Nike Opens Up Its ‘Design Table’ For Non-Employee Innovators

Dailycsr.com – 24 May 2017 – More and more companies are having to deal with “complex challenges” in today’s world, whereby they are breaking their boundaries and stepping out of their zone to figure out “real-world solutions”. Similarly, another company has also “opening its doors” for “all types of innovators from different walks of life” as it aims to fabricate new products that will satisfy “a diverse set of consumers”.
 
It has been two since the company of Nike came out with its “FlyeEase shoe”. The product was designed with inputs from “high schooler Matthew Walzer”. Walzer is a victim of cerebral palsy and he is obsessed with Nike. As a result, he wrote a letter to Nike, wherein he revealed the difficulties that he was facing while “putting on traditional athletic shoes”.
 
Following the letter of Walzer, Nike has always worked towards expanding its footwear to suit “all athletes”. In the year of 2016, Nike a made a decision of inviting “non-employees”, to help the former reconstruct its “design table”. The announcement of the “Nike Ease Challenge” was the way in for the non-employee designers.
 
Talking about the contest, Ethical Performance informed:
“The contest asked designers, engineers and innovators to advance and reinvent footwear designs for athletes of all abilities. The winning shoe designer would receive $50,000 and the chance to see their design come to life. In April, a judging panel that included Nike CEO Mark Parker, Olympian Carl Lewis and Paralympic medalist Tatyana McFadden picked a winner”.
 
 
 
References:
ethicalperformance.com