Picklejus is not a typo.

The name of Nike ACG‘s new pinnacle mountain-running shoe is a satiric misspelling of pickle juice, an if-you-know-you-know remedy runners turn to for muscle cramps. And if the Picklejus is as resilient as intended over extreme distances, runners wearing the model won’t need to turn to a tart swig or any other remedies.

Still in the first year of its performance-focused relaunch, ACG is planting a flag by unveiling a shoe that won’t release until the end of 2027. The Picklejus aims for the complete package in mountain running, tackling not just distances greater than 100 miles but also the dramatic uphills and downhills that may come along the way.

Leading the charge in technology is Goatek, a proprietary outsole platform that Nike says delivers a 45 percent improvement in wet traction and 25 percent greater resistance to abrasions compared to previous ACG outsoles. Five rounds of testing accumulated more than 18,000 miles in order to land on a solution for diversely challenging terrain, including wet rock and wet dirt.

“The driving element behind Picklejus was no compromises,” Emily Farina, Nike Sport Research Lab senior principal of Running Footwear, said in a press release. “The footwear design breaks convention for what delivers efficiency, protection or stability. It’s a great example of what happens when we lead with the biomechanical demands of the athlete to take on the challenges of a very precise and nuanced sport.” 

Sitting directly above the Goatek is a healthy slab of ZoomX foam split into two densities and given a profile designed to look like an actual pickle. At the center is a softer formulation of the supercritical foam, surrounded by a more firm perimeter to create a plate-like effect along with support and durability.

A trail-tuned Flyknit upper includes knit containment cables that help lock down the foot and are also able to shift in order to accommodate different terrains. The yarn itself is hydrophobic and will repel water, while a low-slung, gator-like cuff likewise denies access to debris.

“The thing I love most about Picklejus is that it’s one less thing to think about,” said ACG Racing Department runner Shea Aquilano. “I know my feet and legs are taken care of, which frees me up to focus on my race, the terrain and the challenge in front of me.”