Nike president and CEO Mark Parker doesn't consent to many interviews, but he spoke Tuesday to USA Today Sports about his company's latest running and design initiative -- as well as a few lighter subjects that he was game enough to entertain.

USA TODAY Sports: Some might not know you joined Nike in 1979 as a designer. With today's unveiling of "Nature Amplified," highlighted by the Free Flyknit and Free Hyperfeel running shoes, did you ever think footwear and design would ever reach this point?

Mark Parker: It'd be easy for me to say, 'This was part of the plan -- we're right on schedule.' No, honestly, no. The thing with technology and innovation, doing what we do, working with athletes, is that there is so much potential. I never imagined back in the late '70s, early '80s that there would be as much potential to innovate today as there is. People used to ask me -- what more can you do with shoes that hasn't been done? -- back in the early '80s. I see it exponentially open for more opportunity to innovate than back then.

Q: The foot is the instrument, and in the process, you're emphasizing what's natural. It feels like there is less to these shoes, but they're also more innovative. Critics will say it's more expensive (Flyknit retails for $160, available Aug. 1, while Hyperfeel will cost $175 starting Sept. 5), but it seems high quality. Your response?

A: It's new technology so you're just seeing the very front end of the possibility with Flyknit, Free and the whole concept of Hyperfeel... Those things are in their early stages. I can see -- I can't talk about it here today -- but I can see where we're headed and it's incredibly exciting. As a designer, I'm excited. Certainly so as the CEO of this company. I'm a product geek. I'm obsessed with working with product, with the athletes, and to see the potential that exists just with the technology we talked about today is huge. Let alone the things we haven't talked about.

The process -- "Nature Amplified" -- is design principle. It's about reducing the design to the things you only need, the essentials. A part of design is taking things out. People think you need to add more things to create value. It's a lot more challenging to take things out and only wind up with the things that you really need to perform at the highest levels… It's reduction. There's a great quote from Miles Davis: 'The beauty of the music lies in the space between the notes.' To me, that's product design, what we do. Letting the things that are really important come through. That's what "Nature Amplified" is all about.

Q: So, where is Nike headed?

A: From World Cup next year in Rio, and then also the Summer Olympics following that, we rally behind these big events, of course, all of the other events in between, the NBA Championship, NCAAs… We have incredible innovation. The pipeline of innovation targeted towards these great moments in sports is as rich and as deep as I've seen it. I've been here for a long time. We're just seeing the possibility of partnering with experts in very specific areas of what we do. It could be material science, it could be digital technology. The ability to partner with the right experts, to enable a whole new level of potential, is what's opening up the amount of innovation we can deliver. That's what is exciting. Nike, historically, to be frank, we weren't as focused on the potential to partner beyond the athlete to really unlock potential in technology. So we've learned to do that really well.

Q: How important is the branding war and getting teams/athletes to wear your product?

A: Competing for athletes that represent Nike is what we do. I'd like to think the pursuit of helping the athlete realize their potential is what helps us realize our own potential. We always look for the best athletes -- not only to gain the insight to create the innovation but to represent the brand. The value for us is not only having the athlete wearing the product but their involvement with the whole innovation process. It's a competitive market out there, but we like to think the reputation we have, the commitment to the athlete, is what brings them to us as well. It's not just us out there hunting. We have athletes coming to us, telling us their dream as a young athlete was to some day come and be part of the Nike family. It works both ways.

Q: OK, now for some fun. Some rapid-fire here… Should college athletes be paid?

A: We don't really have a position on that. I think I'd let that be decided by the people in better position to answer that.

Q: Have you been to all 50 states?

A: Pretty much, I think I have.

Q: Favorite meal?

A: Italian, pasta. Everything Italian.

Q: Finish this sentence: 'LeBron James is…'

A: One of the most amazing athletes of our time.

Q: What time do you wake up in the morning?

A: Five.