Trainers: An old pair of Nikes that altered history

Ed has a theory. Did an unbranded pair of trainers from the '70s help trigger Western deindustrialisation and pave the way for Trump, Farage and - ultimately - China's economic dominance?

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It all goes back to a pair of trainers secretly made by Nike in the 1970s – but without the famous Swoosh on them. They were part of Nike’s secret plan to fight back against a cataclysmic $25 million customs bill from the US government, orchestrated by Nike’s rivals.

Back in the ‘70s, Nike disrupted the American sneaker industry by making shoes cheaply in Japan and importing them into the US. What followed was a battle for survival for all major Western footwear brands, and a total re-drawing of how and where the products we love are made.

But once you lose all manufacturing and industrial capability – what is left for your economy? This is an epic tale about trainers and the footwear industry, about the West paying the price for getting all its stuff made cheaply, and the economic and geopolitical boom for the Asian countries who benefitted.

In this episode we spoke with:

• Gary Gereffi, emeritus Professor of Sociology and Founding Director of the Global Value Chains Center at Duke University
• Tony Le, sneaker executive who’s worked at Adidas, Nike and Skechers
• Patrick McGee, tech & business journalist and author of the book “Apple in China: The Capture of the World's Greatest Company”
• Featuring audio from Phil Knight’s 2014 graduation speech at Stanford Graduate School of Business and his 2019 “View from the Top” talk

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The Stuff Matters series producer is Jake Otajovic. The production team includes assistant producer Valeria Rocca, specialist producer Aoife Yourell, and video producer Charlie Bell. Our bonus episodes are produced by Soila Apparicio. The editor is Philly Beaumont, and the commissioning editor is Paul Stanworth. Sound design and mixing by Luke Hatten. Original music for the series composed by Klong and Ed Conway.