Nike’s Growing Global Footprint

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I cursed under my breath as I pulled my foot out from under the thick sludge of dirt and grass that had engulfed my shoe. The vibrant volt pattern was now hidden below a layer of earthy grit. Holding my foot in the air to salvage whatever style was left, I noticed the deeply settled footprint I had left in the mud – an unmistakable swoosh imprinted in the earth. In my frustration, I found myself blaming the ground rather than myself for this small mishap. Funny thing about the ground – it’s rarely the one moving. I was treating the dirt, grass, and all its miniscule inhabitants like objects that I was somehow sovereign over much like how Michael Pollan formerly regarded the plants in his book Botany of Desire. It was then that I realized the footprint I left could be just as much a detriment to the patch of grass as it was to my shoe. I own a wide variety of Nike shoes and use a different pair at least once a day, everyday. Each style appeals to me in a different way and provides me its own unique sense of security – support on the court from my KD Precision Timing, a barefoot feel on the track from my Flyknit Racers, and comfort at work from my Roshe Runs to name a few. Just like my shoe, all objects leave their own impressions on the world – uprooting their own form of mud and leaving behind their own footprint. Through an exploration of the production, use and disposal of Nike shoes, I will unearth the footprints they are leaving behind, and more importantly the trail they are following into the future.
The life of a Nike shoe begins with its conception – what it will look like, who will buy it, and how it will be used. Every single detail must be planned and attended to in order to ensure the performance product that Nike so ...

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