Former Gillette Exec Proposes Running Shoe With 5 Carbon Plates
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A newly hired marketing executive at Nike has proposed a new running shoe design with not one carbon plate but five, Dumb Runner has learned—a move that would instantly set Nike apart from its competitors.
The executive, William Occam, has been employed by Nike for just a few weeks, sources said. He previously was an associate vice president of marketing for Gillette, maker of razors and shaving products.
“This will absolutely be a game-changer,” Occam reportedly told a group of senior executives in a recent presentation. “I mean, we all know how much a single carbon plate affects running shoe performance, right?”
He paused for effect before continuing.
“Now multiply that by five.”
Occam illustrated his concept with a mock-up of his proposed design in an “exploded” view, showing five carbon plates sandwiched between two layers of midsole foam.
“Just imagine the clean, close run you’ll experience while wearing these things,” he said. “So smooth.”
Several executives were “intrigued” by the idea, sources said, and agreed that Occam should work with designers to create a sample pair of the five-plate shoes.
“If this works out,” said one, “it could be huge.”
