NIKE ACG FEATURE - PART ONE

ANDREA CORRADINI INTERVIEW

...Around the same time, two phenomenal climbers sent us pictures of themselves hiking to K2 base camp in Nike LDVs!  That was the final validation that Nike could bring something more to the industry, so we launched our first pack of shoes – the Magma, Lava Dome, and the Approach. Most people probably know the Lava Dome but my favorite is the Magma. It looks like a boot. It smells like a boot. But when you pick it up, it feels like a sneaker. It uses lightweight foam instead of a heavy rubber cupsole and revolutionized weight reduction. The simplicity of the upper and the use of waffle lugs on the outsole make it so awesome. And the color? The brown inspired by dirt and rock, with the red laces pouring like hot magma from the inside of the shoe, so dramatic!

I must admit I wasn’t aware of the significance of Roskelley’s mission to K2 and how that lightweight story became so pivotal to ACG...
Yeah, the goal of the expedition was to reach the summit unaided by oxygen, which Roskelley ultimately did. They needed to move fast so they took off their heavy boots and donned the LDVs which were completely shredded by the time they got there, but they had served their purpose by then. The amazing picture they sent us (with huge smiles on their faces and the big thumbs up!) was seen as an opportunity at Nike. With just a bit more durability, hiking boots could be just as fast and nimble as sneakers.

Where did the ACG humour come from and as Nike has grown, has it got harder to maintain that irreverent edge?  
Great question. I would say the sense of humor that guys like Tinker and Monty Mayko have is what drove the humourous cadence of the brand. Some of the stories I’ve heard are hysterical, though probably not fit for publication. Tinker was actually one of the critical players in re-launching the spirit of ACG. He gave us four words that every product we do should convey – fun, fast, simple and Considered. They all work in harmony – take away one and it changes everything. So is it harder now that we’re bigger? No. We’re still nimble, we’re making it happen.