Nike has just announced the Nike Air Native N7, a new shoe meant specifically to fit the feet of Native Americans.  Nike designers and researchers analyzed the feet of over 200 Native Americans from more than 70 tribes across the United States and found that American Indians tend to have wider and higher feet than other Americans.  In fact, the Native American men and women studied had shoe sizes averaging three width sizes larger than the standard Nike shoe.  The shoe includes various adaptations meant to cater to American Indian feet, including a wider toe box.

Profits from the sale will support Nike-sponsored "Let Me Play" programs on Native American lands.

BloggingStocks points out that you can't buy Nike N7 shoes at any shoe store, though; you can only order them through Nike's Native Business Program.  This shoe clearly was not intended for the general public.

Whether Native Americans will actually buy the shoe is an interesting question.  Perhaps Nike created and is selling this shoe primarily to demonstrate its adaptive techonology and to invite similar niche shoe proposals from other groups.

If your business is considering creating a niche product, look at what Nike has done and how they have approached the N7 shoe news launch.  Nike was careful to actually study Native American feet in depth before formulating the shoe, and points thhis fact out enthusiastically in the press release announcing the N7.  Make sure you likewise study the niche you're going to market to long before finalizing your product launch plans.

I want a pair of them N7s!