Includes bibliographical references and index.

"Are you a runner? Do you play basketball, football, or soccer? Like to hike or hit the gym? All of these activities require special shoes, and there are lots of different companies ready to sell you just the right pair. Nike, of course, and Adidas, but also New Balance, Fila, Saucony, Puma, ASICS, and more. What does it take to design, source, make, and deliver athletic shoes to customers and stores around the world? For one, it's knowing your customers and the latest technology. It's managing a global supply chain, ensuring quality, protecting workers, and looking out forthe environment. It's also forecasting demand, planning production, and deciding how much and where to hold inventory. It's selecting a good IT system and configuring it to your needs, and it's continuouslyimproving your operations to meet or exceed quality, cost, and delivery goals. In this text, we use athletic shoes to illustrate these types of operations and supply chain decisions in the lead-in to each chapter. How your shoes are made is a fascinating story, but so too are the subplots ofglobal trade policy, smart materials, supplier disruption, and zero waste.We hope you enjoy this journey into the world of shoes and the shoe supply chain. You'll never look at footwear the same again"-- Provided by publisher.