Mar 24
Looks like Nike has Puma to thank for being the true innovators of Nike+ as we know it today. The Puma RS Computer Shoe was (a very clunky and ugly looking running shoe) available in the 1980s featuring a built-in pedometer in the back of the shoe. The computer museum archive Web site DigiBarn has some fascinating photographs of the Puma device, including some newspaper articles on how slow it seems runners were in adopting the computerized running shoe.
The most ironic and somewhat anecdotal quote within the newspaper article is made by Nike’s David Smith:
“At Nike in Oregon, sales program manager David Smith says that his company’s market research has turned up no solid market for computerized shoes.”
Oh what might have been…
March 24th, 2008 at 2:29 pm
Too bad we don’t still live in an age where Puma and Adidas were the kings. I like Nike but they have their snoots in everything these days. They do football, running, basketball, baseball etc. etc. They took away the market for some shoe makers that specialized in certain sports. When is the last time you heard of PONY shoes?
Footballs and Basketballs used to be the sole domain of Spalding and Voit. Now Nike even makes footballs and basketballs. I haven’t owned a pair of Nike’s since my white leather with red stripe I got in the mid 1980’s. Then when Jerry Jones bought my Cowboys and put a Nike swoosh on every step in the stadium it was just too much. It would be funny to look back and think that people would have been impressed to see anyone wearing these laptops/shoes. Was that keyboard in the photos a docking station??
Old Timer’
March 24th, 2008 at 10:23 pm
I can’t help but notice that Apple was the computer partner in the 80’s and they still are today.
Great story and great find.
Mike
March 25th, 2008 at 8:38 am
@Mike — Well spotted!! A multi-million dollar partnership between Apple and Nike was staring them in the face even way back then! Someone just needed to connect the dots!