Nike to Provide Full-Face Shields for Medical Workers Made out of Repurposed Sneaker Parts
The Swoosh brand has teamed up with the Oregon Health & Science University.
UPDATE (April 8, 2020): Nike has officially announced that it will be manufacturing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in the form of full-face shields and powered, air-purifying respirator (PAPR) lenses to protect frontline healthcare workers against the coronavirus. In partnership with the Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU), the Swoosh brand’s equipment will be crafted out of the brand’s repurposed material found in its footwear and apparel.
Materials such as collar padding, cords and Nike Air soles’ TPU component will be reconfigured into the face shields. In addition, TPU will be employed to create new lenses for the PAPR helmets – an essential tool for the most critical procedures. The PPE full-face shields and PAPR lenses will be distributed to health systems within the region of Nike’s World Headquarters, including Providence, Legacy Health Systems and Kaiser Permanente, and others across the state of Oregon.
To read more about the initiative, head on over to Nike’s website for more details.
ORIGINAL STORY (March 26, 2020): As the coronavirus pandemic intensifies and the U.S. faces a shortage of medical supplies such as face masks and gloves, Nike has announced that it is prototyping personal protective gear such as face shields in partnership with the Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU).
Nike CEO John Donahoe told Business Insider that “companies like Nike need to do [their] part.” Donahue added that Nike, whose headquarters are located in Beaverton, is “focused on working with OHSU to support Oregon healthcare workers, as a start.” The company’s new efforts build on a $7 million USD donation that Donahoe and other Nike executives made to OHSU earlier this month to support Oregon’s efforts to treat the COVID-19 outbreak. According to The Oregonian, the state has 268 confirmed cases of the virus as of March 25.
