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Phase: Review

Nike Grind Medi-Ball

A leather and compacted rubber medicine ball for play and fitness.

Photo of Kimathi Laibuta
5 2

Written by

The Nike Grind Medi-ball is a commercially viable, cheap-to-produce and sustainable option for using Nike Grind materials. 


The rubber and EVA components are shredded and mixed with the footwear fluff then compressed to form the spongy stuffing for the medicine balls. 


The synthetic leather and leather scraps are sewn together to form the medi-ball exterior surface.

Company / Organization Name (if applicable)

Scythe FX Studio

Website (if applicable)

http://scythefx.com/

Which Nike Grind materials will your idea utilize?

  • Rubber Outsoles
  • Rubber Flashings
  • Rubber Granulate
  • EVA Foam Injection Scraps
  • EVA Foam Flashings
  • EVA Foam Sheets & Blocks
  • EVA Foam Components
  • Laminated EVA Foam
  • Laminated PU Foam
  • Mixed Apparel Textile
  • Mixed Footwear Textile
  • Footwear Fiber "Fluff"
  • Full Grain Leather Scraps
  • Split Leather Scraps Coated
  • Synthetic Leather

How specifically will these materials be incorporated into your solution?

Shredded Nike Grind Rubber, EVA foam and mixed apparel textile will be compressed to create the spongy but dense interior for the medicine ball. The Nike Grind split leather scraps and synthetic leather will be sewn together to create the medicine ball exterior; in different styles for variety.

Please include a visual (can be either 2D or 3D) representation/prototype of your concept. (required)

What is the current stage of development of your idea?

  • Research & Early Testing
  • Prototyping

Describe your target market. Who will benefit from your product?

The target market would be health and fitness institutions, athletes and individuals interested in home gym equipment.

How will you scale your idea? Please describe in detail your plan to scale your concept.

The Nike Grind Medi-ball is a product that's marketable to a large pool of consumers (in health and fitness) and this being a niche for Nike, it could be included right in their product catalogue.

How is your idea innovative?

By utilizing all/most of the Nike Grind materials to create a new product that is both durable and has a very low environmental impact, we will be creating a circular economy since all Nike Grind surplus will be redirected to create a commercially viable product.

What inspired this idea?

This idea was inspired by Ocean Sole's EVA animal sculptures, http://oceansole.co.ke/ , which are both spongy and sturdy.

Tell us about yourself and your team. What is your background and experience?

I am Kimathi Laibuta and I work as an Art Director at ScytheFX Studio, http://scythefx.com/. I have teamed up with Circular Design Nairobi, http://circulardesignnairobi.com/, and I'm a member of the OpenIDEO Nairobi Chapter.

In what city are you located?

Nairobi

In what country are you located?

Kenya

What is your legal / organizational structure? (if applicable)

Partnership

5 comments

Join the conversation:

Comment
Photo of Lauren Ito
Team

Hi Kimathi Laibuta ,

Great to see you in the Challenge! How might you begin to prototype this concept? Could you also describe a bit more in-depth who your ideal user is and what would differentiate your product from other exercise equipment on the market?

Additionally, I did want to ensure you were aware that the goal of this challenge is not to source concepts that Nike would bring to market under their own brand. Rather, the goal of this Challenge is to support innovators in creating their own products and ventures using Nike Grind materials, but independent of Nike, with the potential for partnership.

Tagging in community members who are also working on fitness industry ideas for you to connect and exchange feedback on your concepts: Marco Angeles , Ajay Chowdhary , Luca Ruiz 

Excited to learn more!

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Photo of Marco Angeles
Team

Great stuff, not sure if the leather scraps sizes would be consistent enough for production, but as filler, the grind materials indeed can be applicable.

I think as Lauren Ito mentioned, the idea is to create independent product companies from Nike. It can do away with the Nike branding. Best of luck!

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Photo of Kimathi Laibuta
Team

Hi Lauren,

Thank you for your feedback. I was late to change the concept before the idea phase closure. I've however been researching on the production of medicine balls and the original patent by Corey Anderson Cooper and it goes to support that Nike Grind materials fit perfectly the as medicine ball raw material.

I also appreciate you clarifying the challenge's main goal to support innovators and for potential partnerships :)

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Photo of Kimathi Laibuta
Team

Hi Marco,
Thank you, I appreciate it. I guess the leather scraps would make for an untidy-looking finish if they were too thin and uneven. I'd really like to prototype with the actual Grind materials to see if it would pan out. Haha, and the Grind branding will be done away with.

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Photo of Lauren Ito
Team

Hi Kimathi Laibuta ,

A reminder that the ideas phase of this Challenge closes in less than one hour, at 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time. Please have your submission updated by this deadline with content to all proposal questions complete.

Excited to have you in the Challenge!

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