How does the process of working with individual athletes compare to working with teams?
It’s a little bit different. What we’re looking for when we work with individual athletes is to enhance their performance in any way possible. We work with an individual to give them something that makes them run faster or jump higher. While there is a general performance need that goes with the teams, there is a much more focused performance effort that goes with individual athletes. How long ago did you start the design process? We started the design process two and a half to three years ago, but it was just ideas and concepts. Really, the technical development comes first in some ways. Design is about color and cut lines, whereas the innovation process starts earlier. Whether it’s something that needs to keep the athletes cool in the heat for a long distance runner or whether it’s something that needs to reduce muscle vibration and support the major muscle groups, that starts way back. We’re already working now on four years hence – on shoes in particular. We’ll be looking at new te
