Air Sole Technology Patent Rights Expiring

Nike Inc. will lose rights to patents next year on the air sole technology that helped it reach its position as the world’s most successful athletic shoe manufacturer.

The soles of most Nike shoes contain a thin gas-injected membrane that cushions the foot and remains resilient despite wear.

Sales have increased sharply since Nike’s line of air shoes was first introduced in the early-1980s. Last month, the Beaverton athletic shoe and apparel company announced its quarterly domestic sales surpassed $1 billion for the first time.

Spokesman Jim Small confirmed Nike’s initial patents for the air cushioning system expire in 1997. But their expiration shouldn’t affect Nike’s dominant position in the industry, he said.

“We’ve gone into a technology with the air that is very advanced,” Small said. “If a competitor goes into the basic air cushioning, they will be 17 years behind us.”