Nike co-founder Bill Bowerman, a track and field coach, decided to make a running shoe that was lighter and had a stronger grip on various surfaces. Nike’s first pair of running shoes was inspired by waffles.Bill Bowerman was having breakfast with his wife one morning in 1971 when it dawned on him that the grooves in the waffle iron she was using would be an excellent mold for a running shoe. Nike’s first shoe, created in 1972, had a sole made using a waffle iron. The company’s founder, Bill Bowerman used his wife’s waffle iron to make grooves on the sole to provide a better grip while running.
Bowerman was the mad scientist of the group, experimenting with new shoe designs and rubber formulations to produce a better running shoe. In one landmark experiment, he squeezed rubber in his wife’s waffle iron, producing the waffle sole. Nike made 12 of the shoes for runners in the 1972 Olympic trials, and the design went on to help Nike become a global sneaker powerhouse.
Credit : Business Insider
Picture Credit : Google
