Hi guys, today I'm going to discuss the difference between the TPU(Thermalplastic PolyUrethane) cushioning and the new Nike Flywire™ on Basketball shoes.
TPU is a plastic+polyurethane material which is used as the usual basic cushioning foam in basketball shoes and other sporting shoes. Supports the area of the heels mostly, and the whole foot like a second sock. It is also a shock absorber material,since most basketball shoes have thicker TPU cushion on the ankle, heel, and both side of the shoes. It is cheap, easy and comfortable to wear mainly on basketball shoes. Like many materials, TPU can be affected by too much moisture. TPU is a hygroscopic material, which has a great potential in absorbing moisture.The time needed to dry this material may be a consideration,main concerning on sweating feet in basketball games. When the material is wet, it becomes less responsive and effective, therefore it cannot be wear for a long time at the same moment(e.g playing for 3 hours) without decreasing its performance.
While Nike Flywire™ is a new technology developed by Nike. The idea Flywire™ is inspired from the suspension bridge which has many fibers to support. The Flywire™ is designed to wrap the foot like a second skin, and since the support doesn't come from layers of material, it is flexible.Created by Jay Meschter, Director of Innovation at Nike in the early 2000, with tensile fibers as the only material. The fibers are called Vectran Fibers, a NASA-grade fiber. Thinner than human hair, lightweight, flexible yet high in tensile strength(5 times stronger than steel). Nike basketball shoes with Nike Flywire™ has decreased weight up to 50% of the previous TPU shoes. 
Basketball shoes using TPU cushioning
Basketball shoes using Nike Flywire™
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