Earlier today, Nike issued a statement saying that the proposed trade agreement that brought Obama to Oregon would allow the brand to move some of its manufacturing to the United States. Now, Portland Business Journal is speculating that this might not be the same sort of sneaker production we're used to.
The site dug up several patents recently filed by the Swoosh which point to more automated production moving forward. There are a number of interesting proposals here, including a fully automated production line and the ability for sneakerheads to place custom NIKEiD orders directly through a factory.
For now, much of this information should be taken with a grain of salt, as Nike's manufacturing shift to the U.S. still hinges on the Trade Promotion Authority and Trans-Pacific Partnership. Check out the patents below.
