After designing a special athletic shoe for healthcare workers that can withstand 12-hour shifts, Nike has donated 30,000 pairs to hospitals across the United States and 2,500 to hospitals in Europe.
The company is also sending more than 100,000 additional apparel items, including compression socks and sportswear kits, as a ‘thank you’ to frontline workers.
Nike described the Air Zoom Pulse, released in November, as the “first shoe designed for the healthcare athlete, an everyday hero.”
The kicks are made of a special material that is easy to wipe down and clean, and designed to be worn for the 12-hour shifts that include five miles of walking with less than an hour of sitting.
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Nike’s nonprofit partner, Good360, will distribute the shoes to workers in U.S. veterans hospitals, as well as hard-hit health systems in Chicago, Los Angeles, Memphis and New York City. In Europe, the shoes will go to hospitals in Barcelona, Berlin, London, Milan, Paris and Belgium.
To date, the company says “the Nike Foundation and Nike have committed more than $25 million” to COVID-19 response efforts—with its apparel donations valued at $5.5 million. Additional support has been given to the World Health Organization (WHO) and community support efforts for its employees in Oregon, Memphis, Amsterdam, Belgium, and China.
Nike provided more than 290,000 pieces of personal protective equipment and 250,000 disposable face masks to hospitals across the United States.
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New York Mayor Bill de Blasio tweeted his appreciation, saying “thank you so much for supporting our front line health care heroes.”
In 2015, the company personified its ‘Just do it’ philosophy when it teamed up with a disabled teen to design an easy-entry shoe.
Nike is also offering its Training Club Premium subscription service for free during the pandemic. Download the app here to access body weight workouts, yoga classes, and more.
This is just one of many positive stories and updates that are coming out of the COVID-19 news coverage this week. For more uplifting coverage on the outbreaks, click here.
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