Nike Air Max 1000 Is A 3D Printed Wearable Sculpture For Sneakerheads

Nike has just shown off its first (almost) entirely 3D-printed shoe, the Air Max 1000, to the world and it's quite the "wearable sculpture." How the shoe was made is a new way forward for the company while still paying homage to its almost 60 year old Max Air lineage. Sorry, you can't buy one of these for Christmas just yet—Nike still needs to figure out how upscaling mass-manufacturing 3D-printed shoes of this complexity can work.

Aside from the air cushion pod, the Air Max 1000 is completely 3D printed from the bottom up. Up till now, major brands like Nike and Adidas have dabbled with mass-producing 3D-printed shoes, but only for specific pieces of the shoe. For example, in 2017 the Nike VaporFly Elite Flyprint ultralight runner was made with the first 3D-printed textile upper. It was worn by the legendary Eliud Kipchoge that year in the 44th Berlin Marathon and the shoe helped him win the weather-battered race in 2:03:32. 

Getting to the finished product you see in the video above, Nike worked closely with Zellerfeld, a company that specializes in 3D printing shoes. Using the OG 1987 Air Max 1 (as well as subsequent refreshes) as the baseline, the new shoe was made in varying densities, textures, and layers not just to create the contoured design, but also from a functional perspective. The outsole had to be firm and supportive, whereas the upper was to be more flexible and conforming. Since the shoes have no laces, the upper portion had to be doubled duty to keep feet secure, but also allow wearers to easily slip on and off.

John Hoke, Chief Innovation Officer at Nike, said he is excited at how the Air Max 1000 changes the shoe production game, noting, "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."

A few ComplexCon attendees at Nike's showcase got to take home a pair of the unique footwear, while other attendees had a chance to win a pre-order spot for one of the 1,000 limited-run pairs. Beyond that however, Nile has not shared any information on if and when the Air Max 1000 might be widely available to the general public.