|
The Air Ultraposite is the latest (and I would say greatest) addition to Nike's venerated 'Posite line. Based on the company's Foamposite technology, it's also arguably the most advanced hoops shoe on the market today. As you'd expect, much technology is involved in its development, but it wouldn't exist without the skill, experience, and dedication of a handful of extremely talented people. Prof. K talks to two of them to get the scoop on Nike's Foamposite technology and the making of the Air Ultraposite. The conversation starts off with...
by Professor K, posted May 10, 2003
Jeff Johnson
Product Creation Director, Nike Basketball
Prof. K: For those who aren't familiar with the technology, can you talk a little bit about Foamposite...how it differs from other upper materials and how its properties benefit the wearer?
Jeff: Foamposite was unique in that it was not just a different upper material, it was a new manufacturing process requiring innovation on numerous fronts. Rather than cutting and stitching components into an upper and cementing it to a sole unit, these two processes are blended together to create an integrated, unibody product specifically engineered for the court. Key areas of innovation include...
Material - Conventional synthetic leathers at the time either lacked sufficient stretch for molding or the integrity to stand up to the rigors of the court. We worked exclusively with Daewoo Synthetic for two years to engineer a material specifically for Foamposite that could meet these seemingly mutually exclusive objectives.
Grading - taking a shoe from sample size to all sizes is a bit more automated and advanced than it was back in the day but until then nobody had graded the entire shoe as one unit. Everybody from the factory to our internal tech team said it had been attempted and deemed impossible. I just couldn’t buy it from a mathematical standpoint and commandeered a 3D guy to collaborate on some trial and error attempts to assess. Those tests brought high confidence on our part early on but the workability was a point of contention all the way up to mass commercialization for production.
Mold making - The initial round of molds were solid steel and weighed in close to 100 lbs per half pair. With weight comes cost - initial mold rounds were extremely expensive and much time was spent refining and simplifying mold construction to both lighten and simplify as well as bring some recyclability. I can’t remember offhand but I believe there were at least 10 rounds of molds made during the development of this technology. Even with all this focus and effort, production molds still cost three quarters of a million dollars.
Machinery - Conventional PU lines were too small for such large molds and components so entirely new lines specifically for Foamposite were engineered and manufactured.
figure 1a, b, & c. A paper-based rendering is usually the first step in the design and development process, but in the case of the Nike Air Ultraposite Aaron Cooper, the shoe's designer, took a different approach. He started out by drawing a 3-dimensional "sketch" directly onto a foot-form, or last. According to Cooper; "this is pretty much the original sketch...kinda different, but it helped us determine the design." Note in particular the way that the outsole shapes (center) wrap up to form the shapes of the upper. As Cooper would go on to say; "Foamposite has always been about building a one piece shoe, flowing the midsole into and becoming the upper" and the flowing of shapes from the outsole up through the upper is a clear manifestation of this precept.
Prof. K: How were you involved in its development?
Jeff: I was the APE (Advanced Product Engineering) engineer on the second stage of the project. The Foamposite concept had been kicked off a year or so prior to my repatriation from Asia and had somewhat stagnated due to performance and process issues. My partners, Steve Roth, Tomy Chang and I picked up the ball and ran with it, Steve providing the performance insights and Tomy and myself leading the Asia and WHQ (World Headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon) process engineering attack, respectively.
Prof. K: Even today the Foamposite concept and technology is so cutting edge, what led Nike to pursue it and how did you arrive at the idea of molding a shoe? Was it the result of an "aha" moment or something that developed gradually over time ala Shox?
Jeff: I was not involved in the initial 'imagineering' but the insight was a unibody product, integrating the midsole with the upper providing maximum support in a hard cut for optimal speed and reaction. Page through any hoops mag and you’re bound to come across a picture of a cutting athlete with the foot rolled completed off the footbed and the medial side of the outsole curled up and off the floor. Foamposite provides a corner or base against which to plant for a solid cut, decreasing reaction time and beating your man to the spot.
Prof. K: The manufacturing people must have thought you guys were crazy?
Jeff: Indeed. The advanced development was done at one factory but, in the end, they wanted no part in the actual manufacture. The president of the factory even went so far as to say it was going to kill the footwear industry. The team had done its homework though and the transition to the manufacturing factory and the production line went very smoothly, particularly for such a technological advancement.
Prof. K: I imagine that the initial development process must have been very challenging. Were there points at which you thought "this isn't going to work" and were ready to give up? And at what point did you realize that you were really on to something special?
Jeff: I don’t think we ever really came to a point where the manufacturing or performance hurdles were starting to feel insurmountable. The political and personality hurdles, on the other hand, varied from week to week and sometimes seems to spell doom. The product and process was so different that we had to not convince people once, but over and over again that where we were going and how we were going to get there was both feasible and appropriate. Even our own marketing team leadership at the time waffled back and forth based on the yeas or nays from kids and retailers in specific markets - this even after we had started building pairs at huge expense.
figure 2. Cooper then went on to create more traditional 2-dimensional renderings of the Ultraposite. As you can see here, the man has some serious drawing skills. The sketch directly above gives you a sense of what the shoe would look like in a white-based colorway.
Prof. K: Can you talk a little bit about the process of bringing the concept to reality? I don't mean to sound like I'm tooting Nike's horn here, but I have to believe that, once they realized how much it would cost to do this, most if not all other companies would have stopped before ever developing an actual product based on a technology like Foamposite. How were you able to push it through and actually develop a product based on it? Did you have to do a lot of pushing and cajoling within the company to get it funded?
Jeff: Initial quotes were astronomical. We knew there wasn’t a market for $300 shoes and, even if there were, volumes would be so small that the mold costs would drive the retail closer to $400. We were still able to push the model through deceit and intrigue, keeping the quotes under wraps. Much of the costs were in molds and defective rates which we were confident we could bring under control. Even still, going to market with a $180 shoe was a little over the top at the time, but ultimately served us well since we only had one manufacturing line and couldn’t build very many anyway.
Prof. K: The Foam One/Pro was such a different looking shoe, did you have to do a lot of convincing to get players to try it? And with Penny [the Air Foamposite One became Penny Hardaway's signature shoe], was the Foam One always planned to be his shoe or did that just happen serendipitously?
Jeff: As the engineer, my time was spent brainstorming how to build the damn thing so my involvement with players was limited to the internal weartesters we conscripted to evaluate the product. Testers were generally quite eager to give the product a shot as it visually communicated its performance benefits quite effectively and was so different. The challenge was more around keeping a lid on it and making sure it didn’t get out into the public domain before we initiated the patent applications.
As for Penny, the story goes that he accidentally caught a glimpse of the sample during a presentation and that was it. There wasn’t a plan to even show him the shoe but once the cat was out of the bag, he had to have it.
Prof. K: Is it true that the molds for the Foamposite One were destroyed? If so, first off, what the heck were you guys thinking?!?! Second, does that mean there's no chance we'll ever see the Foam One retroed? I'm not a retro fan, but that's one shoe that I'd love to see come back.
Jeff: Yes and no. The molds were so expensive in this initial iteration that we engineered in some reuse. Its really only the inside layer of the lateral mold which was removed and remade. The medial side of the mold and shoes remains as the original.
Will we ever see the Foamposite One retroed? It's certainly possible and feasible but I hope not. We've taken the technology so much further than that first iteration in terms of fit and performance. Personally, I'd rather see us apply those learnings to the old design and bring out a "nu retro" version.
Prof. K: Moving to the Flightposite line, it seems that, with every shoe in the line, you've not only released a new design, but also a new application of the underlying technology. The Flightposite was much more organic and more minimal than the Foamposite One/Pro (at least that was my take on it), the Flightposite II/KG pulled Foamposite out of the toebox, the Flightposite III incorporated bands across the forefoot and ankle, and now the Ultraposite incorporates TPU elements at key areas of the shoe. Have these changes been the result of a conscious effort on the part of the team to one-up yourselves with every release or did they just sort of pop-up through the course of each shoe's development?
Jeff: The external enhancements on subsequent Flightposite models has been more one-upsmanship from the design side than full-on engineering overhauls. The designer would take learnings from testing of the previous incarnations and attack shortcomings in a new way. Additionally, there have been internal invisible engineering advancements incorporated into virtually every new Foamposite.
figure 3. After Cooper's sketches were finalized Tanya Schroder, a modeler, produced a 3d model of the Air Ultraposite. You're not going to believe this, but she actually created the model shown above by hand! It's created using a combination of Ren Shape modeling boards and a material called Bondo (Bondo will be familiar to anyone who's done autobody work, it's often used to fill minor surface imperfections in body panels). The model is not just a one-piece sculpture, but is actually a 3d jigsaw puzzle made up of all of the individual pieces that will go on to make up the shoe. I will never ever take a shoe's outsole pattern for granted again.
Prof. K: Can you talk about the Ultraposite in particular...how it differs from previous shoes in the line, what the TPU elements are for, any other unique features of the shoe? One thing I've noticed is that, even with the TPU structures, it seems to weigh the same as or possibly even less than the Flightposite III. Was keeping weight down a big focus with this shoe?
Jeff: The foam used on the Ultraposite is one of those invisible engineering enhancements. It is a new, lightweight foam used for the first time on this model. That coupled with Coop's [Aaron Cooper's] intention to skin it out as thin as possible and reinforce appropriate areas with the thinnest possible pods of urethane have brought this baby in lighter than both the Flightposite II and III, I believe.
Prof. K: Do you see this as being the ultimate application of Foamposite technology or will a new line start from here (i.e. Ultraposite II, Ultraposite III, etc.)?
Jeff: We'd be kidding ourselves if we believed we've ever hit the ultimate application on any technology. There is always room for improvement but the real trick is balancing ultimate performance with compelling aesthetics. There are still performance opportunities and enhancements to be capitalized on as well as new and exciting ways to trick them out. It is getting more and more difficult to top ourselves...you'll just have to wait and see what the future might bring.
Prof. K: I've heard talk that the Ultraposite may be the last "true" Posite shoe to be released for a while. First off, please say it ain't so! But, in all seriousness, the shoes in the Flightposite line have always offered unique levels of performance so I would be sad not to see a 'Posite shoe in the line every year, but, even though the truth may hurt, can you provide the definitive word on this?
Jeff: Who knows? Not my area of responsibility so I'll leave it to the marketing team. I'm with you though...definitely still a market out there for Foamposite.
Prof. K: On a different tack, I've noticed that, over the past couple of years, Foamposite has found its way into shoes in other categories such as tennis and ACG and into lower priced hoop products such as the Pureposite and Playerposite. Notwithstanding the future of the 'Posite line, do you see this trend continuing?
Jeff: Our basketball development team in Asia was heavily involved in both the ACG boot and the tennis model but, honestly, I don’t know how the 'Posite product has fared at retail in these other categories and whether they have plans for 'Posite in the future. Seems to me that the attributes and benefits of 'Posite have application in some of these other sport categories though.
figure 4. Next the production facility in Taiwan sends the foot-form, or last, that the final shoe will be built around to the team in Beaverton. Just the core of the model created by Schroder (the part that will go on to be made of Foamposite) is fit around the last and the combined unit is sent back to the factory where it is laser scanned to create a 3-dimensional computer model.
Prof. K: Is there a next step to Foamposite? In other words, do you see it evolving beyond its current forms/applications?
Jeff: We continue to experiment with refinements to enhance the product, researching lighter foams, breathable or otherwise enhanced materials, more efficient processing and compelling geometries and cosmetics, among other things. Search for the next over the top 'Posite-like breakthrough continues as well. The ideas are there but bringing them to reality and mass manufacture is another issue.
Prof. K: Do you see any other materials/production technologies hitting the market any time soon that push fit and support levels forward to the extent that Foamposite did when it was originally introduced?
Jeff: Absolutely. Our B.I.G. (basketball innovation group) team, led by Dick Oldfield, has a number of intriguing irons in the fire presently. Not all of them will pan out of course but some great thinking and compelling concepts are underway. Understandably, I wont be divulging additional details or insight there.
Prof. K: Finally, can you describe your ideal hoops shoe? What would it be made of, how would it work, what would it smell like (the new movie Holes has a shoe smell subpot that I thought was funny).
Jeff: As an engineer, I get more excited about the performance features than the "blingbling" - though sometimes bringing compelling cosmetics requires as much innovative engineering as enhanced performance. That said, I guess my ideal hoops shoe would be an amorphous design but intelligent, knowing your next move and adjusting its shape and attributes to contribute specifically to that next movement. And it would smell like a new car...for the life of the shoe. Still a little work to do there...
Aaron Cooper
Creative Director for Nike Basketball and designer of the Air Ultraposite
Prof. K: After spending some time with the shoe, "Ultraposite" seemed a very fitting name as this latest addition to the 'Posite line ties together many elements of the Flightposites that preceded it while managing to make its own very bold and very unique visual statement. Can you talk about what your inspirations were for the shoe's design?
Aaron: Crouching Tiger [the movie Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon] was the spark, but I also thought of The Matrix. I thought it was interesting about how green is a "power" color...the Green Destiny [the name of the sword central to the storyline of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon]...The Matrix uses it...the Green Lantern, etc. [see figure 6b for an illustration of this green influence]
figure 5. The 3-dimensional scan created from the combination last/model unit shown in figure 4 is used to create a final machine-made model. Though this final model differs slightly from the model created by Schroder (due to production requirements), it is very close to Cooper's original concept and Schroders hand-made model.
Prof. K: That's really interesting because it seems that the inspiration for athletic shoes is almost always quoted as being something tangible such as a car, or a plane, or a rocket, or what have you. How did you go about imbuing the spirit of something intangible (a movie) into the design of a tangible product (the Air Ultraposite)?
Aaron: That is an interesting way to talk about it because you are right. I would say that ANYTHING can inspire, even an event, like a movie experience...or jumping out of a plane (i was inspired to design some wall clocks for Swatch (it was a mock project, not actually for Swatch) while in school)...or something someone says or said. For example, the upcoming Shox VC III was inspired by something that Vince [Vince Carter] said in a video interview. Inspiration can also come purely from the function of a product, or lack thereof. I designed the Air Pippen II with nothing on the quarters because Scottie [Scottie Pippen] complained that the Pip1 stretched too much. Anyway, a designer should just open his eyes and mind to let everything in, but first and foremost, the shoe you are designing should be a solution to a performance need. Foamposite has always been about building a one piece shoe, flowing the midsole into and becoming the upper.
Prof. K: How about in terms of performance, did you have any specific goals in mind? Were there aspects of the previous Flightposite shoes that you wanted to improve upon, or was it more of a clean slate approach?
Aaron: We really wanted to create a "shell" of foamposite that was re-inforced only where you need it. And then to use the cushioning from the Air Flightposite III because it was so nice. Really, it was about taking the best from the history of the 'Posite line and improving upon it. One way we did this was with the light-weight PU [polyurethane] formulation that was created for this project.
Prof. K: Had you designed a Foamposite-based shoe prior to the Ultraposite? Was there much of a learning curve involved in designing your first Foam-based shoe?
Aaron: Yes, Eric Avar and I concepted the Air Signature Player and then I followed it through into production with Craig Nomi, the developer, and numorous other talents at Nike and at the Pou Chen [Taiwan] factory. And yes, Foamposites are crazy because right up until the last minute they always look rough, and then Asia [Nike Asia and Nike's factory development center in Taiwan] starts to get everything dialed in and all of a sudden, it looks hot. EVERYTIME!!! And you know this in the beginning, but it doesnt matter because it is still very stressful.
Prof. K: As a follow-up to the above, Foamposite is so unique in that it's not only a material, but also a manufacturing process. Can you talk a little bit about the steps involved in transforming your design concept into a real, functioning product? A shoe as cutting-edge as the Ultraposite must require a lot of collaboration between you, the developers and the engineers? With so much going on and so many people involved, how do you ensure that the final product stays true to your original concept?
Aaron: There would be no way do this if we didnt have the crazy talent of people like Tanya Schroder, one of the best modelers in the industry, and Jennifer Matullo, a great developer who studied engineering at Georgia Tech. Tanya litteraly crafts our drawings into 3-dimentional peices of art (see figure 3) and you would be amazed at their likeness to the final shoe at retail.
Jennifer worked with the factory, Feng Tay, in Taiwan, along with our Asian Nike office to take the model and drawings created in Beaverton, Oregon and turn them into a high-performance shoe that someone can put on and ball in.
As a designer at Nike I am very fortunate to be working with so many people who have great talent and passion for developing and producing the best footwear in the world.
And of course, there would be no ULTRAposite if there was never an original FOAMposite. So the history set in place by Jeff Johnson, Eric Avar [Avar designed the the original Air Foamposite One/Pro as well as the Air Flightposite, Air Flightposite II, and Air Flightposite III, along with numerous other incredible shoes -- he is currently part of Nike's Design Innovation Kitchen], and countless others involved made our jobs quite a bit easier than theirs was many years ago. However, each 'Posite project has its own difficulties. Otherwise we would never be trying to improve and, at Nike, we are never satisfied with the status quo.
figure 6a - f. The photos above show the Nike Air Ultraflight as it progressed from Cooper's initial 3d "sketch" to the final product available at retail (note the "green destiny" influence in Cooper's final sketch, second from the top). The amazing thing about it all is that the Ultraposite is not just a thing to look at, but a product that bends and flexes and that you can use and abuse out on a basketball court. And, best of all, the shoe backs up its stunning looks with equally stunning performance. It's truly a piece of performance art.
Prof. K: Were there any points in the development of the Ultraposite that were particularly challenging, where you thought "okay, maybe this isn't going to work?"
Aaron: Yeah, pretty much the entire time! But you should always be saying that when you are trying to push the envelope of technology and engineering.
Prof. K: Before starting Kicksology.net I had assumed that shoe designers just designed the look of a shoe and then let engineers worry about performance, but I've been surprised to learn that designers, at least the good ones, actually spend a huge amount of time thinking about and designing performance into the shoes. The Ultraposite seems to me to be a perfect example of this as nothing in the design of the shoe seems superfluous as far as performance is concerned, and yet the design as a whole is visually stunning. Were you thinking about trying to balance aesthetics and performance when you designed the Ultraposite or do the two just flow together for you?
Aaron: I have always thought that the best designs let the technology and performance BECOME the design/styling.
Prof. K: Finally, I asked this question to Jeff as well; can you describe your ideal hoops shoe? What would it look like, what would it be made of, and how would it work?
Aaron: It would be a "smart" shoe...cushioning, support, traction that would change immediately when under particular stresses. And the look? The consumer could download any design he or she wanted.
Much love to Jeff Johnson, Aaron Cooper, and all of the folks at Nike Basketball for their time, insights, and responses, without which this piece could not have happened. I hope it's provided you Kicksologists out there with a better sense of the work and the variety of skillsets required to take an ultra-high-performance hoops shoe from concept to completion. I also hope it's helped those who've never tried a Foamposite-based shoe understand why people like me are so crazy about them -- there really is nothing like the fit and feel of a 'Posite after it's been broken in around your own foot. And for you 'Posite fans, let Nike know that Jeff Johnson was right when he said he thinks there's still a market for Foamposite-based shoes!
|
