I had the privilege of collaborating with some of the world's leading athletes, assisting them in achieving peak performance by providing insights into their game and developing footwear that not only enhanced their performance but also prioritized their health, enabling them to push their physical limits and excel.
Congrats to Rafael Nadal for an amazing career that lasted decades.
While at Nike I had the opportunity to meet with him to help solve a footwear problem that was causing severe pain in his feet preventing him to play in the early tournaments of 2005.
Rafa arrived at the Nike campus in December of 2004 with his team to visit the Nike Sports Research Lab to identify what could be causing the pain and injury. Our team scanned his feet, looked at his current product as well as inserts that he had been using prior to arriving at Nike to help identify what might be causing the injury.
Upon arrival to the lab we had his feet scanned and realized that he was wearing a size 9 which is what he had used for years in his soccer boots. ( where you fit tightly all the way to the end of the toes ) His scanned foot size turned out to be a size 10.5. In addition, one of his advisors had him wearing orthotics that were nearly 20mm thick combined with a shoe that was 1.5 sizes too small to begin with we were able to build a shoe that fit not only his foot but improve the insole to accomodate a more reasonable footbed or orthotic prescribed by a podiatrist.
The visit lasted 24 hours at the Nike Beaverton Campus and as we sent Nadal and his team on their way back to Spain we hoped that the solution of creating footwear that fit his feet would allow him to train and play once again.
We were thrilled when he made his debut in 2005 at Roland Garros coming out in the iconic and revolutionary green sleeveless top and winning the entire tournament to showcasing his amazing comeback from injury. I was thrilled to received a signed shirt from Rafa as a result of our work to get him back playing at his best. This sits in my office at home along with tournament worn shoes from Federer, Agassi and Serena.
In the following years, we enjoyed collaborating with him to further enhance his shoes to endure and perform according to his aggressive playing style. He played on all surfaces as if he was playing on clay, sliding and using his feet as rudders to guide him across the court. This created other challenges to the product that needed durabilty on the top of the shoes in addition to the outsoles.
I was always initially struck by how youthful he appeared, and over the years, I enjoyed watching him continue to excel in the game, particularly on clay, while remaining a calm, confident, and humble champion.
Congratulations, Rafa, on a well-played career. I'm thrilled that we could contribute to keeping you on the field for the world to enjoy and revolutionize the game.
For further information on how Michael Bergmann and the @incubatorU 5-Step Methodology offer insights and solutions to product and process challenges, feel free to email me directly at michael@incubatoru.com
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