Why the Nike air max almost ruined the world Customer loyalty runs high when it comes to Nike shoes an apparel, but few of these customers know that Nike executives planned to indirectly destroy the world only 30 years ago.
In 1985, when plans for the all-new Nike Air Max I (which was originally called the Nike Comfort) was laid out on the table, shoe designers were plagued by a very important task: finding a suitable material for the soles to create added comfort and bounce.
Of course, cotton was a great cushion, but it gave little support, and leather was hot and sweaty.
One of these designers did some research, discovering a little-known material called kapok, a cotton-like substance which, when pressed, responds by bouncing back, similar to rubber.
Kapok comes from a sacred Mayan tree, called the giant Saba, which grows primarily in Belize.
This, it would seem, was the answer to their prayers.
He reasoned that the added commerce would boost the economy in Belize and perhaps create new jobs there.
Nike would therefore have an entirely new team of workers, who would provide labor for little pay.
He immediately took his discovery to the other members of the design team, and plans were made to secure enough kapok for the first six months of manufacturing.
The shoe design was revamped to include air pockets rather than kapok holders, and the name was changed from Nike Comfort to Nike Air.
The first Nike Air shoes, featuring air-filled soles, was introduced to the general public in 1987, and the world has never been the same since.