Health

Nike creates trainers especially for medical staff working long shifts


Nike creates new ‘Air Zoom Pulse’ shoes to help doctors and nurses get through 12-hour shifts which are laceless so they can be easily wiped down

  • The international footwear brand will launch the trainers on December 7
  • It says the shoes are designed for ‘everyday heroes’ doctors, nurses and carers 
  • And the company describes them as ‘almost a traditional clog made athletic’
  • They also have an extra grippy rubber sole, a plastic coating and elasticated fit 

Nike has created a pair of trainers specifically for doctors and nurses to help them get through 12-hour shifts.

The Air Zoom Pulse is elasticated and easy to get on and off, cushioned for comfort during days spent on their feet and coated with a wipe-down surface.

The sports clothing company says the shoes are made for ‘everyday heroes’ and were made with input from hospital workers.

It describes the footwear as ‘almost a traditional clog made athletic’ and will launch them next month at an unknown price, although similar ones cost upwards of £100. 

Variations on the trainers’ designs have also been created by children at a hospital in Oregon and some money made from those will be donated back to the hospital. 

The Air Zoom Pulse trainers have been designed with 'everyday hero' nurses, doctors and carers in mind, according to Nike

The Air Zoom Pulse trainers have been designed with ‘everyday hero’ nurses, doctors and carers in mind, according to Nike

Nike said the trainers were coated to stop fluid spills soaking into them, and had an especially grippy sole to stop workers slipping.

In an unveiling of the shoes the company said: ‘Nurses, for example, walk approximately four to five miles and sit for less than an hour during the course of a 12-hour shift.

‘The work is physically and mentally demanding. The design for the Air Zoom Pulse tackles those challenges with simplicity in mind.

‘The shoe is easy to get on and off, and equally simple to clean. The fit, cushioning and traction systems work together to secure the foot in all hospital conditions.’

Nike said the trainers have an extra grippy rubber sole so wearers don't slip over, and they also have the Star of Life medical asterix logo which represents emergency services

Nike said the trainers have an extra grippy rubber sole so wearers don’t slip over, and they also have the Star of Life medical asterix logo which represents emergency services

Some of the trainers have been designed by children at the OHSU Doernbecher Children's Hospital in Portland, Oregon

Some of the proceeds from the trainers designed by children will be donated back to the OHSU Doernbecher Children's Hospital

Some of the trainers have been designed by children at the OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital in Portland, Oregon, and some of the proceeds from those will be donated back to the hospital

Medical staff often wear clog-style shoes because they're easy to get on and off, comfortable and easy to clean (stock image)

Medical staff often wear clog-style shoes because they’re easy to get on and off, comfortable and easy to clean (stock image)

WHY DO MEDICS WEAR CLOGS? 

Anyone who’s spent time in a hospital will know many medical staff wear rubber clog-style shoes – and it probably isn’t for their fashion appeal.

According to Shoes for Crews, which makes shoes especially for nurses, doctors and other professionals, posture support, cleanliness, longevity and grip are the key reasons.

Spending entire days walking around busy wards and operating theatres means shoes must be comfortable and supportive the feet, which the wide, soft shoes are.

Spillages – sometimes gory or grotesque – are common in medical settings so the rubber or plastic surface is ideal for wiping clean and carrying on, unlike a fabric trainer which would absorb any liquids.

And slippery floors can be hazardous so the shoes must be extra grippy, which traditional smart shoes often aren’t.

Source: Shoes for Crew 

How much the trainers will cost isn’t known but other Air Zoom models on the company’s website cost around £105-£115 ($134-$147) per pair.

Nike said key features of the shoes are their laceless fastening, the wipe-clean plastic coating and its durable rubber sole.

The shoes also have a elastic strap which means people will be able to take it on and off with one hand and which keeps the heel securely inside the shoe.

And the trainers are styled with the Star of Life logo, which is an internationally used asterix which represents the emergency services and particularly ambulances. 

Many medical staff wear backless clogs because they’re easy to get on and off and are quick to clean.

Nike, which tested and developed the shoes with OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital in Portland, Oregon, added: ‘One can think of the Air Zoom Pulse as almost a traditional clog made athletic – all the arch and posture support of that industry favorite is augmented in the Pulse, with a smooth capacity for natural motion.’

Children at the hospital designed some of their own versions of the shoes and proceeds from those will be donated to the Portland hospital.

The shoes will be launched on December 7.



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