Lunar Glide 2009

The Lunar Glide  was the shoe that finally shook up the conservative running industry for Nike.  It delivered industry-changing innovation combined with digestible aesthetics and appealed to a really wide range of runners & non-runners alike. Everyone from marathon great Paula Radcliffe to Pharrel Williams adopted the shoe. The Glide received critical acclaim from running publications & even Innovation Magazine. Over 2 million runners enjoyed the shoe by the time it’s successor hit the market. Consequently, it was the poster child for modern running shoe design & has been widely imitated by many brands.

Product story: I directed my lead designer Sebastien Mermet to strip away the unnecessary stuff prevalent on most running shoes. We utilized innovative ideas from recently successful shoes like the Free Everyday, Nike Free & the Lunar Racer.  I worked with my color designers to create simple but bold color ways and I hired a textile designer straight from university.  She designed a super-functional, breathable mesh which is now widely imitated by many brands. The team reduced weight, improved flexiblity & introduced an adaptive stability feature called Dynamic Support. Props to dynamic duo Phil McCartney & Ernest Kim for keeping the marketing common sense & keeping people honest.

​Credit:​ creative direction: Andreas Harlow, Textile design: Breanna Wagner, color design: Andrea Pastega Vloon/Winnie Callough, Engineering: Philippe Blanchard, Product development: Chris Cook, Graphic design: Craig Conahan, photos: Andreas Harlow