- Nike showed off AI-designed sneakers at event ahead of Paris Olympics this summer
- Nike also worked with global sports stars for the collection to gauge what they wanted from a sneaker
- None of the designs seen at the event are set for a commercial release
Here’s news for all you sneakerheads out there – Nike has recently showcased a wild range of sneakers designed in part by generative artificial intelligence (AI).
The collection comprising 13 concept sneakers was debuted by Nike at a showcase in Paris, France, ahead of the Olympics Games, which is being held in the city in a few months’ time – and where Nike will have a large presence by supplying many athletes with footwear and clothing.
But the sneakers in this collection don’t look like your usual sneakers, with angles, shapes and colors not seen in your usual footwear emporium.
The Nike A.I.R. range – standing for Athlete Imagined Revolution – was designed to show what the future of sneakers could be, and how AI could have an impact on design.
As well as using GenAI, Nike’s team used man-made sketches, computational design, rapid prototyping and 3D printers. Nike also worked with a range of athletes for these sneakers across track and field athletics, soccer, tennis and basketball, including Kylian Mbappe, Sha’Carri Richardson and Eliud Kipchoge.
Sadly for sneakerheads, there will not be the chance to own any of the speakers on show – Nike has no plans to produce any of these concept designs commercially. But it does give an indication of what the future of sneakers may look like as design techniques and the technology to design sneakers – and the materials to make them – continues to evolve. It also hints at a move to more personalised designs for the needs of elite athletes as they seek the marginal gains that can be the difference between winning or not.
