16-yr old boy with Cerebral Palsy helps Nike design shoe!
When a 16 year old boy battling cerebral palsy writes to Nike, one of the world’s leading sports footwear, apparel and equipment manufacturers, one usually doesn’t expect a response. But what if it can lead to a collaboration of minds towards a medical solution?
Florida’s Matthew Walzer (now 19 years old), was born with cerebral palsy- a disorder that stiffens the muscles in the body. This disorder kept him from many activities, one of which was tying his own shoe laces. In 2012 he wrote to Nike asking for help because he no longer wanted anyone tying his shoelaces. This was just a small beginning, which Nike’s Mark Parker (CEO) and Tobie Hatfield (Senior Director) took up and now in 2015 have created Nike’s revolutionary Zoom Soldier 8 based on Flyease technology.
The shoe presents a zippered wrap around system that removes the need to lace up shoes, faced by millions of disability challenged people like Walzer. The idea for the design and fit comes as a result of 3 years of design and brainstorming between Walzer and Nike’s design team. Tobie Hatfield has compared the collaboration with Matthew Walzer on par with world class athletes like Maria Sharapova (tennis) and Kobe Bryant (basketball).
Matthew Walzer received the first pair of the newly designed shoes before it even hit the market. Kudos to Walzer and Nike for collaborating and creating a solution that goes beyond pro-sports and athletes for millions of people whose daily struggles are real.
