Coronavirus: Nike donating 30,000 shoes to frontline health care workers

Health care workers are on their feet for extended periods of time during their shifts due to the coronavirus pandemic. Nike is hoping to keep their feet comfortable.

>> Coronavirus checklist: 100-plus disinfectants that may kill coronavirus on surfaces

The athletic apparel giant said it is donating more than 30,000 shoes designed for the “healthcare athlete,” Nike said in a statement Monday.

Pairs of Nike Air Zoom Pulse, which were released in November 2019, will be provided to workers in health facilities and hospitals in Chicago, Los Angeles, Memphis and New York City, the company said in its statement. Shoes also will be distributed to workers within the Veterans Health Administration.

Nike, through its partner, the nonprofit Good360, is delivering approximately 95,000 pairs of soccer socks, which will offer mild compression, to health care workers in Los Angeles and New York City.

>> Coronavirus symptoms: What you need to know

Nike is also sending 2,500 pairs of shoes to hospitals in Europe, including Barcelona, Berlin, London, Milan, Paris and in Belgium, company officials said.

Nike is working with Good360 in the United States and local organizations in Europe to donate more than 140,000 pieces of footwear, apparel and equipment globally.

>> Coronavirus: Know the facts directly from the CDC

In its statement, Nike said it sent representatives to OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital in Portland, Oregon, to study health care workers. They gauged the challenges the workers faced -- long hours on their feet and liquid spills -- to determine which shoe would provide the most comfort.

“The effort is led by messages of gratitude to healthcare professionals,” Nike said in its release. “From one athlete to another, Nike athletes recognize the physical and mental resilience of healthcare athletes.”

>> Coronavirus: Can the government make you stay home if you are sick?