#14: the knew normal.
The orange Nike shoebox. A classic, bright silhouette with unshakable relevance. Nothing symbolizes potential quite like it.
It's not just a vessel for products. It's an invitation to something exciting and unknown. An advantage in sport and life.
"The simple shoebox tethers us to where we started and suggests infinite unexamined possibilities." - John Hoke III, Chief Design Officer, Nike
As John Hoke suggests above, the box is familiar and foundational to anyone who's ever slipped on a pair of Nike sneakers. But the contents inside offer infinite possibilities for each and every person.
When unboxing a new pair of shoes, you're opening yourself up to everything, everywhere that will shape your existence.
This could be the shoe that gives you the confidence to ask that pretty girl on a first date. Or the shoe that sticks to the floor better than your defender as you cross them up for a step-back game winner. This could be the shoe that keeps your feet dry on a hike through the Shenandoah Mountains. Or the shoe that pushes you to run one more mile, lift one more set, write one more article.
It's a perfect parallel to the human experience I’ve dubbed the "knew normal.”
We're all tethered to where we started — to what we know, whether we like it or not.
However, that's not our legacy.
Our legacy is formed by each and every decision we make which can lead to an infinite number of outcomes. This is what determines the unpredictability of your "normal" day-to-day life and continues to progress you forward.
Like the orange Nike box, we are a product of where we started — but so much more than a finished product.
Want more like this? Subscribe to Barely Relevant, a writing project in service of creatives and their internal struggle to stand out.
It's not just a vessel for products. It's an invitation to something exciting and unknown. An advantage in sport and life.
"The simple shoebox tethers us to where we started and suggests infinite unexamined possibilities." - John Hoke III, Chief Design Officer, Nike
As John Hoke suggests above, the box is familiar and foundational to anyone who's ever slipped on a pair of Nike sneakers. But the contents inside offer infinite possibilities for each and every person.
When unboxing a new pair of shoes, you're opening yourself up to everything, everywhere that will shape your existence.
This could be the shoe that gives you the confidence to ask that pretty girl on a first date. Or the shoe that sticks to the floor better than your defender as you cross them up for a step-back game winner. This could be the shoe that keeps your feet dry on a hike through the Shenandoah Mountains. Or the shoe that pushes you to run one more mile, lift one more set, write one more article.
It's a perfect parallel to the human experience I’ve dubbed the "knew normal.”
We're all tethered to where we started — to what we know, whether we like it or not.
However, that's not our legacy.
Our legacy is formed by each and every decision we make which can lead to an infinite number of outcomes. This is what determines the unpredictability of your "normal" day-to-day life and continues to progress you forward.
Like the orange Nike box, we are a product of where we started — but so much more than a finished product.
Want more like this? Subscribe to Barely Relevant, a writing project in service of creatives and their internal struggle to stand out.