Nike Air Native N7: A New Try at Cuturally Conscious Footwear
posted by: jitterbugbaby in Athletic Shoes, Foot Health and Fitness on October 2nd, 2007
Nike has just released a new shoe. The Air Native N7. It’s targeted to (and will be made available only to) the Native American population in the USA, in an attempt to help fight the obesity that is prevalent in that community. The shoes are specially designed with a shape and footbed that are apparently more in line with Native American feet, and the shoes will be made available to American Indians at wholesale prices through schools and wellness centers.
Profits will be turned back around and given to the tribal communities to help them even further.
The shoes mostly look like regular Nikes, but have some adornments that reference American Indian culture (sunset and sunrise tags on the tongue, feathers and stars on the insole, etc).
What do you all think about this?
Personally, I’m of two minds. On one hand, I think it’s great that such a major company is recognizing and taking steps to help a problem in a specific community. However, on the other hand, this whole thing comes off a bit as a patronizing publicity stunt for Nike.
What say you, shoe lovers?
16 Comments
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July 05, 2011 at 7:31 pm, Michelle McCoy said:
I am a Native woman that works in the health field, I have Scolosis, which is a double curvature. To know that there is a shoe out there that is finally directed to our culture, is wonderful. I spend more than 12 hours a day on my feet, I lift 125lbs, of dead weight which means that it is doubled. I currently wear Nike Shox, that is all that I can wear! I am a member of the Tobique First Nations, and I am proud to say that my tribe is offering these to our community.
We have been surpressed to the commoners shoe for too long, and finally we now have a product that is directed to our health needs! We are forever going outside of our culture to purchase a shoe, that is not typically designed for "OUR" needs, and now that we have a product availbe for Natives, people are out there discriminating against our society for this. All i can say is that I shake my head at those that are rude enough not to see the good that is coming from these. Nike is not making a profit off of the shoe, rather they have endorsed the product, and helped to market it towards the Natives, just as they have done with their basketball shoes, Baseball cleets, and so on! Dont hate, regulate!
LOVING MY MALISEET CULTURE!
November 29, 2009 at 3:07 pm, Pgh Gurl said:
I was trying to decide between NB and Nike. Now that I read this I am going NB. I am not into favoring one group of people over any other.
August 14, 2009 at 8:04 am, carol said:
just attended a native fitness program at nike in portland,or.
it was enlightning and encouraging. a good percentage from the
sales of the N7 (native/7 generation) shoes goes back into native
communities to support fitness programs. the reason for the development
of the shoe is to help shed light on the urgency for native peoples to
get healthy and get moving in order to save lives. thats how important this project is.
kudos thanks to Sam McCracken, manager of Nike's Native American business and those that support his phenomenal project
program
http://www.nativeamericanfitnesscouncil.com/about…
NIKE is the only shoe company that is supporting the native community
at this level. KUDOS to them.
carol
white mountain apache/seminole
portland state university
July 31, 2009 at 9:12 am, Apache_feet said:
I agree with everyone else who is asking for Nike to sell them to the public. While I understand the idea behind making them available only to natives who live on a rez, I don't live on or near one. I have very native feet and I have to buy shoes that are one to two sizes too big for me just to accommodate the width of my foot. This leaves too much room in the toe box, which isn't good for feet my either.
August 02, 2008 at 3:10 am, cindy said:
Trying to find a pair. I've been looking since they came out. Please offer them to the public. Do not live near a reservation. I have native american feet and do not like to wear tennis shoes because of the fit other shoes have.
July 24, 2008 at 9:44 am, bree said:
I think Nike should make them available to the public. There are many natives living far from reservations that don't have access to these shoes. If the discount is an issue, nike should be ashamed, because we all know they have more than enough money.
June 09, 2008 at 3:38 am, Bobbi said:
I got mine through our tribe's health clinic. If your tribe doesn't have them, contact the nearest IHS office. The price is only $44.20 even though the box says suggested retail price $88. I had to pay shipping from the Rez to where I live in the city but it was worth it. The shoes fit my feet and most importantly they don't rub the top of my foot where I usually get sores. I can actually wiggle my toes in them & it's great. If you don't have flat feet, you'll probably need to add arch support, so keep that in mind when ordering them. They're wonderful walking shoes, lightweight, breathable & smooth inside. I'm not wild about the colorful tags, and I didn't order them for the feathers or stars or sunset/sunrise tags…I have tall, wide feet and these are cheaper and more comfortable than the extra wide New Balance I usually have to buy. They AREN'T available to the general population and if that's racist–too bad!
March 21, 2008 at 5:37 pm, bapes said:
Sweat looking kicks!
January 19, 2008 at 5:45 pm, ntvmom said:
Us Natives can't even find them, it stinks!
January 09, 2008 at 8:58 am, POOPOO said:
Native_pride… WHAT!!?!?!?!??!
January 04, 2008 at 3:58 am, Native_pride! said:
i think these shoes are good because they are only able to go to natvies a native man made these and made them to natives and you cant just get a hold of a rez and ask for a deal to get the shoes. that is disrespect why even bother trying to get them sorry but they are made for natives and if u get them good for u but trully thats is not right if u got them in sum other way rhen buying and juss know wat would happen if u were to tell them we can afford things we aint big alc
December 07, 2007 at 1:13 am, jitterbugbaby said:
Delores, I don't think you can easily buy them. They're being distributed through specific channels in tribal communities. Unless you want to contact one of the tribes taking part in the deal and see if they'll set you up, I'm not sure you can just go out and buy them.
December 06, 2007 at 12:09 pm, Delores said:
My husband has very hard to fit,feet. He has some indian in him. His feet are very wide, thick, and we can not find a pair of shoes in town to fit him. Where can we buy these shoes? His feet hurt all the time due to cramping shoes.I think these should be available to any one that can afford to buy them. Thanks.
October 02, 2007 at 9:57 am, NB said:
It’s a great idea to make shoes that fit a hard-to-fit population but a terrible idea to refuse to sell them to all the people with Native American genes who need them. How crazy is it to take a genetic issue and then restrict sales not to those who have the genes, but to those who are enrolled in tribes or live on reservations? For obvious historical reasons, the vast majority of the people who need these shoes are not in the group slated to have access to them. All over the net people who need these shoes are asking where they can get them. This will backfire on Nike as people get angry.
October 02, 2007 at 2:16 am, jitterbugbaby said:
No, the idea is that they’ll only be made available to tribal populations. They’re not going to be sold in stores or online. Only made available at a deep discount through private tribal groups.
October 02, 2007 at 2:14 am, Celeritas said:
Will they be affordable? Or is this a cute publicity stunt to get liberal white folks to buy more expensive Nikes while the cute little natives sit on their reservation with 10 year old shoes?