There has been a lot of talk online and in the investment world about Nike's lack of innovation in the 2020s. At first glance, this may appear to be true, but per usual, The Swoosh is always looking to bring forth new tech for its sneakers. As we approach ComplexCon this weekend, which is set to host a ton of exclusive sneaker releases and debuts, Nike has officially announced the latest update to the Air Max lineup, which comes fully 3D-printed.
Dubbed the Air Max 1000, the model reimagines Tinker Hatfield’s iconic Nike Air Max 1 design in 3D-printed form. To help with manufacturing, Nike teamed up with Zellerfeld, the German footwear company that has been pushing the envelope when it comes to 3D-printed designs. Outside of this Nike project, the company has worked with the likes of Ye, Chris Brown, RAINS, and other independent creatives on various designs.
The silhouette itself retains features from the original Air Max 1, like the Air unit in the heel and the wavy “mudguard,” but is decidedly its own. Textured 3D-printed TPU covers the bottom half of the sneaker, while the toebox, midfoot, and heel tab come smoothed out. Debossed Swoosh branding lands on the midfoot, and of course, as a 3D-printed slip-on model, there are no laces to be found.
"As an innovator, what's most exciting to me about the Air Max 1000 are the new solutions we can achieve with next-level manufacturing," says John Hoke, Chief Innovation Officer. "It's control, times precision, times expression — all of which are vital to sport and to design. When those variables of control, precision and expression are multiplied at once, the future of our product really does feel unlimited."
The Nike Air Max 1000 will debut this weekend (November 16th and 17th) at ComplexCon, and attendees will have the opportunity to win a pair at the Air Max 1000 Experience. An official release through Nike online has yet to be confirmed or announced. We’ll keep you updated on all the happenings at ComplexCon on our socials and the latest releases, raffles, and news via the Sole Retriever mobile app.
Nike Air Max 1000
Images via Nike
Sneakerhead from South Florida who turned his passion into a career. Concerts, music, trying new restaurants, and catching the latest movies are some of the things I enjoy when not writing for Sole Retriever. Email: nick@soleretriever.com
