Nike unveils AI-generated “A.I.R.” footwear concepts for its 13 brand athletes

Nike has unveiled exciting new Athlete Imagined Revolution (A.I.R.) footwear concepts developed specifically for 13 of its brand athletes including 7’4 forward Victor Wembanyama, French footballer Kylian Mbappé, marathoner Eliud Kipchoge, tennis player Zheng Qinwen, sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson, and more.

While unofficial AI-generated imagery and concepts have been circulating the internet for years, this is the first time Nike itself has officially rendered and built conceptual prototypes based on AI algorithms. As the world prepares for the Paris 2024 Olympics, Nike felt it was time to envision a new frontier of Air, partnering with athletes to let their imaginations run wild.

“Our mastery of our generative tools allows us to hear athletes with a specificity that’s unmatched,” says John Hoke, Nike, Chief Innovation Officer. “In unskilled hands, AI can create designs that are full of generalities. But after listening to our athletes, we harness the conceptual power of AI and use it to get at the heart of what an athlete needs, creating a new working process. We can obsess over a product, and AI becomes a creative co-conspirator with us.”

Nike innovators gathered at the LeBron James Innovation Building where they dreamed up footwear prototypes across four sports: track, global football, basketball, and tennis. The concepts looked to showcase the imaginative possibilities for Nike Air while illustrating the specific reality in which each athlete performs and competes. 13 individual mood boards were erected for each athlete measuring 8 feet tall with digital renderings, sketches, and material samples spilling over. While the designers remained in control, AI prompts were used to create starting points and refine ideas.

“We noticed that a lot of the AI images interpreting Air were bound by a similar fluid aesthetic,” says Roger Chen, Nike VP, NXT, Digital Product Creation. “The programs tend to naturally express Air as more organic, more flowy. We focused on the inspiration points that would push each concept in a specific, distinct direction.”

Each design tells a compelling story paying homage to the distinct talents of each athlete and the demands of their sport. Wembanyama’s final concept had a pixelated fractal appearance inspired by his love for science fiction and jewelry with the glow on the midsoles made to shine like the bismuth stone he wore when he was drafted first overall. For Sha’Carri Richardson, her concept embodies confidence, relentlessness, and grace. The forefoot Air unit fades from Total Orange to neutral to clear upwards toward the raised high heel for a sense of oneness between her foot and spike. Uppers are further constructed in a striking double-helix pattern around the shin. For tennis star Zheng Qinwen, the air unit coils around the shoe in a serpentine construction inspired by the Year of the Dragon. In areas needing lateral containment, a pattern resembling dragon scales offers extra traction.

The concept pairs were first revealed at the Nike On Air Event in Paris alongside an early preview of the Nike Pegasus Premium launching Spring 2025. More details on the “A.I.R.” project can be found here. Which design is your favourite?

 

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Images: Nike