People predicted 2020 as the Year of the ‘Menicure’ two years ago, and despite the skeptics’ quips, they were correct. Not only because of the name (which, if we do say so ourselves, is a brilliant reversal of expectation) but also because of the trend. In the year 2022, the menicure hasn’t disappeared. Its abilities have simply grown in strength. Male celebs from Pete Davidson to Lil Nas X to Bad Bunny are rarely seen without nail paint; the hashtag #boynails has 12.3 million views on TikTok, and there are entire Instagram pages dedicated to males with manicures. We now live in a post-menicure era — in which hearing two guys at the bar comparing their nail art is entirely normal. It’s only natural that the celebrity nail polish brand would be the next step in the growth of the manicure. Welcome to Male Polish’s Golden Age.

Harry Styles Started the Trend

It all started with Harry Styles, of course. He may not have come up with the concept of a guy wearing nail polish, but he was undoubtedly responsible for it being popular. It’s practically impossible to tell the singer’s style apart from his vividly colored nail art, which he’s been flaunting for years. So it’s no surprise that when he debuted his beauty line Pleasing in November, nail polish was at the top of the list.

Wide Range of Nail Polish Colors

The four colors — navy, pink, white, and transparent pearl — are available as a set for $65 or individually for $20 each, and are meant to be worn by both men and women, according to the brand’s marketing photos. It’s a wise decision. Although not everyone can pull off a leather suit with no shirt or a tulle skirt, imitating the singer’s look, painting your nails is a low-risk approach to do it.

To be honest, male-friendly nail paint collections aren’t exactly new. Non-celebrity-backed brands like Faculty and To Be Frank have already released polish collections with more macho (or at least unisex) packaging and dude-friendly colors. And, let’s be real, any bottle of nail polish will suffice when the urge to paint your nails strikes. What’s intriguing about these new male celebrity polish brands, though, is that they feel genuine.

Harry Styles, Machine Gun Kelly, and Tyler the Creator are all males we know who proudly and frequently use nail paint. These brands don’t have the same vibe as celebrity brands that merely seem to be out for a quick buck. These three gentlemen, while being three very different creatures, all appear to enjoy the product they’ve created, and we, as customers, can believe they wear it — and want to wear it, too.

Nike’s worldwide headquarters is located in Oregon, and they recently opened a new building there. The LeBron James Innovation Center is a 750,000 square foot building that is home to the Nike Sport Research Lab. The center is located in the very center of the Nike campus.

A Napkin Idea Brought to Life

More than 40 years ago, Nike’s very first research lab was created in Exeter, New Hampshire. Since 1999, the lab has been located on the Oregon campus in the Mia Hamm Building. Now, the lab has been relocated yet again and renamed after the 4-time NBA champion and NBA MVP, LeBron James. James signed a lifetime contract with Nike back in 2003, which was the same year that he got drafted into the NBA.

The new research lab promotes the work and research of Nike’s Advanced Innovation team which consists of 75 employees, 25 of which have doctorate degrees. The original idea of the new research lab was created on a napkin in 2013. The space includes a full-size NBA basketball court, a ⅓-size regulation soccer field that has artificial turf, a 200-meter track, a 100-meter track with 2 lanes, and more. To capture athlete data, there are 400 motion-capture cameras as well as 97 force plate pits installed.

Dr. Matthew Nurse, Nike’s vice president of Nike Sport Research Lab shares that this idea started on a napkin in 2013. In his opinion, they need even more space for athletes to move. As the idea evolved, Nurse and the team paid greater and greater attention to the athlete and what they may need.

Innovation at Its Best at Nike

The 825 new pieces of testing equipment make it easier for nurses to track athletes as they practice without having to use choreographed movements. With force plates on the floor, researchers can get a better and more complete understanding of an athlete’s connection to the surface. They can detect the loads placed on the joints, where the body is producing energy, and more.

As Nurse says, the lab is Nike’s very best effort of providing solutions that are either measurably or palpably better now that the designers are sitting alongside the scientists. “It is the modern-day embodiment of Bill Bowerman’s lab”, Nurse adds.

With this data and knowledge, Nike can attempt to create better products and solutions for athletes. Now, they can be proactive and understand what kind of products athletes need. The center is officially opened to athletes of many different sports for both men and women.