Tom Fletcher

One of the first things I noticed when I went into the factories in Asia is the number of toothbrushes they use specifically to glue the shoes. Huh, like you'd put glue on the toothbrush and kind of... Yeah, and you'd swab it all around and you'd stick it together and you'd press that thing down and boom, the shoe goes down the line. All right.

One of the first things I noticed when I went into the factories in Asia is the number of toothbrushes they use specifically to glue the shoes. Huh, like you'd put glue on the toothbrush and kind of... Yeah, and you'd swab it all around and you'd stick it together and you'd press that thing down and boom, the shoe goes down the line. All right.

One of the first things I noticed when I went into the factories in Asia is the number of toothbrushes they use specifically to glue the shoes. Huh, like you'd put glue on the toothbrush and kind of... Yeah, and you'd swab it all around and you'd stick it together and you'd press that thing down and boom, the shoe goes down the line. All right.

My whole mantra to the team was, we're getting rid of all the toothbrushes.

My whole mantra to the team was, we're getting rid of all the toothbrushes.

My whole mantra to the team was, we're getting rid of all the toothbrushes.

We spent a lot of time trying to create a process where we could much more easily adhere the swoosh to the side of the shoe. What we talk about in electronic manufacturing is pick and place. Robot picks it up, robot puts it down, robot puts it in place, we move along.

We spent a lot of time trying to create a process where we could much more easily adhere the swoosh to the side of the shoe. What we talk about in electronic manufacturing is pick and place. Robot picks it up, robot puts it down, robot puts it in place, we move along.

We spent a lot of time trying to create a process where we could much more easily adhere the swoosh to the side of the shoe. What we talk about in electronic manufacturing is pick and place. Robot picks it up, robot puts it down, robot puts it in place, we move along.

The challenge was they were about to change the way they were going to build that shoe. And the next generation of that shoe had a painted-on swoosh. It didn't have a cut-in-place swoosh. So everything we had just done didn't count for the new version.

The challenge was they were about to change the way they were going to build that shoe. And the next generation of that shoe had a painted-on swoosh. It didn't have a cut-in-place swoosh. So everything we had just done didn't count for the new version.

The challenge was they were about to change the way they were going to build that shoe. And the next generation of that shoe had a painted-on swoosh. It didn't have a cut-in-place swoosh. So everything we had just done didn't count for the new version.

It was just one of those decisions where it was costing everybody too much money.

It was just one of those decisions where it was costing everybody too much money.

It was just one of those decisions where it was costing everybody too much money.

I think robots can't make shoes, first of all. I think the challenge is that balance between manufacturability and design. If design is lead dog and there's no even intent to collaborate at all, I think that's a very challenging environment for technology to keep up with.

I think robots can't make shoes, first of all. I think the challenge is that balance between manufacturability and design. If design is lead dog and there's no even intent to collaborate at all, I think that's a very challenging environment for technology to keep up with.

I think robots can't make shoes, first of all. I think the challenge is that balance between manufacturability and design. If design is lead dog and there's no even intent to collaborate at all, I think that's a very challenging environment for technology to keep up with.

Oh, it was funny because I heard it and I reached out to my counterpart on the Nike site and I just texted him. I said, wouldn't it be nice to have a near short capability right now? And he texted me. And I tell you, five seconds after I texted him, he said, I'm thinking the exact same thing.

Oh, it was funny because I heard it and I reached out to my counterpart on the Nike site and I just texted him. I said, wouldn't it be nice to have a near short capability right now? And he texted me. And I tell you, five seconds after I texted him, he said, I'm thinking the exact same thing.