Phillip Knight's Shoes Are Ruining Darren McFadden's Rookie Season

Rookie running back Darren McFadden has been limited in recent weeks due to a lingering turf toe issue on his right foot. This week, the problem is occurring on his left foot as well. What's causing these injuries, you ask? Simple. Nike doesn't know how to make shoes. Or something. From David White of the San Francisco Chronicle:

Egg Phil Knight's mansion, if you like. His Nike company is the one making the shoes that are undermining McFadden's rookie season. "There's some thought that it's the support of the shoe, so we're working on that," Raiders coach Tom Cable said after McFadden missed practice Wednesday in Alameda.

According to White, McFadden never had this problem with Nike shoes in college because Arkansas had a deal with Adidas. The Raiders -- and McFadden -- each have deals with Nike at the present time.

I realize it's blasphemy in today's corporate sports world, where endorsements are sometimes worth more than a players contract with their team, but one of the comments at the bottom of White's article makes quite a bit of sense: "That's why you go with the shoe that fits, and not the company that will pay you."

I know. I know. There's a buck to be made, but if the shoes don't fit, why keep wearing them?

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

10-30-2008 @ 6:14PM

doc adams said...

I have a shoe design that, if the shoe is manufactured correctly, will virtually eliminate turf toe! Phil Knight has been aware of it, but apparently he and Nike don't think much of it -- not wanting to give it a try on Nike shoes, since it wasn't designed by Nike folks. My company used to have a patent on the design, but the legal time of the patent has expired, and I have retired from the athletic-shoe industry. However, in designing the shoe, a manufacturer would still need my expertise to make sure it's done properly. You may want to pass this by Knight -- and maybe even pass it by McFadden -- to try it out, especially on football shoes. -- doc adams

11-02-2008 @ 10:09AM

whocares said...

pass it to them your self, and tell mcfadden to be a man a play with some pain. todays athletes are wusses. reduce all pay to the under 100k mark...them give performance based incentives. maybe some of these tiptoe athletes will start playin and stop just pickin up paychecks

11-03-2008 @ 9:51AM

Webfut said...

Is McFadden the only guy wearing Nike shoes? Why aren't all the other guys having problems if it is the shoes fualt? This is a stupid article...McFadden probably realizes that his career is going to suck until Al Davis dies or gives up the team. As a long time Raider fan it is becoming impossible to support Al or this team.