October 22, 2024

Step Into the Future

This time of year is an especially whimsical one—with Halloween just around the corner, a fascination with all things supernatural reaches its annual high. From witchcraft to aliens to fairytale creatures, the paranormal takes center stage when it comes to costume planning, movie marathons, and themed gatherings. The familiar color palette of orange, black, and white lends an even greater sense of thrill to an already exciting time. To get in the spirit, we’re spotlighting a special design project that’s as futuristic as it is fantastical: NIKE’s A.I.R, a collection of 13 otherworldly concept sneakers that debuted in Paris this past spring.

The A.I.R (Athlete Imagined Revolution) exhibition was the result of a large-scale collaboration between NIKE engineers and 13 world-famous athletes across four sports: basketball, global football, track, and tennis. In a dark theater, a massive LED screen depicted images of the prototypes, while Serena Williams’ voice provided narration about each one’s story. When the screen rolled up, the 13 sneakers stood perched on pedestals, glowing fire-orange, white, and purple-black under blue UV lights. Their shapes ranged from jaggedly sharp to gelatinously curved, their semi-translucent material appearing textured yet smooth. The overall effect left the impression that these shoes were not of this world—they’d been beamed onto the stage from another time, or even another galaxy.

A.I.R's process began with individual sit-downs with the athletes. They were asked about what inspired them, and how these people, places, and things might translate into a concept sneaker that communicated their athletic identity. Their answers were then fed to language models (AI engines) to generate images, which ultimately served as mood boards for each shoe. In constant communication with the athletes, the design team next created manual sketches to carve out the physical specs of the prototypes. Finally, the designs were run through rapid 3D printers at NIKE's Concept Creation Center, and then through "Air MI" machines near the brand's headquarters in Oregon, to produce the hard-shelled sneakers that were ultimately displayed in Paris last April.

Each shoe represents the "fingerprint" of its corresponding athlete, with easter eggs hidden throughout their designs. Tennis player Zheng Qinwen's design, for example, features a dense, orange tube that slithers around the length of the shoe, as well as a series of engraved scales that poke out of its hard-sole bottom. The serpentine sneaker was inspired by the Chinese lunar calendar's Year of the Dragon, which carries special meaning for Qinwen. Faith Kipyegon's design features delicate beadwork, as, for the long-distance runner, beadwork represents connection to the community. The back lip of the shoe features two NIKE swooshes, the smaller cradled within the larger—this element symbolizes Kipyegon and her daughter. The 13 prototypes are projected to enter full-scale production, so that consumers may, literally, step into the shoes of their favorite sports idols.

We’ve gathered together this palette of iconic Halloween shades for your perusal:

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