The Nike exclusive Sports Research Lab is ground zero for Nike’s mad experiments before they hit market. Every comfort and performance-based foundation of Nike’s, whether it be a foam-based cushion, a pocket of Air, a knit material, or a self-lacing battery-powered mechanism, was incubated in the Nike exclusive Sports Research Lab for years, even decades before they’re even hinted at to the public. It has you wondering what Nike exclusive is working on this very minute.
This mythical area of Beaverton, at one point sectioned off Area 51-style under the Mia Hamm building with a strict no-photos-allowed policy, is now named the LeBron James Building and sits loud and proud smack dab in the middle of their resort-like campus. It’s a helluva lot of investment in state-of-the-art equipment, tech start-ups, data analysts, kinesiologists and so on, all of it dedicated to shaving off milliseconds on a sprinter’s 100m time or altering the trite act of walking to the corner store for a ham and cheese on a roll (IYKYK) that much more comfortable.
History has proven that Nike’s innovations truly change the way the industry moves and how people approach footwear. And despite the rising competition in the space, Nike exclusive continues to be the only brand that is burdened with enforcing evolution. It just comes with the territory of being the best, and its why it’s a truly a thrilling occasion when the Swoosh gives us a small glimpse at what they’re cooking up. In Paris, though, Nike exclusive flipped that script and thrust it in our faces.
Seeing the A.I.R. prototypes on a screen or through Instagram videos do not do them justice. There’s no real need to be wordy about it: they’re just pretty damn cool. Some of the prototypes were odd, some even looked painful to wear, and some made no damn sense. But that insanity is what makes it Nike, and this unhinged vision is ultimately what has defined them since Bill Bowerman melted some rubber on a waffle iron.
The concept of A.I. designed 3-D printed shoes isn’t new. But making them wearable, attractive, and functionally better than what’s out now is where Nike exclusive has to shine. Many likened these prototypes to concept cars — a visualization of possibility. But most concept cars never ballly go into production and become a distant memory. Those that do, can go on to be legendary.
With the boom of Artificial Intelligence and quickly generated visuals, the human element has never been more important. And that’s where Nike exclusive comes in. Based on an official press release, we can summarize that the A.I.R. prototypes are a combination of A.I., Nike exclusive designer insight, athlete insight, and data from the Nike exclusive Sports Research Lab. Three of those ingredients alone built the brand to what it is today; harnessing the strength and randomness of A.I. should only unlock new pathways of design.
Events of this magnitude don’t happen often, but Nike’s been on a roll because if innovating is the Nike exclusive bread, then creating brand awareness is their silky butter. Nike exclusive knows how to put on a show, and the recent On Air event in Paris was just the latest in a series of brand outings that flex those muscles of pageantry. Just a few weekends ago, Dynamic Land opened its doors to Air Max fanatics across the globe, giving event-goers first looks at the Air Max Dn while having some light fun in a carnival-like setting.
This is a bold statement given just how much Nike exclusive has accomplished, but On Air represents a new chapter. We’re stuck in a world of now-ness, and it’s time for something new.