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Nike’s Rugged AF Trail Shoe Is the Swoosh’s Technical Division at Its Very Best

With its latest reissue, Nike’s beloved sub-brand doubles down on genuine outdoor utility.

Nike ACG Mountain Fly Low GORE-TEX SENike

By Jack Seemer

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ACG means All Conditions Gear. Or it used to, anyway.

Nike’s answer to Patagonia and The North Face launched in 1989 with bold, technical designs that not only set it apart from other Swoosh offerings but made the brand a genuine player in the outdoors.

But somewhere along the way, Nike’s beloved sub-brand started trading cutting-edge shoes for retro reissues like the Izy and Torre Mid. Though charming, their handsome soft-suede uppers aren’t exactly all-conditions ready.

Leave it, then, to the resurgent Mountain Fly Low to charge ahead.

Nike ACG Mountain Fly Low GORE-TEX SE
Scheduled for a rerelease this spring, the ACG Mountain Fly Low first came out in 2021.
Nike

Originally released in 2021, the futuristic model is ready for its own comeback of sorts, with new colors scheduled to drop this spring.

The shoe owes it technical prowess to a combination of factors, including a reflective Gore-Tex-lined upper, React foam midsole and carbon-fiber Flyplate — all confirmed by branding on the heel.

Nike ACG Mountain Fly Low GORE-TEX SE
Gore-Tex lining brings water resistance to the upper.
Nike
Nike ACG Mountain Fly Low GORE-TEX SE
Branding on the heel of the midsole confirms two Nike technologies: React foam and a carbon-fiber Flyplate.
Nike

Meanwhile, the outsole, made of a hardened rubber usually reserved for Nike’s field-spec tactical boots, boasts a waffle-like tread pattern reminiscent of its most iconic designs.

Nike ACG Mountain Fly Low GORE-TEX SE
The perimeter of the shoe features Nike’s signature waffle pattern, first designed by Bill Bowerman.
Nike

That all said, the Mountain Fly Low’s most distinctive trait undoubtedly rests with its easy-to-cinch lacing system that extends around the entire length of the shoe.

Nike ACG Mountain Fly Low GORE-TEX SE
Quick-cinch laces extend the entire length of the shoe.
Nike

Pricing and availability

The Mountain Fly Low has yet to resurface on Nike’s US website. However, sizes are already selling out on the brand’s Chinese outpost, where it costs 1,299 Chinese Yuan (roughly $177 USD).

It comes in three colorways — black, gray and vibrant red — each with their own accent colors.

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