The Story Of Nike Designer Peter Volker And Nike Shoes

If people can remember me, it's more likely that they will remember the interesting shoes I've designed, whether it's the shoes offered to the daily consumers, or the shoes that are offered to the world-class athletes.

Peter Foucault

Can the name of Peter Fogg remind you? Maybe you are not familiar with his name, but you should be familiar with his design. (Peter Volker Fogg)

He is the designer behind the classic shoes such as NIKE running shoes and ACG outdoor product line, including the Air Terra Humara, Air Humara, Terra Sertig, Terra Albis, and so on.

If you appreciate these shoes very much, you have to thank Peter Volker first.

Learn more about Peter Volker, about him and

From the interior design of aircraft to the amazing leap of footwear design

Reporter: is everything all right?

Peter Volker: they are all very good.

NIKE is great, and basketball is doing well.

Interviewer: I'm sure NIKE keeps you busy, doesn't it?

Peter Volker: there has never been a dull moment! This is the character of an enterprise.

Every season is time for new shoes.

Reporter: actually, how long have you been working with NIKE?

Peter Volker: I have been in NIKE company for 16 years.

Interviewer: How did you get into NIKE?

Peter Volker: to be brief, it is a leap of luck and belief.

I had been helping Boeing design interior trim in Seattle until I was told that I had cancer.

That's a bad day.

After 7 months of treatment, I conquered cancer, and I felt very lucky.

This tribulation has completely changed my view on life and career.

I started looking for a new job in Seattle, but luck was not so good.

Until one day, I found one of my old classmates, Dave, from San Jose, California, working in NIKE.

I called him to know that he was the design director of all NIKE footwear. He said that if I passed the interview, they would hire me.

I know they can't be interested in aircraft design, so every night I start to draw shoes and roller skates, and I want to show them at the interview.

In the end, I convinced them that I could design shoes.

Of course, after that, I have to convince my wife and three children that we are moving.

Reporter: do you always want to make design work in the shoemaking industry, or is it just for you to design and not to the industry?

Peter Volker: I've been there.

[Peter, Foucault and shoes]

1, Bakin Posite boot and Air Umara

Reporter: some of our readers may not be familiar with your name, but they are all very familiar with the sneakers you designed.

Please talk about the shoes you have designed.

Peter Volker: the names of some running shoes may be familiar to you, such as Air Humara, Terra Humara, Albis, Sertig, Minot and Tupu.

During my design of running shoes, I was lucky enough to be able to engage in a lot of training shoes.

I was pferred to the ACG outdoor product line in 2002 to design boots, sandals and tracing shoes for 5 years.

Tallac, Tallac Pro, Ashiko and Watercat are all I like very much.

I also worked in New South Wales for a few years, so that I had the opportunity to meet some broader and more varied footwear. My favorite two were Bakin Posite boot and Air Umara.

2, Air Humara

Reporter: what are the first pairs of shoes you designed?

Peter Volker: the first pair of shoes I have designed are Air Humara, so far it is still one of my favorite shoes.

Reporter: when you see the first shoe you designed and finally produced, how did you feel then?

Peter Volker: when I finally saw the finished product of Air Humara, I felt it was a great moment.

Because its birth is not smooth sailing.

At one meeting, my developers thought that we should stop this product because he didn't like this kind of shoes.

So, I have to thank our marketing staff for their trust in this shoe, and insist on it and strive for it.

3, Terra Humara

Reporter: what is the last shoe you designed recently?

Peter Volker: a shoe I designed is my first pair of basketball shoes.

I think the samples of early basketball shoes are very good.

I just pferred to the basketball department in June.

Interviewer: I'm very excited to find that your Terra Humara is one of my favorites.

When you talk about the shoes you designed at that time, what inspired you?

Peter Volker: there are several things that inspired my inspiration.

The market at that time needed shoes that looked highly technical and precise.

I got inspiration from motorcycles and front disc brakes.

The five fingers extending outward from the center of the shoe are like the spokes on the wheel.

In 1997, Vogue magazine wrote an article about Terra Humara and its design inspiration.

Reporter: after a few years, this Terra Humara is still enduring.

How do you feel that the public is always so excited about your shoes?

Peter Volker: I'm also very surprised. Terra Humara is still there.

New South Wales keeps bringing new colors and new materials to it.

I am very happy to hear people say they like my design.

I also like Terra Humara very much, especially when someone told me that they had been wearing my designs because of the expected purpose and perfect execution of the shoes design.

Reporter: when you see someone wearing your shoes, how do you feel?

Peter Volker: I'm very happy to see people wearing my shoes.

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4, Zoom Tallac

Reporter: besides your own shoes, can you tell which shoe you like best? Why?

Peter Volker: I like a lot of shoes, but if I have to pick one, I will choose Zoom Tallac.

Sometimes, during the creative design of shoes, there are many problems such as prenatal analysis, marketing, design conception and development.

We once wanted to re-use the heavy leather used by our previous hiking boots.

I just arrived at ACG, and it was my first time to design boots.

Our team believes that crazy creativity and pioneering work can bring incredible magic to Tallac.

Tallac is the lightest mountaintop boot, which is very attractive to mountaineering enthusiasts.

Other consumers in the city also need a comfortable and comfortable boots for everyday wear.

Peter and Foucault looked forward to his design shoes being remembered.

Reporter: pressure, setbacks and difficulties are what you need to deal with and deal with in your work.

So what is the most challenging obstacle you have ever faced, when you are trying to execute a design?

?

Peter Volker: there must be some ups and downs.

I once did a very interesting and difficult project, which is ACG Watercat.

The upper is knitted to reduce the use and waste of adhesives.

We have built many early samples in the city of beaver to test and verify this design concept.

At the same time, I had to ask the factory to try some unusual structural ideas.

At that time, the leadership and marketing department wanted to give up the shoes because the market forecast was low.

Therefore, I have to do some persuasive work to make this shoe have the opportunity to enter the market.

I think the forecast is really low, but I am still very happy that we have succeeded.

Then every time when I design water sports shoes, I will wear ACG Watercat.

Reporter: when you worked in the NIKE sports shoes department, what was your title in New South Wales?

Peter Volker: when I was in New South Wales, I was a senior designer of ACG.

Reporter: now you are in the NIKE basketball department. What is your title and responsibility?

Peter Volker: I am a senior designer of NIKE basketball. My responsibility is to design the leading design works in the industry and help my team do the same work as me.

Reporter: from New South Wales, will you be hard to adjust your role in the NIKE basketball department?

Peter Volker: when you move to a new field, you always need a period of adjustment.

The popularity of basketball is very high. Everyone is watching us.

When I was in New South Wales, I was rather low-key, and of course it was very good, but when Leo Chang asked me if I was interested in basketball, I said yes.

I need to change, and I have been looking for new challenges.

Now, this opportunity to work on the leading edge of basketball shoes is very attractive to me.

Reporter: what is your current job?

Peter Volker: I am doing 13 new designs in spring, and have completed the revision of my first pair of basketball shoes design.

So far, it looks good.

Interviewer: who is the designer of your favorite NIKE company? Why?

Peter Volker: Tinker.

His clothes, shoes and architecture all represent the highest level.

Interviewer: if you weren't doing design work in NIKE, what would you do?

Peter Volker: good question.

I guess if NIKE did not hire me, I would probably continue to design interior trim.

Maybe I have already found a job in a design company.

Before entering NIKE, I had a history of various kinds of work.

Reporter: when you retire, how do you want to be remembered?

Peter Volker: retirement? Now, do people still have the concept of retirement? But I still have to try to answer this question.

If people can remember me, I hope they will also remember the interesting shoes I have designed, whether those shoes are provided to everyday consumers or those shoes that are provided to world-class athletes.