Who invented the waffle sole?
Bowerman was the mad scientist of the group, experimenting with new shoe designs and rubber formulations to produce a better running shoe. In one landmark experiment, he squeezed rubber in his wife’s waffle iron, producing the waffle sole. Learn about the history of Nike’s waffle shoes here.
What shoes did Bob Bowerman design?
Bowerman designed several Nike shoes, but is best known for ruining his wife's Belgian waffle iron in 1970 or 1971, experimenting with the idea of using waffle-ironed rubber to create a new sole for footwear that would grip but be lightweight.
How were Nike’s waffle shoes made?
In one landmark experiment, he squeezed rubber in his wife’s waffle iron, producing the waffle sole. Learn about the history of Nike’s waffle shoes here.
What was the first pair of running shoes inspired by?
Nike Nike's first pair of running shoes was inspired by waffles. Nike co-founder Bill Bowerman was having breakfast with his wife one morning in 1971 when it dawned on him that the grooves in the waffle iron she was using would be an excellent mold for a running shoe, The Atlantic reports.
How did Nike start waffle?
According to company legend, Bowerman came up with the design over breakfast one day at his home in Eugene, Oregon. He used the family's waffle iron – this time turning to melted urethane instead of batter – to churn out lightweight rubber waffles that were later attached to the running shoes.
Why did Bill Bowerman use a waffle iron?
The company's founder, Bill Bowerman used his wife's waffle iron to make grooves on the sole to provide a better grip while running. The company filed its first ever patent in 1974, for the sole of the shoes, came to be known as the 'Waffle Trainer'.
How did Bill Bowerman create Nike?
In 1964, Bowerman entered into a handshake agreement with Phil Knight, who had been a miler under him in the 1950s, to start an athletic footwear distribution company called Blue Ribbon Sports, later known as Nike, Inc.
When did Nike waffle shoes come out?
The Waffle, with its intricately-raised, gridded pattern and grip traction, hit the market in 1974, and Nike has since sold tens of millions of pairs.
Who invented the waffle shoe?
Bill BowermanThe shoes were made by Nike co-founder Bill Bowerman, who used his wife's waffle iron to create a new kind of running shoe with a waffle-patterned sole to help runners improve speed. Nike made 12 of the shoes for runners in the 1972 Olympic trials, and the design went on to help Nike become a global sneaker powerhouse.
Who invented the Nike waffle?
Bill BowermanIn the early 1970s, Hayward Field in Oregon was converted from a cinder track to an artificial surface. This meant a new standard for the shoes of the 'Blue Ribbon' brand, founded by Bill Bowerman and better known to us today as Nike. Bowerman actually experimented with a waffle iron for a new shoe.
Who wore the first Nike shoe?
"Nike's first signature athlete was welterweight wrestler, Wayne Wells. The 5' 8" Texas native had an accomplished career, winning a gold medal in Munich in 1972 while working closely with Nike footwear designers on his signature, high-top wresting boot.
What did Bowerman invent?
Bowerman's most memorable technical breakthrough was the optimal traction of the waffle soles that he invented by shaping rubber in the waffle iron in his kitchen in 1972. Other essential innovations were the wedged heel, the cushioned mid-sole, and nylon uppers.
How did Bowerman make the soles of his first track shoes?
How did Bowerman make the soles of his first track shoes? He used a waffle iron!!
Did Nike use a waffle maker?
Nike's First Running Shoes Were Made in a Waffle Iron.
How are waffles and Nike's connected?
He sewed the waffle sole to a pair of running shoes and gave it to one of his runners. That runner ran like a rabbit. The discovery of a waffle sole—inspired by a breakfast waffle iron—transformed the way athletes run and stop and jump to this day.
What is the most expensive running shoe?
Currently, the most expensive pair of sneakers in the world is the Solid Gold OVO x Air Jordan, though Kayne West is giving Drake a run for his money with the mold-breaking Nike Air Yeezy 1 'Prototype'. Shattering records at Sotheby's, the $1.8 million bid made this the most expensive public sneaker sale of all time.
How a dirty old waffle iron became Nike's Holy Grail?
The Bowerman family gave the waffle iron and some other artifacts found in the pit to the Nike Archives in exchange for a donation to the high school track program that Bill and Barbara's son Jon coached. In 2011, Nike's Holy Grail was put on display in Prefontaine Hall, where it has remained ever since.
Did waffles inspire Nike?
Nike Nike's first pair of running shoes was inspired by waffles. Nike co-founder Bill Bowerman was having breakfast with his wife one morning in 1971 when it dawned on him that the grooves in the waffle iron she was using would be an excellent mold for a running shoe, The Atlantic reports.
How did Bowerman make the soles of his first track shoes?
How did Bowerman make the soles of his first track shoes? He used a waffle iron!!
How much of Nike does Bill Bowerman own?
He passed away in December 1999. Bill Bowerman's Wealth/Nike Equity: The day Nike went public in December 1980, Bill owned roughly 26 million shares of the company. By the end of the first trading day, those shares were worth $9 million....Bill Bowerman Net Worth.Net Worth:$400 MillionNationality:United States of America3 more rows
Who made the first Nike shoes?
Nike co-founder Bill Bowerman. Nike's first pair of running shoes was inspired by waffles. Nike co-founder Bill Bowerman was having breakfast with his wife one morning in 1971 when it dawned on him that the grooves in the waffle iron she was using would be an excellent mold for a running shoe, The Atlantic reports.
What were Nike's first running shoes made of?
Nike's First Running Shoes Were Made in a Waffle Iron.
When did the first Nike shoe come out?
The rubber mold inspired Nike's first shoe, the Waffle Trainer, which debuted in 1974. The shoes looked like this:
Does Nike still make waffle trainers?
Four decades later, Nike is a global sneaker powerhouse with $28 billion in annual sales. And the company still makes Waffle Trainers. Here's what today's version looks like:
What did Bowerman think of the new track surface?
Bowerman thinks about how he created a new track surface out of polyurethane, just like in the Olympics. Bowerman, inspired, sees his wife’s waffle iron and thinks about the gridded pattern. He takes urethane and melts it, and it seals shut, now useless. He’d forgotten to add releasing agents to the rubber.
Who wrote the short form summary of Shoe Dog?
This article is an excerpt from the Shortform summary of "Shoe Dog" by Phil Knight. Shortform has the world's best summaries of books you should be reading.
What shoes does Phil have?
In a late-night creative session, Phil decides to name the shoes – the tennis shoe is Wimbledon. The basketball shoes are Blazer and Bruin. Running shoes are Cortez, Marathon, Obori, Boston, Finland, and Wet-flyte.
Where was Nike made in 1971?
1971: The Start of Nike. Phil Knight and Sumeragi meet with factories in Japan. They visit a factory called Nippon Rubber, part of Bridgestone Tire. Knight shows them the Cortez in the morning, and after lunch they present a brand-new manufactured Cortez, Nike stripe and all.
Who is Phil's partner at Nike?
At Nike, one of Phil’s key partners was Bill Bowerman, a star Olympic track coach and Phil’s former running coach from college. Bowerman was the mad scientist of the group, experimenting with new shoe designs and rubber formulations to produce a better running shoe.
Who invented the waffle sole?
They were built for runner John Mays, whom Bowerman coached at Oregon, and who wore the shoes during the 1972 Olympic Trials. Most notably, the right shoe sports a waffle sole, a technical innovation invented by Bowerman that had a huge role in the early success of Nike.
Who made the waffle spike shoes?
Bill Bowerman Handmade Nike Waffle Spike Shoes. Made by hand by Nike co-founder Bill Bowerman in the early 1970s, these Waffle Spike Shoes are the first and only hand-crafted Bowerman shoes to ever appear at auction. They were built for runner John Mays, whom Bowerman coached at Oregon, and who wore the shoes during the 1972 Olympic Trials.
What shoes did Bowerman make?
Bowerman's design ideas led to the creation of a running shoe in 1966 that was ultimately named " Nike Cortez " in 1968, which quickly became a top-seller and remains one of Nike's most iconic footwear designs. Bowerman designed several Nike shoes, but is best known for ruining his wife's Belgian waffle iron in 1970 or 1971, experimenting with the idea of using waffle-ironed rubber to create a new sole for footwear that would grip but be lightweight. Bowerman's design inspiration led to the introduction of the so-called "Moon Shoe" in 1972, so named because the waffle tread was said to resemble the footprints left by astronauts on the moon. Further refinement resulted in the "Waffle Trainer" in 1974, which helped fuel the explosive growth of Blue Ribbon Sports/Nike. While Bowerman was experimenting with shoe design, he worked in a small, unventilated space, using glue and solvents with toxic components that caused him severe nerve damage. The nerve damage to his lower legs left him with significant mobility problems; as Kenny Moore notes in his book Bowerman and the Men of Oregon, Bowerman had rendered himself unable to run in the shoes that he had given the world.
How much weight did Bowerman take off his shoes?
Bowerman was obsessed with shaving weight off his athletes' running shoes. He believed that custom-made shoes would weigh less on the feet of his runners and cut down on blisters, as well as reduce the overall drag on their energy for every ounce he could remove from the shoe. By his estimation, removing one ounce (28 g) from a shoe, based on a six-foot gait for a runner, would translate in a reduction of 55 pounds (25 kg) of lift over a one-mile (1.6 km) span.
Why did Bowerman have mobility problems?
The nerve damage to his lower legs left him with significant mobility problems; as Kenny Moore notes in his book Bowerman and the Men of Oregon, Bowerman had rendered himself unable to run in the shoes that he had given the world. Bowerman was obsessed with shaving weight off his athletes' running shoes.
Why did Bowerman dislike being called a coach?
Bowerman disliked being called a coach; he saw himself as more of a teacher. He expected his squad to excel in the classroom, and urged his charges to apply the lessons they learned on the track to everyday life.
What year did the waffle trainer come out?
Further refinement resulted in the "Waffle Trainer" in 1974, which helped fuel the explosive growth of Blue Ribbon Sports/Nike. While Bowerman was experimenting with shoe design, he worked in a small, unventilated space, using glue and solvents with toxic components that caused him severe nerve damage.
Where did Bowerman and Knight live?
Bowerman stayed in Eugene, keeping his coaching job at the University of Oregon, while Knight operated the main office from Portland. Bowerman and Knight initially began importing the Onitsuka Tiger running shoes from Japan to sell in the United States.
Where was Bowerman assigned to?
He was assigned to Fort Lawton in Washington and served a year there before being assigned to the 86th Mountain Infantry Regiment at Camp Hale in Leadville, Colorado.