It’s been less than a month since Nike’s new Ava Rover lifestyle sneaker emerged and while fans await a wider launch of that model following its collaboration with South Korean label Hyein Seo, yet another upcoming non-performance mode from the Swoosh has surfaced.

Nike’s latest lifestyle offering is called the Astra Ultra and it’s a women’s exclusive release. Right at home in the current trend of thin-soled sneakers, the Astra Ultra features a grippy outsole with an aggressive traction pattern and a wavy upper with molded leather lines. Despite not being intended for performance, the overall design is reminiscent of tennis footwear.

Elsewhere, the low-cut Astra Ultra features an off-center lacing configuration with a thin textile tongue. Its shoelaces are a velvet material, making it evident this new model isn’t meant for serious sporting. 

While the Astra Ultra is a new endeavor for Nike, it should sit comfortably alongside similar trending looks such as the Adidas Taekwondo Mei, Bad Bunny’s Adidas Ballerina collaboration and the Puma Speedcat. 

In recent years, one of Nike’s Achilles’ heels has been its so-called lack of innovation. Analysts have pegged the brand’s reliance on classic silhouettes such as the Air Force 1, Air Jordan 1 and Dunk as troublesome. 

“[Nike] just started selling more and more retro Jordans and retro Dunks,” Tom Nikic, an analyst at Wedbush, said in 2024. “And when there were plenty of those products, they lost some of their special sauce. We’ve occasionally seen retro Jordans being discounted, which never used to happen.”

With models such as the Ava Rover and Astra Ultra, it’s clear that Nike is putting an emphasis on new, on-trend designs which resonate with today’s consumers.

According to House of Heat, the Nike Astra Ultra may prove difficult to come by. The women’s exclusive sneaker is also set to be an overseas exclusive release and is not expected to launch at stateside retailers. The model is expected to debut during fall 2025 for a retail price of $110. The all-black colorway of the model, pictured here, has a style code of FZ5778-004.