Exploring the Pole Vaulting Line of Shoes From Nike Designers Tinker and Tobie Hatfield
Image via: Nike
The brothers Tinker and Tobie Hatfield are both celebrated Nike designers, but they have just one collaboration to their credit: a line of pole vaulting shoes that started with the Nike Pole Vault Lite. Why this particular sport? The brothers were university-level pole vaulters, with Tinker lauded for his speed, and Tobie recognized for his technique. In 2001, their interest in the sport was renewed when the female world-record holder at the time asked Nike for a new shoe, prompting the Hatfield brothers to create an event-specific spike that would eventually result in the Nike Pole Vault (PV) Lite. If featured a new flatter plate, accommodating the toe-off required for horizontal air; more heel for the modern vaulter's upright jumping position; and a Dynamic Fit strap for lockdown.
The latest shoe from the line is the Nike Zoom PV II, featuring a design created with input from current world-record holder and gold medalist Renaud Lavillenie, who's pictured above. It's the world's first -- and only -- commercial pole-vault spike, and the PV series is still the lone collaborative project from brothers Tinker and Tobie.
Check out the evolution of a more celebrate Nike silhouette, the Nike Air Max 1, along with the most current iteration that sees the application of Nike Flyknit.
