2009 Galleries
The Spark Gallery pages are one of our most popular design destinations, with thousands of visitors each year. Check out some of the latest Spark entries, in the galleries below.
Galleries // 2009 Spark:Pro // NIKE Free
NIKE Free
Winner - Platinum
Competition: Spark:Pro
Designer: Andreas Harlow & Team
Design Type: Product, Footwear
Company / Organization / School: NIKE
Team Members: Design Direction: Andreas Harlow
Principal Product designer: Thomas Bell
Secondary Product designer: Andreas Harlow & Leo Chang
Engineering: Philippe Blanchard
Product Developer: Bryan Farris
Color: Andrea Pastega-Vloon
Material Design: Brooke Kuerbis
Graphic Design: Craig Conahan
New methods of shoemaking were employed to create this shoe. Much of the shoe is bonded together instead of stitched. This more automated manufacture, reduces irritation-causing seams, improves product consistency & improves fit . This process also creates less harmful vapors during manufacture & is safer for shoemakers. An ergonomic, asymmetric lacing system was developed to improve fit & reduce lace pressure on the top of the foot. Individual components (‘flat parts’) of the shoe were analyzed using CAD/CAM software & redesigned to reduce waste. An MC Escher inspired nesting technique was employed to further reduce waste & reduce the environmental foot print of this product. The sole of the shoe features a simplified design with living hinges or ‘sipes’ to increase flexibility. It is made using injected material as opposed to compression molded material. This process reduces waste & energy use significantly, as well as simplifying manufacture. Note: The numeric value assigned to the shoe (Free “5.0”) conveys the level of flexibility of the product. Zero is barefoot. Ten is a traditional running shoe.
