Nike, the renowned footwear manufacturing company, has pledged to donate 30,000 pairs of specifically designed shoes to health systems and hospitals across the United States to support healthcare workers combating the Covid-19 pandemic.
The donated footwear, known as Air Zoom Pulse, was launched by Nike in November 2019 as their “first shoe designed for the healthcare athlete, an everyday hero,” as announced by the company.
Nike explained that they conducted research at OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital in Portland, Oregon, to understand the challenges faced by healthcare workers, including long hours on their feet and exposure to liquid spills, to ensure the shoes provide the necessary comfort for extended shifts.
Nike (NKE) has collaborated with Good360, a non-profit organization specializing in efficient product donation distribution, to facilitate the delivery of the shoes to healthcare workers in Chicago, Los Angeles, Memphis, New York City, and within the Veterans Health Administration, according to the company.
Additionally, healthcare workers in New York City and Los Angeles will each receive about 95,000 pairs of soccer socks, as confirmed by Nike.
“The effort is led by messages of gratitude to healthcare professionals,” Nike said in its release. “From one athlete to another, Nike athletes recognize the physical and mental resilience of healthcare athletes.”
”Hospitals across Europe including Barcelona, Berlin, London, Milan, Paris, and Belgium — will receive an additional 2,500 pairs,” Nike added.
More than 3.5 million cases of Coronavirus, including at least 251,000 deaths, have been recorded worldwide, according to Johns Hopkins University.