in under four minutes. The project isn’t just about stopwatch supremacy – the emotions and stories behind the ambition are the driving force of the attempt: “It’s always a partnership when we work with our athletes,” Brett Kirby, Principal Researcher at Nike’s Sport Research Lab, tells Schön! “In this particular case with Faith, it’s a bubbling of ideas coming together – you have Faith, her team, you have Nike and its innovation, our dreaming culture.”

Creating inspiration around this project is achieved through teamwork – boosted by unmeasurable imagination. Nike has built a performance architecture around Kipyegon, driven by four pillars – preparation, location, aerodynamics, and efficiency – brought to life with radical apparel design, custom footwear engineering, and microscopic attention to her kit.

Faith Kipyegon will attempt the feat at Paris’ Stade Charléty later this month. For this momentous event, Nike has prepared her in every possible way. First up is the Speed Kit – a bodysuit with arm sleeves, leg sleeves, and headband, all designed as a second skin: “Faith expressed this need to run free,” says Lisa Gibson, Expert Project Manager in Apparel Innovation. “So we kept that top of mind. We used selected materials that are super slick and stretchy, and that also have an aerodynamic benefit.” The details on the Speed Kit are primordial:  “The material fit on the suit is different from that of the arms sleeves, leg sleeves, and headband. That’s because different materials perform differently, depending on what area of the bodies they are on, from an aerodynamic perspective,” Gibson explains. “We also factored in weight, so as we moved further away from the centre of the body, we wanted to make sure that we were using materials that were as lightweight as possible.”

A technical addition to the Speed Kit, designed to boost her performance, are the Aeronodes – miniature 3D printed structures on the suit that redirect airflow, reduce drag, and minimise the turbulence that pulls runners back. While invisible, the feel and impact of turbulence results in lost milliseconds and fatigue. “These arrow modes are resulting in less drag,” Gibson explains, talking about the technology that could redefine a sporting epoch.

Then there’s the Nike Lamina Bra – a 3D-printed TPU structure engineered for breathability, moisture management, and anatomical support. The innovation was centred around the very first conversations that Nike had with Faith. “I asked Faith why she wants to do this,” Kirby relates. “For her, it’s really about dreaming big, and trying new things. She wants to make dreams come true. Those are important things to her, and to us. Of course, you have a desire to push support forward and for women specifically. That brought us to some of the apparel questions. Specifically, how does she fit in her bra? And that’s a women’s specific need, where men would not have that.” It’s a reminder that Nike always pays close attention to: designing for women is about listening to their needs. It means building systems around real bodies, listening closely, and rethinking assumptions.

Footwear was also a key area of innovation, Carrie Dimoff, Nike’s Program Director of Footwear Innovation, tells us. Based on Kipyegon’s beloved Victory 2 spikes, the shoes were rebuilt with a higher Zoom Air unit (for more energy return), dual carbon plates, and 3D-printed titanium spike pins. The result is more propulsion and less weight: “Her current world record shoe features an airbag,” explains Dimoff. “In this case, we engineered an airbag that was about 3 millimetres taller… now we can store more [energy] and we return more energy back to her.”

Regardless of the outcome, the Nike team hopes that the innovation and research will inspire and help athletes the world over to chase their dreams – whether in 4 minutes, or far beyond. “For this attempt, we’re really focused on Faith. We’ll need to take a moment after the attempt,” says Dimoff, “and then relook at what we invented for Faith that can be scaled and delivered… but it’s certainly a hope.” 

For now, the build up to Breaking 4 is real and radical. It’s a project that fuses innovation and human stories, emotion and global communities. It’s a clear reminder that sometimes, the most radical thing you can do is dream big.

Follow the Breaking 4 project on nike.com 

images. courtesy of Nike