This past week in Paris, Nike unveiled an “A.I.R” (Athlete Imagined Revolution) concept shoe designed by artificial intelligence for the rookie NBA talent Victor Wembanyama. The unveiling was at a Nike Air event for the upcoming Olympics and also featured A.I.R concept sneakers for athletes like Sha'Carri Richardson, Aja Wilson, Zheng Qinwen, and Sam Kerr.
The shoe looks like it was pulled from another galaxy or dimension and I am here for it. AI's propensity to conjure up new organic-looking shapes almost always looks aesthetically appealing.
To produce the A.I.R. prototypes, Nike designers worked with Victor Wembanyama to create what the athlete believed would be the perfect shoe. Using these insights as well as individual athletes' data, the designers then proceeded to use AI to generate the shoe and 3D print the silhouettes presented in Paris this week.
According to Nike, Wemby designed his shoe with low-profile, responsive Air cushioning extending from the forefoot across the lateral side for stability. The Air unit's pixelated, fractal design draws inspiration from his passion for sci-fi and jewelry, notably the bismuth stone from his draft night. The shoe’s upper showcases an abstract computational print.
Victor Wembanyama has had an impressive rookie season, to say the least — quickly dismissing any potential critics by posting historic averages of 21.3 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 3.6 blocks per game. It's clear Wemby is going to be a star. These do seem like a fitting debut shoe for a potential leader in the league. And standing at 7'4'' and wearing size-20.5 shoes Wemby will probably need something special from Nike.
As for the A.I.R concept shoes, they are some of the more exciting AI-designed sneakers we've come across.
Artificial Intelligence, and the machine learning techniques fueling AI, are continuing to shape the world of footwear for the better. I do have some mixed feelings about the use cases and general safety of the emerging technology.
Nonetheless, AI footwear design when pursued mindfully, has and continues to produce shoes that help us perform better, and even protect our health.
Additionally, tools like generative design are going to give rise to a wide array of new, futuristic, and organic silhouettes that we've probably never even conceived of before. The new Wembanyama A.I.R concept shoe is a prime example of that. Even more so, we are seeing Nike use AI to continue to push the boundaries of footwear.
What this means for you, is that you're going to have a much larger rotation of sneakers. Check out the full collection of A.I.R concepts at Nike.
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