The Nike Modern Mayfly Collection Pays Homage to a Cult Classic Running Shoe

Published April 23, 2025

Nike’s deep history in running has seen them experiment with different concepts, from ultra-light runners to beefy super shoes. Going back to the early 2000s, The Swoosh worked on a model dubbed the Mayfly, inspired by the aquatic insect whose adult lifespan is notorious for only lasting around 24 hours. The idea was for a race day shoe that could be recycled and replaced once it ran through 100km of wear, one of the earliest iterations of Nike testing out a recyclable shoe program.

Now, over 20 years since its initial release, Nike pays homage to the original Mayfly colorway on a series of modern-day runners. Spanning six different sneakers, including the Pegasus 41, Pegasus Premium, Pegasus Plus, Vomero 18, Vomero Plus, and Structure 26, the Modern Mayfly Collection brings the first-ever colorway of the Mayfly to each of the aforementioned sneakers. The all-over fly-inspired graphic pattern is applied to a yellow upper on the sneaker, pairing this with other details found on the original pair.

This includes the digital clock graphic placed on the heel of the Mayfly, now rendered in different places across the models. Thankfully, the Mayfly’s performance features are not brought to these modern runners. Instead, each has the traditional construction and tooling found.

The Nike Modern Mayfly Collection will release throughout July and August 2025, starting with the Pegasus 41 and Pegasus Premium on July 20, 2025. The rest of the collection will release on August 7, 2025. Check below for details on all six pairs in the collection, and download the Sole Retriever mobile app to stay updated on the latest releases, raffles, news, and more in the sneaker and streetwear world.