Nike is Celebrating Milan Design Week with an Air Lab Installation Including Over 100 Samples
PublishedQuick Facts
- The Nike and Dropcity Air Lab will be previewed at Milan Design Week, followed by a permanent installation at Dropcity’s redesigned space opening this fall
- Featuring over 100 prototype sneakers and exhibits showing how Nike works with air, the Air Lab features “samples and swatches tracing the development of Air Liquid Max, FlyWeb, Radical AirFlow, Therma-FIT Air Milano,” and more
- The Nike Dropcity Air Lab will be open to the public until April 26 at Via Sammartini 72 in Milan
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Milan is a global center for art and design, and the latest initiative from Nike is only adding to the reputation. As part of an installation built for Milan Design Week, Nike is teaming up with the Italian locals at the Dropcity Center for Architecture and Design to present a permanent installation dedicated to Nike Air and the Air Max line.
The Nike and Dropcity Air Lab will be previewed at Milan Design Week, followed by a permanent installation at Dropcity’s redesigned space opening this fall. Featuring over 100 prototype sneakers and exhibits showing how Nike works with air, the Air Lab features “samples and swatches tracing the development of Air Liquid Max, FlyWeb, Radical AirFlow, Therma-FIT Air Milano,” and more. The idea behind the exhibit is to let the public see just how much work goes into crafting the tech behind shoes, and hopefully inspire the next generation of designers.
“Nike has always had an experimental, hands-on culture of making, so on our first visit to Dropcity a year ago, it immediately felt both familiar and energizing,” says Golnaz Armin, VP, Design Studio Excellence. “Prototyping is a daily practice — an instinct to make, test, and refine in real time, where ideas are meant to be worn, experienced, and challenged through doing. As much as we embrace the latest digital capabilities, the craft of creating physical products through an iterative process remains essential.”
The Nike Dropcity Air Lab will be open to the public until April 26 at Via Sammartini 72 in Milan, followed by a permanent placement at Dropcity this fall, where it will continue to be accessible for everyone. To keep up with all the latest Nike tech news, download the Sole Retriever App.
Zach Harris is a writer based in Philadelphia. His work has appeared in Rolling Stone, Vice, Complex, High Times, and more. He is obsessed with skateboarding and bowling. He is still looking for his first 300. For tips, reviews, and anything in size 10.5 - zach.h@soleretriever.com
