Nike has repurposed its materials for shoes into medical equipment to fight the coronavirus pandemic.
The company said its manufacturing and product teams are working with Oregon Health & Science University professionals to create personal protective equipment such as face shields and air-purifying respirator lenses.
“Nike’s version of the full-face shield transforms elements of the brand’s footwear and apparel into much-needed PPE,” the company said on its website. “Collar padding once destined for shoes is repurposed; cords originally earmarked for apparel reconsidered; and, most important, the TPU component of a Nike signature — the Nike Air soles — reimagined.”
TPU is thermoplastic polyurethane, a plastic elastomer that Nike uses across its products because of the material’s versatility. It can be used as rubber-like material or hardened for such things as cases holding electronic equipment, according to Nike.
Nike said the face shields and lenses will go to health care professionals across Oregon, including health systems such as Legacy Health Systems and Kaiser Permanente.
The shift in Nike’s operations amid the pandemic comes at a difficult time for the company. The banking company Cowen projected last month that Nike could take a $3.5 billion loss in revenue due to the pandemic’s impact upon consumer spending, according to The Motley Fool. Nike has also closed retail stores in various locations around the world to comply with international restrictions enforced to fight the coronavirus outbreak.
Nike also is dependent on China, where much of the known coronavirus outbreak began, for the manufacture of Nike products. Last month, Nike said it would review its hiring operations in China after reports that Uighur Muslim workers were allegedly forced to make shoes for Nike.
• Ryan Lovelace can be reached at rlovelace@washingtontimes.com.
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