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Nike's Bowerman series was tribute to legend
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By Striperpedia staff
Nike paid tribute to a running icon with its Bowerman Series shoe line.
When legendary track and field coach Bill Bowerman hand-crafted shoes for his runners at the University of Oregon in the 1960s, he focused on three principles:
- Make it light – Bowerman wanted to make his shoes as appropriately light as possible. This meant that the shoe would be light enough to help an athlete run fast but retain enough support to protect against running-related injuries. To ensure this principle remained consistent, Nike used technology such as Natural Motion engineering throughout the Bowerman Series.
- Find the best fit – To create a shoe that could fit the needs of both genders, Bowerman began constructing shoes to cater to their unique foot types. If shoes fit perfectly, then they are going to feel great on everyone’s foot, Bowerman felt.
- Go the distance – Bowerman wanted his shoes to survive heavy mileage, so he constructed them to be more reliable and durable. He built shoes that could withstand the wear and tear of different terrains. The goal of the Bowerman Series was to provide consistency in each new version of the shoes year after year.
In going on to co-found Nike, Bowerman’s namesake line of shoes carried on his guiding tenets into eight shoes for four distinct types of runners:
• Stability
- Zoom Equalon+
• Cushioned
- Zoom Nucleus MC+
- Zoom Skylon+
• Motion control
- Zoom Nucleus MC+
• Lightweight
- Zoom Elite+
- Zoom Skylon+
