According to Nike's co-founder Bill Bowerman, "It’s all about the feet— it’s not about the shoes." Ten years ago, Nike Free was launched and nothing encapsulated this idea more. Designed and inspired by running barefoot, Nike set out to fuel the concept of natural motion and develop a sneaker that was in-tune with the athletes body and make kept them closer to the ground.
Bowerman's fundamental idea was that shoes should provide protection and traction with minimal weight and promoted the natural movement of the foot. Through this idea, Nike Free was born and ten years later, the idea is bigger and stronger than ever. Although they didn't get it right the first time around, Nike worked for years to perfect the design and have pieced together tech from several shoes over the years like a mad scientist to create the products we know and love today.
For their ten year anniversary, Nike offered up a brief history on how they grew the Nike Free idea over the years, and the shoes that helped them get there.
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