NIKE SOCK RACER
Next came the radical Nike Sock Racer. It was innovative in many ways. It was the first Nike shoe intended to be worn without socks, had no laces and was made of a single mono-mesh. Runner Ingrid Kristiansen wore the high-concept racing shoe when she won the 1986 Boston Marathon.

NIKE AIR HUARACHE
In 1991, Tinker Hatfield, designer of the Air Max, many Air Jordans, and co-designer, along with Hiroshi Fujiwara and Mark Parker, of Nike HTM models, came up with the Nike Air Huarache. It was distinguished by a neoprene upper, which at the time had only been used in footwear on surf booties. It was Nike’s first running shoe without a structural heel counter – only a rubber strap came around the Achilles. Today’s Nike Free models also lack a heel counter.