In addition to the abundance of Air Max releases dropping for Air Max Day this year, Nike has announced a new program that gives select designers the opportunity to create their own 3D-printed Air Max sneaker.
Nike is unveiling its Air Works program, bringing eight designers from across the globe to construct their own 3D-printed Air Max made in partnership with the 3D-printed footwear company Zellerfeld.
Nike says it will bring designers from Beijing, London, Los Angeles, Mumbai, New York, Paris, Shanghai, and Tokyo to its Philip H. Knight Campus in Beaverton, OR, where they’ll work closely with its designers to create their own Air Max sneakers. During the design process, the eight individuals will also have the opportunity to visit the brand’s Air Manufacturing Innovation facility, the Department of Nike Archives, the Nike Sport Research Lab, Blue Ribbon Studio, and the Bowerman Footwear Lab facilities.
“Air Works is about celebrating the cultural impact of Air Max and inviting a core group of global creatives to imagine what its future could look like,” Andy Caine, the VP and creative director of Nike Sportswear, said. “It’s also a chance to deliver a deep dive in Air Max history, innovation and inspiration, and to unite outside perspectives with Nike-only tools, talent, and capabilities to redefine what Air Max means to this generation.”
Nike has previously held similar programs asking fans to design their own Air Max sneakers, most notably with its “Vote Forward” contest in 2017 that birthed the coveted Sean Wotherspoon x Nike Air Max 1/97 that released the following year.
Nike’s inaugural Air Works program will be held from May 11 through May 14, and a limited friends-and-family version of the shoes will release in the designers’ respective communities throughout the next year.
