Ask a former NIKE Basketball employee...

awesome thread.

My favorite thread outside of general in years... thank you guys...

Originally Posted by CelticsPride34

My favorite thread outside of general in years... thank you guys...

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Indeed. I've always been fascinated with the inner workings and behind the scenes kinda stuff. Thanks for all he input fellas!

What does Nike look for in an intern. Do they look at your GPA and classes, or your skills, or something else? Also, how much does getting an internship help you get a job a Nike?
BTW great thread I appreciate, the info you two are giving.

Not to be a wise +!% by any means but before posting intern/job questions, read through the whole thread. Both of these guys have pretty much detailed all they know about the process and their experiences. They've already said there is no magic formula.

Thanks for sharing Rock. Reading about retro and hybrids was cool. Would love to hear more about that or specific models that won everybody over, ones that got scrapped early and maybe ones that blew up bigger than anyone expected.

Did Scoop Jackson pay visits to Nike HQ a lot? I still have his book he did way back called "Sole Provider", about Nike basketball shoes circa 1972-2002. He must have talked with many designers and people at Nike when he was writing that book. Figured I'd ask, maybe both of you know him or something.

Gotty there def. is NO magic formula.. its about the work a person puts into it.

People always ask me to hook them up with a person... then I say you gotta check NikeBiz... make a relationship... pass your resume and designs to someone.

Perhaps going directly to Nike isn't the move. Nike may like seeing you have Industry experience somewhere else first then snatching you away.

As for Scrapped models most dont even have names.

I can say for sure some of the stuff that has been scrapped that I've seen over the years from different designers is actually better than some of Nike's other released stuff and most def better than its competitors.

What happens its either too expensive to develop or make and they scale it back or they believe its ahead of its time... and wont go back to it because of the backstory not being relevant anymore... Its really an unreal process.

One of the more important experiences or lessons I learned from Jay May is even though we are told every shoe has a story... its not just one we should let Marketing make up but design your shoe according to the story.

Ive taken this advice and applied to my Marketing business as well as the Consulting I do with other Urban Apparel lines as well as guys wanting insight and advice on their footwear designs.

The last thing a Designer needs or wants is a yes man. Someone who tells them every design they make is great. They know its not and they are held captive at times to their design director and marketing with having to make changes.

Nike has a Materials Library of sorts. This Library or Swatch Haven as I call it has EVERY SINGLE MATERIAL you can think of known to man. If its not in there they can get it. It makes one wonder why isnt EVERY SHOE the greatest ever?

Well easy.. every shoe is designed with every person in mind. What we in NT may see as something as purely style... another may need for pure function. What a 16 year old Black kid in the inner city may not be the same thing a Black kid playing basketball in AAU is looking for.

Demo's and Demo's within Demo's is important. Even if your design isn't directly supporting a Signature Athlete it should have someone in mind. Inspirations other than just a car are important. Again I could go on... and some say I should write a book... but alot of it would have to be about the shadiness I also know to be true at the Swoosh...and Im not about that life... because a few truly can make the many look bad.

 - To get an internship, it's really who you know.  As I mentioned earlier, I did two consecutive Basketball Sports Marketing internships.  While talking with the other interns, we realized that none of us were random hires.  We all had some sort of connections within the company.  It helps if you are an athlete and attend a university with NIKE teams, but that's not mandatory.  
Again, I've told this story before but it seems relevant to this thread.

I had worked as a NIKE Retail Shop Specialist for two years before I got my first internship.  One of the contacts I made was an intern who passed my information along to her boss, who was a hiring manager for an internship program.  I was also a member of a footwear focus group at a NIKE Showroom for those two years.  Several retail guys like myself had been recruited to meet every quarter and give feedback on shoes that were scheduled to release the following year.  Imagine a giant room with shoe walls from floor to ceiling.  We gave our opinions on running, cross training, and basketball footwear samples.  This was back when the ALPHA line was launching - Air Zoom Seismic, Vis Uptempo, and Zoom Citizen.  Eventually our feedback was valuable enough that designers and developers were flying into Houston from Beaverton to sit in.  

- Unfortunately, I never did meet Scoop Jackson but I was a big fan of his writing in SLAM.  I think his book may have been affiliated in some way with the NIKE Sole System online archive because they both addressed the same time period.  As I mentioned earlier, I did talk at length with Russ Bengston during one of his visits to MH-3.  HE WAS COOL.  He wore a size 9 and he left with an armful of samples.  

- Here's a random story that was probably my coolest moment as a shoe head.  One of the designers was named E. Scott Morris and he was good people.  He had worked on the SHOX BB4 and he knew that I collected size 16 shoes.  Months before the shoe launched he gave me an extra pair of the black/silver/lapis that had been originally made for Vince Carter.  I'm pretty sure I was the first person to wear those in public.  And you have to remember that there had never been anything like shock absorbers on shoes before.  I WAS BREAKING NECKS ALL OVER PORTLAND!  But I had to play it cool - "What, these shoes?  Oh, they're just some prototypes.  I can't really talk to much about the cushioning."  

As a product tester, should i always wait to hear for an email offering a test or should i email every now and then? Tips on how to be considered a better tester? Ive gotten some good samples in the past but just want to make sure Im doing the right things and can keep it going.

/\/\/\/\/\

You can drop them a line from time to time. If you're a reliable tester, it's already noted on your profile. It's more a matter of the type of athlete needed and the shoe size required.

Very cool on the BB4!

In your opinion, what is the single best shoe/your favorite shoe Nike produced while you were there and why?

- My favorite basketball shoe produced while I was with NIKE was probably the Air Zoom Drive.  It was sort of the sequel to the Jet Flight (which was originally named the Air Total Package).  I liked this shoe because it had Zoom Air in the forefoot, a strap over the forefoot, and was relatively light and flexible.

What were three of the major difficulties that you experienced during your tenure with Nike?

This is the thread of the year

Great thread

How could I ever go about designing for Nike? I feel I have the raw skill and passion to design with the best of them.

Another question, have you guys heard rumors of basketball stars who almost signed with NIKE when you all were still working there? Not only stories, even encounters and other stuff. Basically, everything about ballers almost inking a deal with NIKE.

Any place in nike for a journalism student?

I know Nike loves limited releases...... but why can't they just advertise the product as "limited" and just release them in high quantities, like a "GR" as we say here. People will never find out the true production numbers. Nobody will care that everybody somehow got a pair, as long as they get theirs. Nike will make big bucks, seeing how folks were dropping $200+ on the Air yeezy 2 and LeBron's.

Reading page after page. Dope. It's like a live documentary.....if that makes sense?

Originally Posted by thegatorviking

How could I ever go about designing for Nike? I feel I have the raw skill and passion to design with the best of them.

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I wrote before that its not all about raw skill and passion to be a designer anywhere.  Its about staying on your grind and doing what it takes.  You may want to start as a PLM or keep putting a portfolio together of different brands.. not just Nike..
What some folks dont realize is the Swoosh can make alot of plain shoes look great.  Take a design and see if it holds true without ANY logo.. then try different logo's.. even if you are incorporating it into the design. 

Designing isn't about just putting something OK together and putting a swoosh to make it stand out.... thats like some Rappers with terrible lyrics but great production.   Half the crap thats out now.

- For those thinking of pursuing a career as a designer, all of the footwear designers I'm aware of studied industrial design.  The notable exception to this is Tinker Hatfield who studied architecture. 

- There really weren't any difficulties working for NIKE.  It was frustrating putting in almost three years in retail, slowly cultivating my contacts and waiting for a big break.  I folded a lot of t-shirts and answered many ridiculous question "Yo, what goes with these jays?"  (Uh, practically everything in the store, professor.)  But all the NIKE employees I met along the way were very patient and supportive while I was trying to work my way up, which is why I always try to assist anyone I can.

- Here's a link to a profile I wrote for STEEZ on his website, counterkicks.com.  He was a moderator on NT and he might still be one.  This is the first time I've ever cited my own work.

http://counterkicks.com/2009/09/24/campus-life-by-a-former-nike-employee-part-1/

Thank for the great in of CWK. Just one question what kind of degrees did some of the designers have, industrial design perhaps?

It has always been a dream of mine to work at Nike as a footwear designer. I tried getting into Industrial Design but in the end it didn't work out.

A question I've always had in the back of my mind is what's it like living in Oregon? My dream was always to make it to Beaverton but I had absolutely no desire to live in Oregon. What's life like outside of work? Or is work your life there?

Do you use all the facilities and amenities they offer you? Do you work out or play ball on your lunch break? Did you get bored or Oregon very quickly? Did you spend a lot of free time on campus?

- Yes, the footwear designers had degrees in industrial design.

- I moved from Houston, Texas (flat, hot, and humid) to Portland, Oregon.  I love Texas, but I really miss Portland.  The Columbia River Gorge, Multnomah Falls, Mount Hood, and the Oregon Coast were within driving distance.  I visited Sunriver in Bend and watched whales migrate at Seaside.  I lived in NW and SW Portland and only owned a car for one summer.  The rest of the time, I walked, rode my mountain bike, or took the MAX train or lightrail.  The people were really cool and for some reason there were a lot of transplants from Austin (which I think had a very similar vibe).  The homeless youth crisis was very visible because of the coastal climate and concentrated population downtown.  It was really annoying to see young, healthy, white males (I'm white, by the way) begging on EVERY SINGLE BLOCK while I was walking to work.  I will never forget the sign one guy had:  :  Too lazy to work, too honest to steal.  Like that was noble or something.  I'm not a violent person, but I wanted to kick that stupid, stoned grin off of his face.  One of the greatest things about my internship was that once a week I was required to visit a nonprofit within a sixty mile radius and donate WNBA tickets and basketball product.  So I would find churches, schools, or hospitals an hour away and spend the day driving through absolutely beautiful terrain and helping people at the same time. 

So, no - I never grew tired of Portland.


- The Basketball R & D team was on the third floor of the Mia Hamm building (MH-3) when I was there.  I had more of a structured 9 - 5 schedule, but the developers and designers would play ball or watch college and NBA games in the library during down time.  During March Madness there was always a cooler stocked with sodas, beer, and food.  We were in the Bo a lot for weartest sessions, pickup games, and employee leagues.

- On a side note, I quickly learned to glance at people's feet on campus before I even looked at their faces.  You could get a pretty good idea of what category they worked in and how much of a shoe head they were.  I made a point to NEVER wear inline product if I could help it.  I had most of my vintage collection shipped to me once I got settled in and then I was able to collect a lot of special make-ups and promo stuff.
There was definitely an unspoken competition among the Basketball group to show and prove.  The designers and developers always had cool prototypes first.  I remember when they were still testing materials for NIKEID, Aaron Cooper had a pair of Zoom GP III with the words "ONE CENT SYMBOL" embroidered on the side.  The two people with the best personal collections were Gentry, who was a NIKE lifer AND a size 9.  He had stuff in his office I had never seen.  I would walk by his work area just to see what he was wearing each day.  A guy named Trent Casper also had an amazing collection for being a size 10 (non-sample size).  I asked him once about a pair of Team Jordans (Masterpiece?) in a colorway I had never seen.  He explained that MJ had comissioned a limited production run of like FIVE PAIRS for a promo event, and he was able to grab a pair in his size. 

Originally Posted by quik1987

It has always been a dream of mine to work at Nike as a footwear designer. I tried getting into Industrial Design but in the end it didn't work out.

A question I've always had in the back of my mind is what's it like living in Oregon? My dream was always to make it to Beaverton but I had absolutely no desire to live in Oregon. What's life like outside of work? Or is work your life there?

Do you use all the facilities and amenities they offer you? Do you work out or play ball on your lunch break? Did you get bored or Oregon very quickly? Did you spend a lot of free time on campus?

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For the person above.... I know for a fact former Designer Directer Dwayne Edwards did NOT have an Industrial Degree....as he basically worked up through the ranks... I would say most Designers do.. but some actually worked from scratch on portfolio's because with technology the way it is and ever changing.. most things you have to learn on the fly.
Dwayne now runs a first of its kind accredited Design school for Footwear Designers.  I may be a little off but its something those who aspire to do check into.

For me living in Oregon was ok... but it rained too damn much lol.  Literally once saw it go from Sun to rain to snow back to Sun in a hour time span while sitting in the Mia Hamm eating lunch. Freaked me out man.

Nike once a long time ago had a commercial about running and how folks would get up and just start running at lunch from their office or grocery store.  I can attest much of the Campus does this.  Folks work out all the time and Nike encourages it.  You have folks playing Flag Football.. Soccer and basketball in and outside at different fields and courts.  I know for the enthusiast taking a tour by someone you know...as they dont do Public tours anymore is probably one of the best experiences you can have.

Meeting Mark Smith, Tinker, Eric Avar, and Aaron for the first time in the Kitchen was unreal..surreal. Seeing ALL the concept Jordans lined up on the wall is undescribeable. Meeting Phil Knight on the Same elevator two months apart and him remembering my name the second time he saw me was impressive. 

As far as life outside of work... the club scene is one of seeing the same people wherever you go... lol.. There are alot of places to go...but you def see the same folks. There are ALOT of events in Portland and Beaverton... but many people take trips to the Coast and such whenver possible.  You'd think you'd see alot of Urban Shops... nah.. Maybe two.

The women... *sigh*  Most of the good looking women I'd say are NOT from Portland.. and the few who are are probably snatched up... but if you are married you have no worries... No tax in Oregon is a big plus however.  A burger on the Dollar menu is .99 cents... where as a burger on the dollar menu in DC is $1.05.  Thus when buying a Flat screen, Car or such you save ALOT of money.

Nike even at that time got discounts at the Nissan and INfinity Dealerships as well as a few other places.  Not sure about now.There are three gyms to play ball workout or swim in with Child Care facilities.