This case examines Nike's push to develop a sneaker specifically engineered for walking and a luxury apparel line which are both purposefully marketed to an older demographic, a first for the company. The case focuses on legendary sneaker designer Tinker Hatfield's decision to design a shoe for older athletes after a chance run-in with founder Phil Knight, President of Category and Product Michael Spillane's tough decisions regarding marketing the product, and the company's new product development pathways which allow for faster development, experimentation and market launch. Students will be confronted with numerous concepts including brand strategy, product narrative, market segmentation, direct-to-consumer strategies, and developing products for the older demographic.
