Eight cities. Eight local designers. One Nike-only global experience. Nike Sportswear is gathering a new generation of designers from across the world to create the future of Air Max through the inaugural Air Works research, development and design program.
Gathering at Nike’s Philip H. Knight Campus in Beaverton, Oregon, the visiting Air Works designers will work alongside Nike mentors to inspire new cultural expressions of Air Max that build on the brand’s 40-year heritage of Air innovation.
“Air Works is about celebrating the cultural impact of Air Max and inviting a core group of global creatives to imagine what its future could look like,” says Andy Caine, VP, Creative Director, Nike Sportswear. “It’s also a chance to deliver a deep dive in Air Max history, innovation and inspiration, and to unite outside perspectives with Nike-only tools, talent and capabilities to redefine what Air Max means to this generation.”
The first Air Works program, held May 11 through May 14, will bring individual designers from Beijing, London, Los Angeles, Mumbai, New York, Paris, Shanghai and Tokyo to Nike’s headquarters, where they’ll work with Nike designers and engineers to develop distinctive 3D-printed Air Max styles, created in partnership with Zellerfeld, that reflect their individualism and celebrate their communities from around the world.
The visiting Air Works designers’ creations will be informed by hands-on collaboration with their Nike mentors and external collaborators, as well as visits to Nike’s Air Manufacturing Innovation facility, the Department of Nike Archives, the Nike Sport Research Lab, Blue Ribbon Studio and the Bowerman Footwear Lab.
Following the inaugural Air Works program, each local designer will launch a limited-run, friends and family version of their shoe to be celebrated within their community throughout the coming year, leading into Air Max Day 2027.
Name: Diya Joukani
City: Mumbai
Social handle: diyajoukani
What they’re known for: “As the self-taught designer and founder of DiyaDiya Studio, I fuse Indian embroidery with contemporary silhouettes — and sell out before the algorithm catches up.”
How Air Max shows up in their community: “Air Max is everywhere, all the time, on everybody. It is the culture.”
What the Air Works program means to them: “Creative freedom is so important to me, and Air Works allows designers from all over the world to tell our stories — rooted in our cities and cultures through our designs while also putting us on a global stage.”
Name: Josewong
City: Shanghai
Social handle: 3thisisye
What they’re known for: “I’m known for turning familiar cultural references and everyday memories into objects through fashion and product design — exploring the connection between nostalgia, internet culture and everyday life.”
How Air Max shows up in their community: “Air Max became part of how I expressed identity, confidence and individuality while growing up. Air Max was always part of everyday youth culture — from school and the streets to nightlife.”
What the Air Works program means to them: “The Air Works program is an opportunity to prove we belong here — and can’t be ignored.”
Name: Marc Su
City: Beijing
Social handle: marc5uuu
What they’re known for: “As an independent designer based in Beijing, I translate cultural context into material-driven design, exploring the future where craftsmanship, emotion and culture intertwine.”
How Air Max shows up in their community: “To me, Air Max inherits a longstanding heritage while constantly evolving into new creative expressions. It mirrors the cultural DNA of Beijing: honoring history, living in the moment and crafting the future.”
What the Air Works program means to them: “I hope to reinterpret the cultural influences I have long immersed myself in. With new technologies and creative thinking, I aim to create new works that connect with more people and spark creative exchange and collision.”
Name: Masyn
City: Los Angeles
Social handle: masynmasyn
What they’re known for: “I’m known for design and trying to be a loving light to those around me.”
How Air Max shows up in their community: “I have been in or around Air Max sneakers all my life: As a child, it was me showing up to practice or a game, and as an adult, it has been a staple part of outfits and expression within the community. Now I’m blessed to get to share my own take on an Air Max with my community.”
What the Air Works program means to them: “The Air Works program has given me the introduction to something I’ve dreamed of my entire life: designing a Nike shoe. When it comes to clothing, I always design with the intent of someone being able to wear or use the design daily, and a shoe is something you wear and admire every day, so this truly is a special moment in my life.”
Name: Motoi Hatsuki
City: Tokyo
Social handle: htk2626
What they’re known for: “I’m the founder of Blue Room, a vintage sportswear store in Tokyo.”
How Air Max shows up in their community: “Air Max is a form of self-expression. When I’m standing in the store, I can immediately tell when someone shares a similar sensibility just by the way they wear Air Max. I don’t speak English, but Air Max has created many international connections for me.”
What the Air Works program means to them: “Ever since a classmate complimented the first pair of Nike sneakers I bought in middle school, Nike has held a special place in my life. Participating in Air Works is about fulfilling a dream from my youth — a dream born from being obsessed with sneakers. This project carries tremendous meaning for me. It is not only for myself but also for the people who have supported me throughout the years: my friends and everyone who helped build the community around me.”
Nike’s Air Works Program Gathers Designers From Around the World to Co-Create the Future of Air M
Name: Omi
City: New York City
Social handle: stfuyoutalk2much
What they’re known for: “As a multidisciplinary artist, I’m known for making any idea come to life through airbrush, murals and sculpture. I bring life back to the motifs I grew up with, flipping nostalgic characters and silhouettes into refreshing, culturally relevant moments.”
How Air Max shows up in their community: “Air Max sneakers are a staple in my community and have always been seen as a status symbol, representing the ideal style I looked up to growing up.”
What the Air Works program means to them: “To me, the Air Works program is the future. I see it as a voice for creatives to be able to come to such a colossal space like Nike’s headquarters and say something through a new shoe — shifting silhouettes, pushing creativity and free thinking into a new world of Air Max.”
Name: Tasnim
City: London
Social handle: nottasnim
What they’re known for: “I use secondhand materials to make clothes inspired by my heritage, growing up in London and women’s football.”
How Air Max shows up in their community: “One of my favorites is my uncles wearing their finest Air Max sneakers to the mosque with their matching thobes.”
What the Air Works program means to them: “To me, Air Works represents the opportunity and platform as emerging designers to celebrate and talk about our communities.”
Name: Yams
City: Paris
Social handle: yams_9102
What they’re known for: “Bending metal and cutting shoes.”
How Air Max shows up in their community: “Air Max is the go-to when you want to stay fresh and make a statement. It’s more than just a shoe — it’s part of how people express themselves.”
What the Air Works program means to them: “The Air Works program is an opportunity to prove we belong in spaces where we’re least expected and to challenge the statistics that try to define us.”
