Nike Shoes in the Spotlight
According to The Ohio State University, Nike shoe production involves over 1 million workers manufacturing over 500,000 different products across around 785 factories.
They advise that to make Nike shoes, the worker first cuts all the material in the shapes and forms they need to be in; they then sew the pieces together on the upper section above the sole.
The workers then prepare the sole, also called stock fitting, followed by preparing the attachment of the upper to the sole, also known as lasting.
Then the worker attaches and shapes the bottom heel to its final form. This process is called heeling. The finishing touches are made, and any necessary accessories are attached in the treeing process.
This image shows the different parts of the manufacturing process we would expect to see for the production of a shoe (or a pair of trainers).