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Jet iD

How could sneaker production be re-shored to Downtown Los Angeles?

Nike’s brand promise is “To bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world”. With this project, I explored how Nike could fulfill this promise while reshoring its shoe production process into Downtown Los Angeles.

^this is a student project that is in no way affilianted with Nike Inc.

The goal of this project was to envision reshoring shoe production to Downtown Los Angeles. 3D-Printing and Computerized Knitting allows sneaker manufacturers to create individualized shoes quickly and closer to the customer. To take advantage of these technologies, I needed to build an understanding of the people who frequent Downtown LA and the location of Downtown LA itself.

Research + Discovery

Who is Downtown Los Angeles?

To gain a better understanding of the its people, I talked with both locals and visitors around Downtown LA. I also gathered reports performed by the Downtown Center Business Improvement District to get a holistic view of the entire community of Downtown LA.

I found that Downtown LA consists of a diverse group of workers, residents and visitors. Being a relatively young population, they are looking for novel shopping experiences.

Residents + Workers + Visitors

Downtown LA is made up of an eclectic collection of people that hails from various backgrounds. Due to the Adaptive Reuse Ordinance, old buildings are being re-purposed into creative spaces, offices and newly constructed lofts, creating an enticing area for business executives to young creatives.

Target Audience: Young, tech-savvy shoppers

Through the Downtown Center Business Improvement District i found that the shoppers in Downtown LA has some commonalities and unmet needs.

1. Young + Tech-savvy

30% of people living in DTLA is ages 19-34. They are also likely to tech-savvy consumers, due to the number of tech firms moving into the area.

2. Happy with retail development

Happy with development of Downtown LA, and are looking for more things to do and places to shop.

3. Looking for more novelty

Are looking for novel shopping experiences that couldn’t be found elsewhere.

Bringing Nike back to the #1 Venue in DTLA

Reclaiming Staples Center

As the premiere athletic brand, Nike has no presence in Downtown LA. My proposal is to take this opportunity for re-shoring to bring a unique shopping experience back to Nike Vault at the Staples Center, a central location that is a touch-point to residents and visitors alike.

Research summary

Design

Design Criteria

  • The design must be suitable for running in Downtown LA, and thus represent a shoe unique to the city.

  • The design must be able to be manufactured in Downtown Los Angeles.

  • The design should provide a novel shopping experience for potential users, creating a memorable visit to Downtown LA.

Personalized for each runner: Sock-like Upper + 3D-printed Sole

Nike Jet iD utilizes HP Jet Fusion technology to provide a voxel-to-voxel controlled 3D-printed sole, bound to a computer-knitted sock-like upper built from a scan of the runner's foot.

Elastic bands provide a flexible rib cage structure perfectly encasing the runner's foot while pulling it into the sole, locking it in place. This provides a truly individualized shoe for each runner.

A personal sole for each individual soul

Jet iD caters to each runner personally by providing customized cushioning. Based on each runner's gait and a pressure map of their foot-fall, the cushioning and traction pattern found on the bottom of the shoe is different for each runner. The height of each dot represents how much cushioning is provided at that location.

Fixes pronation problems

By building the shoe off a user's foot, Jet iD is able to solve for pronation problems. On the medial side is a detail that also acts as support for a runner's arch if necessary.

Stability and Security

An oversized heel-counter provides stability by wrapping along the lateral and medial sides of the shoe. The foot is locked into place by the combination of heel support and an elastic upper.