Nike Individual Design
October 25, 2004 | Levent OZLER
Nikeid, or Nike Individual Design, started online in 1999 with two running shoes. Revamped this year, the site is like a child's paint-by-numbers canvas on steroids. There are roughly 40 items to choose from, 38 types of shoes alone.
The process is simple: First choose an item, like a sneaker. At the right of the image, an animated menu appears with vibrant color blocks: up to 16 shades depending on the shoe. Click on a paint square, and the designated shoe part turns that color. There are up to 12 components per shoe, including upper, mid and lower soles, laces and the Nike swoosh symbol. Thousands of color combinations are possible.
As a final touch a customer can add a name or upload a team or company logo. Another online service is size: the right and left shoe don't have to match. All these perks add $10 to the retail price.
Vans, the longtime surfers' basic shoe, also rides the customization wave at vans.com. It is possible to create a personalized version of the company's slip-ons for $50, or the recently added Old Skool style for $60. Since launching the site in early March, Vans has filled more than 11,300 orders, it says, an average of more than 45 pairs a day.
"I wanted something nobody else has," said Stephanie Wolf, a stylist, who has click-crafted shoes for herself and celebrities she works with, inclu
more: nytimes.com/2004/10/24/fashion/24CUST.html (550)
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