NIKE: A TIMELINE OF GAME-CHANGING INNOVATIONS

Nike is by far the “game changer” for the athletic shoe wear. The company joined the game of football in the year 1971, starting with a basic football cleat symbolized with the iconic swoosh. Nike’s cleats progressed astoundingly in the following 44 years of production. The company continually improves their technology to produce top-of-the-line products to all athletes from college football/soccer to professionals in the NFL.

Nike’s original athletic shoe contained a rubber sole with 9 cleats in the forefoot and 4 at the heel. The company’s goal was to provide a cleat that would provide traction, control, and stability to the athlete in action. Their first model held its own in regards to athletic footwear; however, there was much room for improvement.

As the game of football evolved, so did Nike’s cleats. Because the game now called for surface changes and style of play, Nike took this opportunity for innovation and recreated the soles of their shoes. They went with a “waffle cleated" texture. The company then went on to produce cleats that contained spikes on the soles, to increase grip and traction on the field. This was called the “Shark” model, which remained a part of their line until today.

In 1992, Nike began to expand their line to other athletic accessories. They decided to create football gloves. After they saw success in this, they began expanding their line much more. The company went on to create multi-sport footwear, jersey’s tailored to fit by position, stay put padding, NFL official uniforms, 3-D printing, etc.

Today, Nike is one of the biggest company’s not only in the professional athletic industry, but in athletic apparel as a whole. Todd Van Horne, Nike Football VP and Design Director stated, ““Every piece of equipment needs be the best in its class, but the real strength of Nike is integrating the whole system together, and that gives athletes better feel and performance.”

Reference: http://news.nike.com/news/nike-football-illustrated-a-guide-to-game-changing-innovation

xoxo,

Shannon

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