For over 40 years, Nike All Conditions Gear (ACG) has kept people moving where most other sportswear struggles. From trails to mountains, its outdoor-ready garments are built with technical materials and some of Nike’s most innovative fabrics, offering strong insulation while remaining reliable.

Continuously pushing the principles of utility forward, ACG often designs pieces so futuristic that they look sci-fi. Its latest innovation is the Lava Loft down jacket, a layering piece that delivers roughly the same insulation of a puffer at just 238 grams (8 oz). For reference, that’s the weight of a medium-sized orange.

Its impressive warmth-to-weight ratio comes from a mix of ExpeDRY Gold ultralight, a technology that prevents light moisture from forming droplets and thus trapping heat, and Nike’s AeroLoft, which ensures breathability. The outer shell also boasts water-repellent properties and high UV resistance.

True to its exacting ethos, Nike ACG worked with Nike Running and the Nike Sport Research Lab through hundreds of hours of test runs and numerous prototypes to finetune the jacket’s ventilation system for serious trail use.

Once the tech was dialed in, the brand bestowed upon it a vibrant “Lava” design that takes it out of the usual outdoor palette.

To make things even more compelling, the Lava Loft jacket is extremely packable. Thanks to four-way stretch, it compresses down enough to hold in one hand and can be easily stashed in a pocket or bag—truly the ultimate “just in case” piece. 

Set to launch on January 1 via Nike's website, the Lava Loft down jacket joins a lineup of trail-running-friendly designs.

It wouldn’t be hard to imagine, then, that once this magma-toned jacket hits the shelves next year, it might find convenient usage also at much lower altitudes. The vagaries of the weather also affect city dwellers, and who wouldn’t want a pocketable top ready when the cold hits?

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