In 2015, Nike set out to transform how sneakers are made. Hoping to bring manufacturing closer to home, the company invested millions in a high-tech factory in Mexico that would rely on machines instead of low-wage workers overseas. But the project quickly ran into unexpected problems. Robots struggled with the soft, flexible materials used in sneakers, which expand and contract with temperature changes. Tasks like gluing soles and stitching fabrics proved much harder to automate than expected. Rather than shrinking Continue reading →