This feature explores the rise of maverick footwear designer, Tinker Hatfield. Walk a Mile in His Shoes
Hatfield grew up in rural Oregon. “You either worked on the farms or participated in sports,” he says. “My dad was a coach. My mom was a coach. My sister married a coach and my brother was a coach. Sports were the center of our lives.” Although Hatfield excelled in football and basketball, it was his track spikes that earned Hatfield a scholarship to the University of Oregon.
Two years into the track program, Hatfield suffered a leg injury. And For the first time, he faced the stark reality of not being a full-time athlete. Giving up track, he immersed himself in the architecture program.
“I was already studying architecture but wasn’t really passionate about it until I realized I was not going to be a professional athlete,” he says. “So I made the choice to explore design on a deeper, more committed level. I dug in.”
When Hatfield graduated in 1981, Nike hired him as a corporate architect. He designed Nike stores, remodeled offices, and designed part of Nike’s campus.
“I see architecture as a great combination of art, science and cultural experience,” Hatfield says. “The spot at Nike was a way to get into an environment that offered options. It didn’t hurt that my track coach at the University of Oregon, Bill Bowerman, was also one of the Nike’s founders. He was my in.”
Hatfield’s stint as an architect didn’t last long. Figuring Hatfield could draw, Nike’s marketing director asked him to design shoes. “I jumped at the chance,” Hatfield says. “Designing shoes was where the real action was.”
Hatfield’s first major assignment was the Air Max 1. His inspiration for the shoe came from an unexpected place: the Pompidou Center in Paris. Hatfield was intrigued by the avant garde building’s exposed pipes, air ducts and walkways.
But Nike insiders scoffed at the original design of the shoe, claiming it was too vulnerable to punctures. “We can’t sell a shoe with a hole in it,” Nike’s head of running told Hatfield. “It doesn’t even look like a normal running shoe.”
Despite all the flack, Hatfield stuck to his guns. He even pushed a vibrant color inspired by the Pompidou Center. Eventually, Nike signed off on the Air Max, and the exposed air system design became Nike’s trademark. The company has grown from selling track shoes out of a van, to a global powerhouse. Nike raked in $ 4.34 billion in 2007. A lot of shoes.
Hatfield went on to create the coveted Air Jordan line. He designed the Jordan III with direct input from MJ. Before Hatfield even touched the sketchpad, he studied the nuances of Jordan’s game.
“He moved like a cat,” says Hatfield. “He was lanky, but he had power. He could just launch. So here at Nike we talked about him being like a panther. That theme drove the shoe’s design. It had a paw-like sole, black leather and ticking on the side that looked like a cat’s fur.” With those sneakers, the Jordan line became a pop-culture icon. Despite the Jordan’s success (the shoes sell better today than when MJ graced the hardwood), Hatfield kept pushing. He found inspiration everywhere. For the Jordan Five, Hatfield themed the shoe around a bomber he saw in a John Wayne movie. The Jordan 11, a lawnmower. Jordan 12, Gucci pumps. Jordan 14, a Ferrari 550. He kept pushing, redefining sport footwear at each installment.
Hatfield now serves as a mentor and adviser to younger designers at Nike. Today, he understands the importance of helping other rising designers. “There’s something pretty cool about getting to that point,” Hatfield says. “I always wanted to push my design as far as possible without getting fired. Now I help others do it.”
This feature explores the rise of maverick footwear designer, Tinker Hatfield. Walk a Mile in His Shoes
