Exploring the Pole Vaulting Line of Shoes From Nike Designers Tinker and Tobie Hatfield
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.