Nike Shox is a support system feature in several of Nike's flagship sneakers, first released in 2000. The design is an arrangement of primarily polyurethane hollow columns in the midsole supporting the shoe's heel. Most models include four circular columns in a square formation to provide stability. Later variations sometimes added additional columns, or changed to triangular or rectangular formations.
History
In 1984, designer Bruce Kilgore began researching the Shox project design. Inspiration for the shoe is said to have come from viewing indoor track sprinters who appeared to "bounce" after impacting the surface of the track. Nike developers experimented with many materials that were unable to provide the runner with sufficient support and was only returning a small portion of energy to the runner following impact with the ground. Ultimately, polyurethane was developed as the system's key component.
Shox development began during the 1980s with a mechanical prototype featuring the Nike Internationalist in Exeter, New Hampshire.[1]
Nike released the first Shox shoe in 2000.[2]