Nike Invites Innovators From Around the World to Their Ease Design Challenge
You could win a grand prize of $50,000 USD.
Continuing where they left off last year, Nike have brought back the Nike Ease Challenge for 2016. With $50,000 USD as its grand prize, the Nike Ease Challenge aims to bring together innovative creators, designers, and engineers with the goal of progressing “footwear design for athletes of all” and improving the functionality of shoes for every individual wearer. The Nike Ease Design Challenge intends to further the current designs showcased on products like the Nike FLYEASE, HyperAdapt 1.0, Nike Air Rift and others, allowing customers to put on shoes in the most effortless way possible. “Today, we are working with others who share our passion for removing barriers through breakthrough innovation. I can’t wait to see what powerful ideas come out of this challenge,” says Nike CEO Mark Parker. The Nike Ease Challenge is currently accepting submissions, and a deadline is set for December 15, 2016. Nike will select a trio of finalists from their pool, with an official announcement regarding the contest’s final three scheduled for the end of March 2017. In April of 2017, the challenge’s official winner will be revealed. To promote the effort, Nike has also put together a promotional vignette explaining the challenge. You can check out Nike’s official breakdown of their new contest and its mission statement above or you can go through the official microsite here.