The long-lost waffle iron that inspired Bill Bowerman to create Nike’s “waffle sole” was recently unearthed.
The long-lost waffle iron that inspired Bill Bowerman to create Nike’s “waffle sole” was recently unearthed.
Over breakfast and conversation with his wife Barbara one morning, Bill came up with the novel waffle sole idea to make shoes lighter and faster.
Bill’s breakthrough spawned Nike’s Waffle Trainer, released in 1974, the first innovation in a company that became known for them. Before it, most athletic soles were flat with shallow patterns. The waffle had nubs that protruded like the tread on a motorcycle tire.
“It truly is the headwaters of our innovation,” Nike historian Scott Reames said. “From a historian’s standpoint, it’s like finding the Titanic.”
Read more at OregonLive.com.
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