NIKE AIR RIFT
The Nike Air Rift was an early attempt at enhancing natural motion and was designed with the understanding that the toe is a significant source of propulsion for the foot. The design team set out to create a shoe inspired by elite distance runners who ran barefoot. The split-toed stretch sandal caught the eye of style setters and quickly crossed over to the street.

NIKE AIR PRESTO
Finally, Tobie Hatfield designed the Nike Air Presto in response to the overprotective running shoes of the 1990s. The slim design comprised a loose elastic upper and thin plastic lattice on the shoe’s sides that held the laces. Sneaker writer Gary Warnett says of the design, “Nike Air Presto is a T-shirt for the foot. Ditching numbers for an XXXS-XXXL sizing structure, Sock Racer DNA is present in the neoprene fit and commitment to minimalism, while the sense of eccentricity made it an instant favorite with runners and admirers of progressive design.”

“People ask me why we never made a Presto 2,” says Tobie Hatfield. “I always tell them we did – it’s called the Nike Free.”

On a trip to Stanford University in 2001, a group of Nike designers that included Tobie Hatfield observed coach Vin Lananna’s track team training barefoot on the grass of the university’s golf course. Lananna shared his speculation that barefoot training strengthened the runners’ feet and thereby improved the athletes’ performance. This insight catalyzed Nike Free.

Using advanced sports science technologies such as pressure mapping and motion capture, researchers at Nike’s sport research lab were able to analyze the biomechanics of the toes, ankles, knees and hips as athletes ran barefoot on grass. This information provided the scientific basis for designers as they set out to design the first Nike Free.