Nike: Better Is Temporary

At Nike, the desire to be the best is a journey, not a destination - better is always temporary.

Phaidon commemorates the company's influence with Nike: Better is Temporary, a landmark publication that charts Nike's transformation from rebellious upstart to global phenomenon.

This immersive visual survey offers an unprecedented, behind-the-scenes exploration into Nike's ethos-driven design formula, placing industry-defining innovations and globally recognized products alongside previously unpublished designs, prototypes, insider stories, and more.

Beginning with "Breaking2," an introduction detailing Nike's 2017 attempt to facilitate a sub-two-hour marathon, the book lays out in five thematic chapters Nike's focus on performance, brand expression, collaboration, inclusive design, and sustainability.

The book's extraordinary design also nods to its contents. The striking cover features overlapping silkscreened layers of Nike's proprietary Volt yellow and Hyperpunch pink colors overlaying an image of world-champion marathoner Eliud Kipchoge printed in a half-tone dot pattern. The book's spine, visible through the clear jacket, showcases a series of colored tabs that extend from its interior pages and which are referenced in the book's bonus chapter, "Crafting Color."

Combining 500 color illustrations with stories, insights, knowledge, passion, and history shared by Nike's remarkable team, Nike: Better is Temporary will serve as a manual of innovation and inspiration for generations to come.

Sam Grawe is a writer, editor, creative director, and brand consultant based in the San Francisco Bay Area. He was previously global brand director for Herman Miller, where he lead integrated brand marketing and communications across a variety of platforms and media. Prior to this, he served as editor-in-chief of Dwell magazine.