Material Matters: Following Zellerfeld’s Footprints
This week, Nike officially joined forces with 3D-printing pioneers Zellerfeld, unveiling the cutting-edge Air Max 1000. A futuristic reimagining of Tinker Hatfield’s iconic Air Max 1, the Air Max 1000 retains the hallowed DNA of its predecessor while introducing an intricately engineered structure that replaces the traditional leather mudguard. The signature Air Unit remains a focal point in the heel, now accompanied by cut-outs featuring mini Swooshes on the sidewalls. Notably, the printed texture replicates mesh, nodding to the OG design.
John Hoke, Nike’s Chief Innovation Officer, expressed his enthusiasm for the revolutionary model, stating: ‘’What excites me most about the Air Max 1000 is the new possibilities unlocked by advanced manufacturing techniques. It’s a combination of control, precision, and creative expression – essential elements for both sport and design. When these factors converge, the potential for our product becomes limitless.’
The Air Max 1000 is set to make its debut this weekend, exclusively at ComplexCon in Las Vegas. Whether it will see a wider release remains uncertain, so stay tuned for updates.
To find out how we got here, read the entire history below.
are printing out their sneaker dreams. The dynamic German company has pretty radical plans to redefine made-to-measure footwear by perfecting the ever-maturing technique of additive manufacturing – more commonly known as 3D printing. Already heralded by collaborators like , KidSuper, , and, most recently, – not to mention a growing legion of beta testers – Zellerfeld’s seemingly unlimited ambition could very well change how shoes are made and consumed.
Zellerfeld have also figured out a way to effectively break their shoes down to raw materials and reuse them to print new shoes over and over again. What’s most impressive here is the company have effectively figured out a way to create closed-loop manufacturing.
Because of Zellerfeld’s considerably smaller manufacturing scale, the concept of ‘slow fashion’ – the antithesis to the clogged release cycle – takes a literal turn, as it currently takes about 40 hours to print a single pair of shoes. In time, expanded design and production facilities could see shoes designed and printed remotely and within the same day. Despite the current lead times, there’s already a growing chorus of evangelists for printed shoes keeping Zellerfeld at the cutting edge, perhaps hoping it one day becomes the mainstream option.