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Sportswear giant Nike has released a new shoe specifically designed for “everyday heroes” – doctors and nurses.
The Nike Air Zoom Pulse was designed and product tested with the insights of medical workers at the OHSU Doernbecher Children's Hospital located in Portland, Oregon – a twenty minute drive from Nike world headquarters in nearby Beaverton.
The shoe designers watched healthcare workers over the course of 12-hour shifts to get an idea of the rigours of the job and designed a shoe that is easy to get on and off with specific cushioning and traction fit for the hospital environment.
The shoe also features a coated toe box to protect against spills, is laceless, easy to clean and features “an elastic strap keeps the heel securely contained, and allows for flexible and easy one-handed entry”.
“Nurses, for example, walk approximately four to five miles and sit for less than an hour during the course of a 12-hour shift. The work is physically and mentally demanding. The design for the Air Zoom Pulse tackles those challenges with simplicity in mind,” Nike said in a media release.
Photo: One of six patient designed Nike shoes
The Air Zoom release also features six specially designed shoes by six paediatric patients from the Doernbecher hospital. Since 2004 Nike has teamed up with the Doernbecher Children’s Hospital to give young patients the opportunity to design a shoe from the ground up. The program has raised $27 million so far with the all profits going to the hospital.
The Doernbecher Freestyle 2019 Collection and the Nike Air Zoom Pulse will be available from December.
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