Nike Unveils Live Design That Creates A Custom Pair Of Sneakers In 90 Minutes

What: A new retail experience at the brand’s Nike By You Studio in New York City that custom designs sneakers in less than 90 minutes.

Who: Nike, Wieden+Kennedy’s The Lodge

Why we care: The world of retail is on a collision course with something that’s already taken over our music collections, our media habits, and more–personalization. Last week we showed you a new machine by Vans that could custom print your kicks in 15 minutes. Now, the almighty Swoosh has unveiled the Nike Makers’ Experience that, according to the brand, merges “digital design with traditional footwear making.”

What begins with a series of graphic options, generated from either Nike heritage or on-the-spot phrases, that be customized into patterns through shifts to size and color, ends in a fully customized pair of Nike Presto X, a model specially created by the Nike Advanced Innovation for the Nike Makers’ Experience.

Nike’s VP of Innovation Special Projects Mark Smith said in a statement, “The intention of the project is to bring to life the collaborative design experience that we offer our athletes. They love products that tell their story, so we wanted to combine that idea with a new process of live design and manufacturing that allows our guests to come into the space, work collaboratively with us and leave with a special product in less than 90 minutes.”

Created with Wieden+Kennedy’s tech innovation division The Lodge, right now it’s only available by invitation only in New York. But make no mistake, this is probably the tip of the iceberg for the future of Nike retail.JB