story

The Air Max 1000 design process is a supercharged version of the typical product creation process.

Hi, my name's Jake Scannapieco. I'm the lead 3D designer for the Air Max 1000.
My name is Cristian Gonzalez. I'm a lead footwear designer at Nike.
My name is Derek Houng, developer and engineer at Nike.

Innovation is about testing and creating new ideas for the audience. It starts with an idea or concept and morphs into a beautiful design that leads the Air Max fans somewhere new, ultimately landing on the one you see here.

The Airbag and the Mudguard wave are two features that we wanted to focus on as they make the Air Max 1 so memorable. Without a doubt, it's the unlimited potential of Nike Air and the DNA of Air Max which powers the midsole and design lines of this shoe.

The combination of Air and 3D creates a very engaging underfoot experience that delivers insane comfort and responsiveness.
3D printing is an additive manufacturing process that creates a physical object from a digital design.

The process works by layering a raw material and fusing it together to create an object. 3D printing enhances our ideas by allowing us to create something like the Air Max 1000, which was previously impossible through traditional manufacturing processes.

Our process ideas and expertise, paired with 3D design, played a massive role in bringing the clearest representation of our ideas to life. This process enabled us to think of the AM 1000 as a wearable sculpture.

The experience on foot is really hard to describe. It's almost like opposite sensations mashed into one, like soft and responsive, and plush and supportive. You've really just got to try it on. I'm Derek Houng, and this has been Behind the Design.