Kicks from way back - Nike Air Max Pillar (1998)

In 1998 the Nike Air Max Pillar was released.

The caged upper, and squiggly midsole design caught my eye right away.

From 1995 thru 2000, a majority of my Nikes had a full length airbag (TL).  "Total Air" which is another word for full Air Max cushioning.  The Pillar was one of the many.  Bulky, but ultimately a comfy trooper.  The upper was different, the outside had a 3M reflective cage, while the inside was textured perforated leather.

The caged upper and the appearance of netting to secure the foot is one of the concepts I have gravitated to over the years.  I'm also a sucker for 3M reflective, pull tabs, and tongues with holes.

The shoe has been retro'ed recently, and while I will always have a soft spot in my heart, these Pillars would definitely be an outlet buy nowadays.

Shoutout to the designer (and team) responsible for this shoe!

Sources:

http://www.sneakerhead.com/nike-air-max-pillar-525226003.html

Nike Ease Challenge

On Oct 28th, Nike announced the Nike Ease Challenge, which invites designers, engineers, makers and innovators to advance and reinvent footwear design for athletes of all abilities. The $50,000 challenge continues Nike’s leadership in driving footwear innovations that help all athletes to live more active and independent lives.

I've worn some of the alternative entry system shoes Nike has put out in the past. 

Love the Air Rift.

I dug into the patent vault to learn more.  For the Nike FlyEase, a lacing system is connected to a strap of velcro along with the use of a zipper.  I didn't realize there was a lacing system connected through the strap to make the shoe tighter.  Here are some of the shoe sketches below.

For my design I'm thinking about:

Magnets to open and close foot entry

how can an athlete tighten a shoe with limited mobility?

how can an athlete take off a tightened shoe with limited mobility?

two separate uppers that weave through each other

how can you open an upper for a larger foot, then create an adaptive level of ankle support?

how can you mechanize the closure of a shoe differently than the AIRMAG (motor in sole)?

How can you use rubber and stretch materials to provide support?

an adaptive lacing system in between the liner and the upper

stretch weave materials

A removable heel counter

early concepts from the Nike FlyEase Video

early concepts from the Nike FlyEase Video

Here's some of the videos I watched while coming up with ideas/inspirations.

The future of footwear

Imagine a time in the not too distant future. 

You will walk up to a automated machine in the mall, put on a headset and begin to design you own shoes.

Nike's recent patent for augmented and mixed reality technologies.

Nike's recent patent for augmented and mixed reality technologies.

When the upper and midsole designs are finalized, it's sent over to two separate machines, where the upper and midsoles are printed out. The upper is a flat knitted.  The midsole would either be 3D printed, or fully injection molded and kept in on-site inventory.

For this scenario to become a reality, the next step in the process, the bonding of the upper to the midsole, would have to be automated.

From the two videos above, and for 99% of shoes created today, the upper/midsole connection is a hands-on labor intensive process.

I believe that bonding process is the biggest constraint to the future of the rapid manufacturing in the footwear industry.

Count the number of hands that were involved in the manufacturing of these ultraboosts below.

Nike, recently submitted a patent for a steamer used on a knitted upper to give the consumer a one of a kind fit.

I think something else could be going on.

With water activated adhesives already in use in the industry, this steamer box could become part of a new process to bond the upper to the midsole.  If the fibers were coated in a water activated adhesive, then knitted on the base of the upper and the perimeter of the shoe, you could potentially create a strong enough bond between the upper and the midsole during the steaming process.  When the customer tries on the shoes for the first time, they would apply pressure to the upper/midsole bond and form the shoe to their foot.

Another possibility, would be to mechanically knit the upper directly to the midsole during the initial manufacturing steps.  The design of the midsole would have to be modified to allow for fibers to loop through and provide support. 

Below is the concept in action on the Nike Considered line back in 2007.

Nike Considered Long Ball Slip-On

Nike Considered Long Ball Slip-On

With negative environmental effects from shipping, labor costs rising, and the demand customized products, I'm know Nike and Adidas have something cooking in the kitchen.

Sources

http://www.investors.com/news/flyknit-future-nike-files-for-portable-shoe-steaming-box-patent/

https://hypebeast.com/2007/9/nike-considered-long-ball-slip-on

http://uploadvr.com/nike-ar-system-design-clothes/