Last week in the heart of Paris, Nike gathered 40 top athletes including Serena Williams, Sha'Carri Richardson, and Chloe Kim for a runway show unlike what editors see at the city's bi-annual fashion week. This wasn't a catwalk for inspiring a top-to-bottom wardrobe overhaul (though there were some impressive pieces by Sacai and Marine Rose mixed with functional leggings and sports bra looks). It was for birthing the next generation of It-sneakers.
The event kicked off Nike's involvement in the 2024 Olympics on the surface: unveiling the team kits for several US sports, which were designed using motion-capture footage of the athletes for optimum fit and function, and revealing new footwear equipped with Nike's Air Max technology. (Before even reaching the runway, guests navigated a winding exhibit detailing the Air Max's many evolutions since its first iteration in the 1970s, all the way through to a chunky Zoom Pegasus debuting next year.)
