Nike designs new shoe specifically for health care workers

Nike designs shoes for various groups of people all the time: runners, basketball players, sneaker collectors, etc. But the company’s new kicks are designed specifically for “everyday heroes”: health care workers.

In an announcement for the "Nike Air Zoom Pulse" released last week, the company said it's "a shoe for everyday heroes: nurses, doctors, home health providers and others who work tirelessly to support patients."

“The work is physically and mentally demanding,” the release reads. “The design for the Air Zoom Pulse tackles those challenges with simplicity in mind.”

The shoe was tested by health care workers at OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital in Portland, Oregon.

The company said through observation the design team learned how physically demanding the long shifts can be: noting that nurses can walk up to four or five miles in a 12-hour shift, with little time to sit down.

So what makes this shoe different? According to Nike, the shoe is almost like “a traditional clog made athletic.”

The arch and posture support are meant to hold up during long stretches of standing. The fabric is also designed with all the surprises of a health care shift in mind. They are spill resistant and have specific traction.

The company said the shoe is set to be available in December.

According to Nike, the shoe includes design elements such as: