Nike design chief wants 'epic' shoes and wants them now

For decades, Nike Inc. told its customers to Just Do It. Now its designers, engineers and scientists have their own mantra: "Create epic s -- t.

- Bloomberg

Nike's innovation staff are encouraged to spend 20% of their efforts trying to develop moonshot concepts.

That mandate comes straight from their new boss, who has used the phrase in internal presentations and documents. Phil McCartney, who's worked at Nike for nearly three decades, was named chief innovation, design and product officer in May, tasked with fixing one of the world's largest sportswear company's biggest problems: its stalled development engine.

"By nature, I'm pretty impatient," McCartney says during a recent interview at Nike's headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon. "It's OK to push some edges and try some crazy things."

So far that means placing a primary focus on speed: Releasing items as early as 12 months ahead of schedule, launching new shoes that the company claims will stimulate the brain and developing a product for which the prototypes look like robot legs.

McCartney, 51, is hoping new products will get shoppers excited about Nike again. In recent years, the brand lost customers by leaning too hard on selling retro lifestyle sneakers, while neglecting gear that appeals to athletes. Last year, the company shed $5 billion in revenue and replaced its chief executive. Revenue has declined six quarters in a row on a currency-neutral basis and shares are down 8.7% this year.

Now McCartney is working to reinvigorate departments that had long ago come up with breakthroughs, like the Air cushioning system, Flyknit digital engineering and ZoomX lightweight foam.

"I see it as appropriate acceleration rather than rushing," he says.