The Father Of Nike Air: Marion Franklin Rudy

Throughout the course of its history, Nike has celebrated the accomplishments of its signature athletes all over its Beaverton Oregon campus with buildings, statues, and street names. In the 50+ years in which Blue Ribbon Sports and subsequently Nike, has been in business, you might find it appropriate for them to celebrate the birthdays of those who have been its greatest contributors. The list would read like a “Who’s who?”

Bill Bowerman

Phil Knight

Steve Prefontaine

Michael Jordan

Tinker Hatfield

Marion Franklin Rudy

Marion Franklin Rudy? Who? Why would Nike think a NASA employed Aerospace Engineer is one of its greatest contributors? Because of this.

Frank Rudy

Frank Rudy found that the work he was doing for NASA could also be of practical use on the ground. He was able to encapsulate dense gases into rubber membranes creating a gas or “AIR” bag. The rubber molding processes he and his NASA colleagues were working with allowed for the creation of a hollowed-out midsole to fit the air bag. The footwear technology would exponentially decrease the impact a single step has on the body.

While Rudy found his creation to be a revolution, other footwear manufacturers didn’t feel the same nor envision its potential… until 1977, when he got to Beaverton. After much trial and error & research and development, Nike created the Air Tailwind for release in 1978 as its first shoe using Rudy’s “AIR” technology. Marion Franklin Rudy was able to patent his “AIR” technology finally in 1980 furthering the “Revolution”.

Nike Air Patent

Rudy’s foresight and Nike’s willingness to embrace it and its vision of its potential is something which took the small, young company and turned it into the enormous, global force we know it as today. Rudy spoke about his invention in 2009 shortly before his death.