Nike rocks — bookofjoe shoe is born

I just had the most astounding experience at the Nike Free website.

I bought a pair of these ultra–lightweight running shoes a month or so ago for $85 at my local running shoe shop and I like them a lot.

They may be the opposite of what I'm used to running in (ASICS Gel Kayano, the top of the ASICS line tricked out with gel in the front and back and all manner of other highly engineered features to correct and support the foot properly) but hey, I get out of the house in the Nikes and that's the main thing.

They just feel a lot more comfortable and pleasant on the foot while in motion.

Anyway, I've been reading about Nike's mass customization program whereby you can design your own Nike Free down to the tiniest detail, so I decided to investigate.

I was blown away by how superb an interactive experience Nike has created.

The website is wonderful: easy for technodolt here to figure out and just excellent in its feedback, with all manner of nice clicks and other sounds when you do something.

The degree of user control is phenomenal: you see everything you're doing, from every angle.

You take as much time as you like, playing around and suchlike.

At first I designed a slew of weird looking shoes but then I decided to see if I could create a bookofjoe shoe.

The results are visible above and below.

Long story short: the shoes are ordered and should arrive, says Nike, in 3–4 weeks.

But what really amazes me is that they're able to sell a totally unique, one–off design for $95 — only $10 more than the mass produced version available in stores everywhere.

Nike has created something wonderful here, the ability to have exactly what you want for a most reasonable price.

Other industries and businesses which don't get on the clue train soon are gonna be left way behind in the wake of companies that understand and know how to let the individual get precisely what she or he desires.

Just amazing, what Nike has achieved here.

It's not about the shoe — it's about the company and the process and what it means for the next few years as the internet makes such capabilities ubiquitous.