Win introduces Air Worksa program that will bring eight designers from around the world to the Beaverton campus to develop new Air Max concepts. The team includes creatives from Beijing, London, Los Angeles, Mumbai, New York, Paris, Shanghai and Tokyo. Each designer will take part in a session that places them inside Nike’s design and research space, working directly with the teams behind Air Max.
SNEAKERS
The first session will be held May 11-14 on the Philip H. Knight Campus. During this time, each designer will work directly with Nike designers and engineers to shape a new Air Max concept. The process will culminate in a 3D-printed shoe produced with Zellerfeld, giving each idea a physical result that connects to the designer’s vision and the communities they represent.
Nike created Air Works as a way to connect external voices with its internal design process. Andy Caine, vice president and creative director of Nike Sportswear, describes the program as an opportunity to study the history of Air Max while developing new interpretations through direct engagement with Nike tools and teams.
Participants will spend time at various Nike facilities as part of the program. They will visit the Air Manufacturing Innovation facility to examine how Air units are developed and produced. The Nike Archives Department will provide access to past projects, while the Nike Sport Research Lab will import performance information. Sessions in the Blue Ribbon Studio and Bowerman Footwear Lab will expand their understanding of footwear development from concept to production.
Each concept will build on Nike’s 40-year history of Air innovation. Designers will use 3D printing to explore new forms and structures, shaping footwear that reflects both individual direction and the shared technical knowledge developed at Nike.
Following the program, each designer will release a limited friends and family version of their Air Max concept to their local community. These releases will take place next year and tie into a broader schedule leading up to Air Max Day 2027. Nike will share more information about participating designers later this season.
Air Works creates a direct link between global designers and Nike’s internal design system. The program connects research, development and production in one place, giving each participant the ability to turn an idea into a finished product within a set time frame.
