The Nike Presto has been one of the most comfortable sneakers on the market for decades now. The story and history of the Nike Presto is an interesting one. The Nike Presto was originally released in 2000. Learn more about the sneaker below.
A Simple Ask
The Presto was conceived by Hatfield…no…not that Hatfield…Tobie Hatfield. Tobie is the brother of design icon, Tinker Hatfield. Tobie had a straightforward design inspiration when it came to the shoe that would eventually become the Presto…he wanted a shoe that was incredibly comfortable. Hatfield first got the idea for the Presto in 1996. What Hatfield wanted to accomplish would take changing the way sneakers were made.
V-Notch
Hatfield worked incredibly hard when it came to research involving the comfort of footwear. He wanted to create a shoe that did not clash with the foot. He wanted something that fit your feet perfectly. This is where the “V-Notch” would come into play. The V-Notch would give the shoe a carved out area in the ankle area. It would remove the excess material around the ankle and collar of shoe. This gave more room for the foot to bend and move freely.
Materials
The materials used for a shoe obviously play a big part in how comfortable it will be. How the shoe would bend, how it would feel. Spacer Mesh was chosen by Nike designers for the Presto because it was stretchable and breathable. It would allow the Presto to come closer to its goal of being the most comfortable shoe on the market. A rubber cage was used on the upper to keep the structure of the shoe and for the laces. A rubber cap was added to the toe to keep out debris.
Sizing
The materials and construction of the Presto allowed it to fit outside the norms of a sneaker. The original idea for the Presto was that it could fit like a T-Shirt. The Presto was originally available in sizes S,M,L and XL.
Nike
Nike is one of the most influential companies ever created. Nike has changed the shoe game, sports, and our culture. Read on as we attempt to summarize the massive impact of Nike into one single blog post.
Blue Ribbon Sports
Nike started as Blue Ribbon Sports in 1964. The company was headquartered in Beaverton, Oregon. Bill Bowerman and Phil Knight founded Blue Ribbon Sports. In 1966, the first Blue Ribbon Sports store opened in California. The storefront was an instant success, and a name change was needed.
NIKE, Inc.
In 1971, Nike would become the new name of the company. The winged Greek goddess of victory inspired the name. The iconic Nike Swoosh was also created in 1971. A graphic design student created the world famous logo. The logo was crafted to convey speed and the goddess Nike was its inspiration. The first shoes to feature the Nike Swoosh were the Nike Cleat and the Nike Waffle Racer at the U.S. Track and Field Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon.
The first Nike factory location opened in 1984 in Portland, Oregon. This led to the first Niketown opening in 1990, which was also located in Portland. Niketown was able to broaden the storytelling ability of the brand. Consumers could interact with the products in the store, learn more about them, and the athletes that endorsed them. More Niketown locations would quickly follow. Locations that would be situated all over the world. This would strengthen Nike’s status as a global retailer.
In 1996, Nike launched nike.com. The site focused on storytelling initially. It gave site visitors the chance to learn more about Nike’s large list of athletes. Storytelling has always been an important part of Nike’s brand. The storytelling has grown more mythical and epic as time passes on for Nike.
The Nike website got bigger and more unique in 1998 when NikeiD launched. The ability for the consumer to customize their own Nikes was trailblazing at the time. In 1999, the site fully transitioned from an editorial hub to an e-commerce platform.
Nike Presto
The Nike Presto is still a popular model today, with plenty of high profile collaborations out there to prove it. It had a clear cut goal, comfort, which clicked perfectly with runners and those in the need of a comfortable casual shoe. The Nike Presto is a one of a kind shoe from Nike.
- Adam C. Better
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