Nike Research & Development

You might think that Nike has an underground research lab full of evil geniuses toiling to create the newest and most advanced designs and technology in the sneaker business. It’s true that Nike’s research lab has grown up considerably from its early days with Bill Bowerman and a waffle iron to create the Nike Waffle Racer. Today, it commands approximately 13,000 square feet containing some state-of-the-art research equipment that might make even NASA jealous. While all of this sounds complicated, research is primarily divided into three parts:

Biomechanics

how the body moves

Physiology

how the body works, especially under stress

Sensory/Perception

the evaluation of how a product works, feels, and wears; how a person feels when wearing the shoes

Nike products undergo a rigorous testing process that covers a huge variety of testing surfaces (regular basketball hardwood, soccer turf, a running track, and endless outdoor testing on various terrain), and takes into account four major factors, geography, gender, age, and skill level. All of this combined with the results of about a dozen other tests are use to develop new, user-friendly products like the Nike Shox, Nike Air, and other Nike basketball and running shoes. Are the researchers at Nike evil geniuses? Evil, no. But geniuses—maybe.