It's time to vote for Nike: On Air

Nowadays brands need to create a relationship with the location where they operate creating an inclusive feel within the community that gains local support, but how can a global brand do that?

Nike is everywhere all over the world, and to create a worldwide community around one of its staples, the Air Max technology, it developed the Nike: On Air sneaker design program.

In six of the major cities worldwide Nike asked people to try to transfer the unique cultural fingerprint of their city through one of ten iconic Air Max design. Participants were involved in a real creative process that involved them in five steps: Concept development, Silhouette selection, Material exploration, Color exploration, Embellishment.

This year the workshops that could bring consumers sneaker creations to life run from March 22 to April 15 in New York, Paris, London, Tokyo, Seoul and Shanghai, and a panel of judges that includes Nike designers and city ambassadors select 18 finalists (three from each city). Only six will see their vision undergo the ultimate transformation from a 3D rendering into a real-life shoe, and now it’s the time of the online consumers to choose which. Beginning at 7:00 a.m. PST on May 8 for 6 days, registered Nike members can vote for their favorite designs from each city, once per day, on the Nike website or on their SNKRS app. Each city’s winning design will be announced on May 14 and will later enter production and released on the Air Max Day of 2019. In 2018 Sean Waterspoon was the winner of the Nike: On Air program with his Air Max 97/1, already an iconic grail for the sneakerheads worldwide. 

This activity by Nike wants to underline the connection between the brand and the consumers to create a strong community effect, and to also improve the online and offline engagement with every kind of costumer, not only sneakerheads, who can then express through sneakers, the love for their cities and their culture.

Let’s check the 18 designs that now are eligible to be the likely next big release of Air Max Day 2019.

New York: The big apple selection includes a bodega culture inspired Air Max 95 (with its amazing egg sandwich) of Kevin Louie, an Air Max 95 based on NY's different materials made by Brett Ginsberg and an Air Max 98 that talk about the diversity of New York's population by Gabrielle Serrano.

Seoul: The Korean capital's selection included an Air Max 98 inspired by the city's Metro, done by Joon Oh Park, an Air Max 98 that talks about the cities contrast of the old and the new, designed by Binna Kim, and a Air Max 97 based on Seouls neon lights by Gwang Shin.

London: the London Summer inspired Air Max 97 by Jasmine Lasode, the move london pushed Reuben Charters-Bastide to create an Air Max 98, and Shamima Ahmed was inspired by the city's architecture for her Air Max 270.

Tokyo: Nari Kakuwa turned Tokyo upside down for his Air Max 98, Yuta Takuman realized an Air Max 1 inspired by the city's metro patterns, and WOOD worked on a yokai - spirits and demons of Japanese folklore - Air Max 95 inspired.

Paris: Coralie Rabbe uses different materials on an Air Max 90 to represent the city's cultural diversity, the buildings of Paris are the main theme of the Air VaporMax Plus made by Lou Matheron, and the Air Max 180 1.0 by Quentin Sobaszek brings Paris to the future.

Shanghai: Harry Wong's Air Max 270 is inspired by Kung Fu shoes,  the Air Max 97 by Cash Ru talks about the city's clouds and its environment, finally the Air Max 97 of James Lin lets us see the Shanghai skyline.