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Ex-Nike Shoe Designer: The Battle Between Foot Health & Profits And The REAL Story Behind The World’s Best Selling Running Shoe w/ Aaron Cooper

Apr 16, 2024

Ex-Nike shoe designer Aaron Cooper discusses the battle between foot health and profits in footwear design. They explore the importance of foot performance, challenges in respecting the natural shape of the human foot, and the demand for natural footwear that enhances foot function. Aaron shares his projects in creating foot-centric products and the potential of insoles for raising awareness about foot health.

01:03:08

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Episode guests

Aaron Cooper

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Episode notes

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Designing for foot health is crucial in footwear innovation and consumer demand.

Foot performance is key in creating natural footwear that respects human foot shape.

Challenges in the footwear industry include resistance to change and the importance of education.

Deep dives

Nike Footwear Design Legacy

The speaker shares a 25-year career journey with Nike, designing iconic shoes for key athletes like LeBron James. The discussion highlights the speaker's involvement in innovative footwear design projects and collaborations.

Introduction

2min

Exploring Aaron Cooper's Journey in the Shoe Business and His Work at Nike

2min

Designing Footwear for Performance: A Journey of Innovation

18min

Designing Shoes for Foot Health and Human Physiology

4min

Embracing the Natural Form in Footwear Design

20min

Empathy over Financial Motives in Product Creation

14min

Exploring Foot-centric Design and Education in the Shoe Industry

2min

In this episode, Nick interviews Aaron Cooper, a veteran footwear designer at Nike. Aaron shares his journey into the shoe business and his work at Nike, including designing for Nike basketball and bringing on LeBron James. They discuss the evolution of Nike Free and the importance of foot performance. Aaron emphasizes the need for a better understanding of foot health and movement, as well as the challenges in designing footwear that respects the natural shape of the human foot. In this conversation, Aaron and Nick discuss the need for innovation in footwear design and the resistance to change in the industry. They highlight the importance of fit and feel in athletic footwear and the demand for natural footwear that enhances foot function. They also explore the business decision-making process behind footwear innovation and the role of education in shifting consumer demand. Aaron shares his projects in creating foot-centric products and the potential of insoles as a Trojan horse for raising awareness. They conclude with their excitement for the future of foot health and footwear.

You can follow Aaron on instagram here

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