Which aeronautical engineer brought the Nike Air technology idea to Nike?

Aeronautical engineer M. Frank Rudy brought the Nike Air technology idea to Nike.

Rudy approached Nike in 1977 with a proposal for air cushioning inside a shoe sole. His experience in aerospace engineering informed the concept: flexible polyurethane pouches could be filled with pressurized inert gas and embedded in footwear to provide cushioning without adding conventional foam throughout the sole.

Nike co-founder Phil Knight was initially skeptical, but testing Rudy’s prototype changed his view. After development work, Nike introduced the technology in the Nike Air Tailwind, which appeared in limited form at the 1978 Honolulu Marathon and reached wider release in 1979.

Rudy is sometimes confused with the designers who later made Air technology visually distinctive. Tinker Hatfield conceptualized the Air Max line and exposed the Air unit in the Air Max 1, while Sergio Lozano designed the Air Max 95. Rudy’s role came earlier: he supplied the underlying cushioning idea that Nike adapted into a major footwear platform.