Nike Free 3.0 2008/2009

​In 2007 Nike bag designer Thomas Bell showed me his first attempts at footwear design. In his rough prototypes I could see potential. Over the next year I mentored Thomas & his little experiment became the Nike Free 3.0. It took an incredible amount of collaboration & energy to make it come to life. We focused on modern, automated shoemaking which improved product consistency & fit. We spent long days in Asia helping the manufacturer to build the shoes. We adjusted machinery & created videos to convey process. I met with factory managers & explained the importance of our new automated construction techniques.

The hard work payed off. A year later nearly 1 million pair were sold. Quietly we had another victory. The seam-less construction techniques we employed ushered a new wave of modern shoemaking that is still evident in the Nike Running product line.

​Credits: creative direction: Andreas Harlow, upper ​design with Thomas Bell, bottom design: Leo Chang, color design: Andrea Pastega Vloon & Winnie Callough, engineering & development Bryan Farris & Phillipe Blanchard, Photo: Sneaker Files