Nike’s New Futuristic Sneaker Looks Like a Stealthy Stunner

Nike has a brand new lifestyle sneaker called the Ava Rover in the works, and it could be one of the company’s best new releases of the year.

By Ben Bowers

Published May 27, 2025

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Nike’s newly revealed Ava Rover sneaker already seems poised to go down as one of the Swoosh’s best new releases of 2025.

First spotted by the reliable sneaker sleuths at Sneaker Bar Detroit and Sneaker News, it combines rugged detailing, moody colors, and future-forward angles to create a lifestyle shoe that’s both fresh and seemingly familiar.

In many ways, the Ava Rover threads the needle between Nike’s more traditional outdoorsy or sub-label ACG and the wilder, post-apocalyptic vibes of the brand’s ongoing ISPA project, with a dash of retro pixel art tossed in.

Pixel Perfect

A Black/Anthracite version of the Ava Rover is the most tactical-looking iteration of the early launch colors revealed.

Jd Sports

One of the shoe’s most distinctive design elements is a series of tiny squares covering the outsole and upper mudguard.

While watch nerds might liken it to the waffle-pattered “tapisserie” dial of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, the look is clearly inspired by pixels.

A close-up of the heel and mudguard of the Nike AVA Rover sneaker in black and creamy white highlights the sneakers' pixel pattern. — The mudguard’s jagged stair-stepped edge work is a direct nod to pixel design.

The mudguard’s stair-stepped pattern edge work is a direct nod to the ragged and jagged edges most commonly associated with early video games, more formally known as aliasing.

Advanced Running Materials

The chunky, undulating outsole is even the sneaker’s most distinguishing feature, especially at a distance.

According to early reporting from sneaker outlets, it’s made from Nike’s advanced ReactX foam, which was first introduced in 2023 on the Nike InfinityRN 4 and is now found in basically all of Nike’s most advanced running shoes, including the Pegasus Premium, Vomero 18, and Pegasus 41.

Three Brooding Color Options

A Black/Blue sage version of the Ava Rover.

Jd Sports

While Nike has yet to formally reveal the sneaker through formal channels in the US, images of three inline color options for the new Ava Rover are already circulating online.

However, Nike appears to have decided to help launch the sneaker by collaborating with South Korean designer Hyein Seo, at least based on early teases from social media.

Her version combines a black outsole with a dark grey upper that also appears slightly purplish in some photo lighting. The shoe also features the designer’s wordmark in white on the sneaker’s insole.

According to reporting from House of Heat, Seo sought to channel her “dystopian design influence and rebellious charm” into the release.

A Nike AVA Rover sneaker shown from above in all black.

However, all of the initial offerings lean toward a dark, brooding color palette that fits the shoe’s future aesthetics.

A Nike AVA Rover sneaker from the heels in dark green and black

A Black/Anthracite version (shown in the story lead) is easily the most tactical-looking of the bunch, thanks to its black-on-black pairing.

A “Black/Muslin” version adds cream to the mix for a muted pop, while a Black/Blue sage version sits between the tactical sporty spectrum.

Pricing and Availability

A pair of black Nike AVA Rover sneakers in black and light white cream — The Black/Muslin version of the Ava Rover will be the first option to go on sale on July 25th via Nike’s SNKRS app.

According to Hypebeast and other sources, the creamy accented Black/Muslin version will be the first to go on sale on July 25th via Nike’s SNKRS app for $140.

It will also be stocked at select retailers.

We’d expect the other versions to roll out later in the summer and into the fall and will provide updates once we know more.

About the Author: Ben Bowers is the Co-Founder and Chief Content Officer of Gear Patrol. Throughout his tenure in media, Ben has written and reported on everything from consumer tech to whiskey, watches, cars, camping, and personal style. These days, he gets to write less than he’d like to.