Creating the Look of China
Track and Field athletes told Nike they felt like “a superhero” when they put on their national uniform, that it embodied the “warrior within,” and their pride in serving their team and country. As designers talked to China’s athletes, their sense of patriotism and sacrifice was connected to the Terracotta Warriors, buried centuries ago with the legendary Qin Shi Huangdi, the emperor who first unified China. A mask thought to be part of a doorknocker was entombed with the soldiers. On it was carved a mythical beast who’d protect the soldiers and prevent bad luck from entering. A stylized version of the talisman became a central facet of China’s graphics. With the heroic place of Chinese athletes in their culture and the historic idea that a hero’s most important quality is sacrifice for their country and emperor, the Terracotta Warriors were a natural source of inspiration for designers.
Inspiration also came from the bold colors of China that were developed for the uniform’s red and gold hues. The red was matched to the flag and tested under TV and stadium lighting until the design team was satisfied the color was right. Inside the uniform, where no one but the athlete can see, are two symbols from the National Anthem, “Arise” and “March On.” Placed just beneath the heart they create a private message for athletes.
Pictured above left-to-right: Yi Jianlian-basketball, Air Zoom Fastpitch CT Softball, Zheng Jie-tennis.
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Creating the Uniforms and Footwear
When it came to designing the specific uniforms and footwear, Nike designers worked closely with the China Olympic Committee, the Federations themselves, and their athletes. Hundreds of feet in Beijing were scanned to ensure designers knew the specific morphology of Chinese feet.
The Nike Sports Research Lab, the NSRL, researched the most common injuries in sports from wushu to show jumping, and the department teamed up with research institutions in Beijing and Shanghai. Design teams surveyed athletes about what they did and didn’t like in their equipment.
Then, Nike set to work designing footwear and uniforms, creating solutions and rethinking equipment that often hadn’t changed for years—sometimes even decades.
Lightweight innovations and performance enhancing technologies like Aerographics, Flywire and Lunarlite foam are now integral elements to Nike’s pinnacle performance pieces for Beijing.