When the most decorated 100-metre sprinter ever stepped to the line for a final time, she told herself what she knew: that she was prepared, powerful and this race was hers—for her. The next handful of seconds were to honour everything that had brought her to this moment.Green, yellow and black hair whipping behind her—a self-proclaimed "daughter of the soil", who chose to wear the colours of her nation's flag for her final finish—gold-hued&nbsp;nails splayed in front of her, <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/newsroom/releases/nike-celebrates-shelly-ann-fraser-pryce" target="_blank">Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce</a> exploded off the blocks in the World Athletics Championship final in a capacity-filled Japan National Stadium in Tokyo. She ended her 100-metre career in the same way she began racing 18 years ago in Japan—with fierce speed, strength and composure. It was a bold tribute to Jamaica, the nation whose unyielding support has carried her through two decades at the top of the sport.In her decades of dominance—from becoming the first Caribbean woman to win Olympic gold in the 100 metres in 2008, to returning as World Champion in 2019 after giving birth to her son, Zyon—Shelly-Ann has embodied the power of duality.&nbsp;The ability to have longevity in athletics's shortest, most intense discipline; exuding femininity and self-expression in a physically demanding sport; proving motherhood and greatness can coexist.What athletes everywhere, and especially young girls, can take from Shelly-Ann's lead: the courage to run your own race, on your terms. To trust that setbacks don't define you, only your response to them. And the assurance that, if you believe in yourself and work with discipline, harmony is possible. Dreams and family, career and legacy.For that and for the now 276 incredible races and finishing line moments, thank you, Shelly-Ann.Below, go behind the scenes of the GOAT's final meet days in Tokyo.

The shoes. The hair. The finish. At the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Shelly-Ann, a five-time world champion, ended her career her way.

Sofieke van Bilsen is a 29-year-old Dutch photographer with a passion for storytelling through imagery. She is the in-house photographer for the German women's national football team, and was team photographer for the German Olympic Team in Paris 2024. She works closely with Nike athletes such as Faith Kipyegon, Eliud Kipchoge and Sifan Hassan.In her photography, she aims to create compelling visual narratives, focusing on the deep connection between emotion and athleticism. She strives to capture the raw moments behind the scenes, the untold stories of the journey and everything in between, bringing the spirit of sport to life.Sofieke's personality creates instant connections with people, and she is loved by the athletes she works with. Her relaxed and enthusiastic personality complements an incredible skill level and the ability to work in high-pressure environments for athletes.

Sofieke van Bilsen

Photo essay

Icon Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce Ran Her Final 100 Metre On Her Terms

Over the course of his career, LeBron James has shared his passion for the game globally, partnering with Nike to travel throughout Greater China during his offseason, galvanizing a nation in its love for basketball and hoops culture. Just as LeBron's career has evolved through different eras, his tours have represented different values over the many times he's visited since 2005. Below are some of his most memorable moments in the country.

2005–2009

LeBron began his debut tour in Beijing in August of 2005. He was invited to watch the awards ceremony of the Nike Battlegrounds tournament, but he'd depart as more than just a spectator. From the moment he stepped down in China, he believed his tour could become a cross-cultural exchange rooted in a shared love of hoops and a mission to inspire the next generation of young players in China. "Basketball is not only a sport, it's also a bridge that connects people", he said.&nbsp;"This is a great learning experience for everyone. I hope I can continue to help grow the game globally and inspire the youth in China to reach their dreams".

LeBron's legacy in China is woven into special China-specific iterations of his signature footwear. In 2007, LeBron James appeared alongside NIKE, Inc.'s then-President & CEO Mark Parker to debut his Nike Zoom LeBron V "China" colourway.

LeBron returned to Beijing in 2009 after his MVP season, where he enjoyed a hero's welcome. As part of his trip, he donated equipment and provided scholarships for the Zhenhua School, a school for the children of migrant workers in suburban Beijing.

To celebrate his season, LeBron was presented with an exclusive pair of the Nike Air Max LeBron VII, featuring a Shenyang-inspired design dubbed "Loyalty" created by the local artist Ray Lei, and a Shanghai-inspired design dubbed "Family", created by the local artist Sic.

2011–2015

LeBron embraced his role as a global ambassador for the game, focusing on the opportunity to inspire China's young players. In 2011, his tour expanded to eight days over four cities, promoting grassroots basketball through a series of skill clinics and tournaments.

In 2012, with a fresh gold medal to pair with his championship ring, LeBron James made a triumphant arrival in Beijing to kick off a four-day tour as part of the&nbsp;Find Your Greatness campaign. "Greatness is defined by how much you want to put into what you do", said LeBron. "Greatness comes with victory. It also comes with being able to come back from adversity".

In 2013, LeBron returned to China with plenty to celebrate: his second straight NBA championship and MVP awards for both the regular season and the Finals.

In 2014, LeBron James was the first mentor to announce the roster for the Nike RISE, designed to help players raise their competitive game and improve their skill.

In 2015, Nike RISE 2015 evolved with LED Courts and motion-tracking drills to create a pinnacle training experience, teach the fundamentals of basketball and push the boundaries of sports training.

An emotional finale saw four players chosen to represent China at the World Streetball Championships.

2016–2019

After winning another NBA title in 2016, LeBron entered Guangzhou to a massive championship parade, the streets flanked by tens of thousands of fans, many of them in Cavs #23 jerseys. It was a signal for just how widely James's legacy had expanded throughout Asia.&nbsp;His More Than an Athlete campaign inspired young players to see basketball as one of many tools for affecting social change.

After a warm welcome from thousands of fans, he spent most of his time in Beijing working out with and coaching members of the Chinese Junior National basketball team.

Visiting primary schools throughout Beijing, LeBron shared his personal basketball experiences with young athletes, emphasising the role that hard work, dedication and self-belief played in his path to success.

In 2018, the first day of his "More Than an Athlete" tour in Shanghai began with a panel discussion with students at the Shanghai Theatre&nbsp;Academy, and ended with a park shootaround. Hundreds of fans gathered outside the court to watch him play, hoping to catch a glimpse of the icon.

This month, LeBron flew to China for his "Forever King Tour", his 15th in the country and marking the 20th anniversary of tours in Asia. There, he joined some of the world's most passionate hoopers and basketball fans, reiterating his commitment to giving back to the game across the world.

Over the course of his career, LeBron James has shared his passion for the game globally, partnering with Nike to travel throughout Greater China during his offseason, galvanizing a nation in its love for basketball and hoops culture.

Journey of an icon: 20 years of LeBron James in China

Hours of powering up steep ascents and navigating gnarly descents. Whipping mountain winds, glaring direct sun and biting evening temps. Getting mentally right with the fact that the next aid station is far, far away. Ultra trail running can sound like a gruelling, relentless sport reserved for the wildest, most hardcore athletes among us.According to our <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/newsroom/releases/nike-acg-all-conditions-racing-department" target="_blank">All Conditions Racing Department</a> runners—six of whom just conquered pinnacle UTMB races across the French, Italian and Swiss Alps, on trails spanning 15 to 174 kilometres, with elevation gains of 1,200 to nearly 10,000 metres—the grit, determination, joy and freedom trail running gives you are worth every ounce of work. See for yourself.

<h3>ROSS GOLLAN</h3>Race: Experience Trail Courmayeur (ETC); 15K with 1,200m elevation gain Global finish rank: 29th

<h3>MARIE NIVET</h3>Race: ETC; 15K with 1,200m elevation gain Global women's finish rank: 7th

CESARE MAESTRIRace: ETC; 15K with 1,200m elevation gain Global finish rank: 2nd

<h3>BAPTISTE COATANTIEC</h3>Race: Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB); 174K with nearly 10,000m elevation gain Global finish rank: 11th

<h3>ANTHONY COSTALES</h3>Race: Courmayeur—Champex—Chamonix (CCC); 101K with more than 6,050m elevation gain Global finish rank: 15th

<h3>DREW HOLMEN</h3>Race: CCC; 101K with more than 6,050m elevation gain Global finish rank: 3rd

Powering up steep ascents. Navigating gnarly descents. Whipping mountain winds. Ultra trail running is a relentless sport. But the payoff is well worth the grind.

Ultra trail running can take everything you've got—and give you even more

About Nike—stories from inside NIKE, Inc.

Words: <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="/company/people/rachel-cavanaugh-contributing-writer" target="_blank" class="ql-size-small">Rachel Cavanaugh</a> Images: <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="/company/people/dan-vernon-contributing-photographer" target="_blank" class="ql-size-small">Dan Vernon</a> and <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="/company/people/sofieke-van-bilsen-contributing-photographer" target="_blank" class="ql-size-small">Sofieke van Bilsen</a>

The boldest ideas don't begin with guarantees. They begin with a dream—and an audacious commitment to make it real. That's exactly how Nike FlyWeb, the company's newest performance material, came to life. The first-of-its-kind 3D-printing innovation was born through years of experimentation and a resolve to do what had never been done before.&nbsp;Nike FlyWeb represents a radical shift in how performance apparel is made and what it can feel like.Unlike traditional athletic apparel, which is typically knit or woven from yarn, FlyWeb is made from TPU—a soft, pliable polymer—and 3D-printed to form the desired product.&nbsp;Three-dimensional printing is nothing new for the footwear industry or Nike. "This is, however, the first time Nike has applied the manufacturing method to high-performance sports apparel for an athlete", says Janett Nichol, Nike VP of innovation.&nbsp;

"What works on a shoe doesn't just translate to something you wear on your body", she explains. "It took years of re-engineering—not just the materials but the design approach itself—to make FlyWeb feel soft, breathable and beautiful enough for apparel".The first product Nike design teams chose to tackle in the new material? One that hasn't changed in material form since its inception: the bra.The Nike FlyWeb Bra is an ode to minimalism. The FlyWeb material is one single, seamless layer, built through computational design so that Nike designers could control the fit and support down to the millimetre, adjusting density, airflow and stretch across different zones of the garment."We had to re-engineer everything—dismantling what we knew, then putting it back together—to make it wearable next to skin", says Nichol.

The result is something athletes have never felt before. The Nike FlyWeb Bra doesn't just reduce bulk or manage moisture more efficiently. It creates an entire sensory shift. For women athletes, it eliminates the multi-layer barrier found in most sports bras, unlocking airflow and comfort in ways traditional construction simply can't."It's soft. It's light—so light, it feels like you're not wearing anything at all", adds Nichol. "That's the number 1 thing testers tell us: it disappears on your body, yet somehow delivers incredible support".That support doesn't come from compression or layering but rather from the structure itself: the computationally designed pattern is specifically engineered to be denser in areas that need more containment.

Nike FlyWeb fluidly engages when the athlete moves, creating responsive athletic support without relying on seams, straps or extra material. That means pure freedom of movement."You can actually feel the air on your chest", says Nichol. "Most women have never experienced that while running. We don't even think about it because it's just not something we've ever expected to feel".On 26 June, in Paris, Faith Kipyegon will attempt to become the first woman in history to break the 4-minute mile, an effort that's been dubbed "Breaking4". And as she takes to the track for the legacy-defining attempt, she'll be wearing a one-of-a-kind sports bra made from the breakthrough material.

Nike FlyWeb material will debut during Faith Kipyegon's historic attempt to break the 4-minute mile.

Because of its light, breathable design, Faith's Nike FlyWeb Bra will help her body stay cooler during her all-out sprint.

Faith's FlyWeb Bra has a gossamer-soft hand feel and weight that's barely there.

It was her ambition—and the scale of that goal—that helped push Nike FlyWeb from bra prototype to bespoke product."Everyone was a thought partner; we really put our heads together", says Lisa Gibson, senior product manager, apparel innovation. "And when you have a team working in synergy, believing in Faith and this moment, that's when things start to magically unlock. It's that Nike magic".

FlyWeb's debut isn't only a material milestone. It's the start of a new era in how performance apparel is made.What began as a moonshot of its own—an experiment to reimagine how we think about apparel—quickly accelerated into a breakthrough once Kipyegon's goal came into view.&nbsp;"We knew that it was an opportunity for us to look at what we had in our arsenal and what we could really use to help her break this goal", says Nichol. "We realised a gift had been dropped in our laps and it was up to us to rise to the moment".Now&nbsp;that the material is here, its potential is beginning to unfold.&nbsp;"We're just scratching the surface", says Nichol. "This is a true unlock, not just for bras but for how we design and build high-performance apparel going forward. It opens the door to entirely new ideas for how athletes experience sport through what they wear".

Featherweight, soft and breathable, Nike FlyWeb—a first-of-its-kind 3D-printing innovation—is a sports material like no other.

Feature

Innovation

The future of performance apparel is here

What would the back of your athletic trading card say? That's what Nike's Baseline testing is for: a way for all athletes to understand their physical tools.What It DoesNike's Baseline testing, made up of five assessments, is as foundational as it sounds. The assessments are borrowed from the worlds of biomechanics, physiotherapy and exercise science, and can be completed in a matter of minutes: a 3D body scan, a foot scan, a barefoot pressure test, an ankle range of motion test and countermovement jumps. In many ways, Baseline is the most ubiquitous tool that the Nike Sport Research Lab (NSRL) offers. Every professional athlete who visits the NSRL has the option of doing the testing, no matter their itinerary. But that doesn't mean it's a resource that's exclusive to a precious few. Baseline is the one test series in the NSRL that's also open to every Nike employee.Considered together, the test results form the baseline of a person's athletic profile—how powerful they are, how mobile they are, how explosive they are and other traits. Knowing these attributes gives Nike researchers, scientists and designers a clearer picture of how to serve an athlete's needs.

Baseline helps provide foundational knowledge of an athlete's body, connecting anatomical structure, foot and lower-body mechanics and functional movement.

The three-dimensional foot scale measures foot shape during normal standing. The reported sizing can be a starting point for shoe or product fit.

Barefoot walking helps asses areas of high and low pressure underfoot. Seeing these areas of elevated pressure can help uncover an athlete's gait pattern.

Range of motion in the ankles and the toes, tested in different directions, can help determine joint function.

Performance jumps can be an indication of lower-body strength, power and asymmetry.

Data from Baseline testing goes beyond describing an athlete's current state. It can also shed light on an athlete's past, like what sport they played or what injuries they sustained.

What It Helps Us DoJackie Shea, Baseline operator, Innovation, says Nike researchers selected each of the&nbsp;Baseline tests to set an experiential, diagnostic tone for every athlete interaction within the NSRL. Before the opening of the <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/newsroom/releases/inside-the-nike-sports-research-lab-lebron-james-innovation-center" target="null">LeBron James Innovation Center</a> in October 2021, athlete engagement in the lab was largely reserved for testing footwear and apparel prototypes. There's nothing wrong with that, says Shea, a former D1 athlete who studied kinesiology and exercise science. But that process largely treats the athlete as a test pilot secondary to the vehicle—the product—they are steering. "We wanted Baseline to help bring athletes to the centre of the lab, distinct from product", she says.&nbsp;Through their Baseline results, athletes can see nuances in their athletic profile. Are you geared towards slower endurance or more explosive power? Your vertical jump results might point you towards an answer. Does your anatomy from the 3D body scan suggest you have any imbalances in your proportions? These results are valuable to athletes for their own sake. You don't need to test a product to gain a better awareness of your own body.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

After guiding more than 4,000 athletes through Baseline, Shea has learned to spot trends in physical profiles among different sports while offering remedies via other Nike tools. For example, runners tend to have weak posterior strength, so in their back, glutes and hamstrings. They stand the most to gain from consistent weight training, provided in the hundreds of workouts from the <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.nike.com/ntc-app" target="_blank">Nike Training Club App</a>. Athletes who play lateral sports, like basketball, tend to have limited mobility, so a Nike yoga class at a nearby store might be just what they need to balance out.Key to Shea's job is a fair amount of myth-busting when discussing test results. An athlete might comment on how running hurts their knees, but when they test their ankle mobility, the athlete grimaces, looking stiff as a board. They test their gait on <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/magazine/nike-nsrl-form" target="_blank">NSRL Form</a>—a recent addition to the test line-up—and are clearly overstriding. With each step, most of their force is displaced through their knees and their back instead of transferred evenly through their body. Running doesn't hurt their knees—the way they run hurts their knees. Baseline results help give athletes a course of action for what troubles them the most.&nbsp;

Baseline does play a role in ensuring that Nike researchers test products efficiently and orient them towards real solutions. For example, Baseline results are a common way for NSRL researchers to recruit for new studies. An athlete with strong results in explosive vertical jumping power is an ideal fit for a future basketball jumping study that tests a new hoops silhouette. A distance runner, on the other hand, might find a steady-state treadmill run in the <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/magazine/nike-sport-research-lab-environmental-chambers" target="_blank">climate chambers</a> a better match, which in turn can help scientists evaluate the latest sweat-wicking material innovations like <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/newsroom/releases/nike-aero-fit-official-images" target="null">Aero-FIT</a>. As more and more athletes do Baseline, the lab's research specificity gets sharper and sharper. The same is true for product development.&nbsp;That process is ongoing. A Baseline evaluation is never the end of the story. It's the beginning of a conversation.&nbsp;"Baseline creates relationships with athletes that aren't passive, but active", says Shea. "The conversations between athletes and their test results are in a constant cycle with each other. One of my favourite parts in this job is getting to ask follow-up questions. You're showing some imbalance between your left-leg power and your right leg. Did you have some kind of injury to your leg early on? Tell me more. There's always more to every athlete's story".

What would the back of your athletic trading card say? That's what the NSRL's Baseline testing is for: a way for all athletes to understand their physical tools.

John Shiel photographs the truth of Innovation—unpolished, intimate and in progress. He explores the choreography of art, science and athletes, documenting an honest record of Nike Innovation's inner life, covering the rebels, dreamers and makers who are forging the future of sport.He leads the Creative Studio in Nike Innovation, tracking the next frontier of Innovation stories that have the power to inspire athletes everywhere.

John Shiel

Sport science

Next Level

The NSRL Baseline Testing

A single Nike Aero-FIT shirt begins as recycled yarn on a spool. Before it reaches an athlete on the world's biggest stage, it will move through a specialised creation process—knit on a proprietary circular machine; dyed in precise lots; and extracted, finished, sublimated, cut, printed and hand-stitched panel by panel.&nbsp;&nbsp;Each step exists to protect the performance built into the material itself, a highly texturised knit that combines open and closed mesh zones to move air across the body, lift the fabric off the skin and deliver more than twice the airflow of legacy Nike fabrics. That's not nothing during a summer of sport that's delivered some of the hottest conditions footballers have ever seen.&nbsp;Fitting, then, that <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/newsroom/releases/nike-aero-fit-official-images" target="_blank">Aero-FIT</a> is also Nike's first elite performance apparel made from 100 percent textile waste. Nike's contract manufacturing suppliers use a textile-to-textile system enabled by advanced chemical recycling, creating a circular process that produces recycled polyester yarn as good as virgin material.&nbsp;That material comes together through a blend of technology and human expertise, yarn and machine, hand and eye, made for the <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/newsroom/collections/nike-football-unveils-2026-federation-kits-featuring-aero-fit-performance-cooling-technology" target="_blank">athletes taking the pitch</a> and the fans standing with them in the same colours.See exactly how here.

When you're playing for your country, nothing should distract you, least of all heat and sweat.

Football

The Making of Aero-FIT: The Material Innovation Keeping Footballers Cooler on the Pitch

See What Drives Us

Stories from inside NIKE, Inc.

Story Landing

Trail running

Prototype to Podium: Jenn Lichter on How She Won Western States

Prototype to Podium: Riley Brady on What Gets Them Through 100 Miles

Short Stories

After winning 73 singles titles, 14 doubles titles, four Olympic gold medals and reigning as the No. 1 women's singles tennis player in the world for a collective six years, Serena Williams decided she was ready for a new challenge. In 2022, she announced that she was "evolving away" from tennis, playing her final match at the US Open that September against Ajla Tomljanovic. A retirement this was not: by that point, Serena Ventures, her venture capital firm, had raised more than $100 million dollars for start-ups focused on female and POC consumers, and she wanted to devote more time to growing that work even more. She was also 40, wanted another child and knew that she didn't want to be pregnant and competing again. (She had her first child, Olympia, in 2017, eight months after she won the Australian Open, her 23rd Grand Slam, while eight weeks pregnant; she didn't drop a single set.) Throughout her farewell tour, reporters and fans asked if she'd ever come back. She didn't say no. Now four years, and another daughter, Adira, later, the Nike athlete since 2003 is back on court. Her return competition is fitting—the Queen's Club tournament in London—where she'll play doubles. Tennis has evolved since Williams took her pause, but then again, so has she. Below, in her own words, Williams shares her new outlook, why it's important for her daughters to see her return and why she's always believed in herself.

This return is not about wins or losses. I just want to have fun. I want to travel and I want to enjoy myself. I've always enjoyed tennis, but this time it's from a different angle. Every time I watched a tournament, I missed it. I miss the atmosphere. I miss the court.&nbsp; Still, what I'm looking for in a doubles partner is someone that wants to win and can win. I guess that hasn't changed! I'm choosing doubles because I'm not putting any pressure on myself to do singles right now. This is a good way to start for me.&nbsp; The only different thing in my training now is that I don't get angry. Although, yesterday, I did want to crack my racket. But I thought, 'Serena, you're absolutely not going to do that'. In the past, I would have. This moment is for my daughters too. I want them to see what a strong woman I am, who I am. Now, they'll be able to see what I do and the impact that I've had. There are so many different things that define excellence. But a lot of people don't understand the full work. We see lots of results that are really fast, things that seem like they happened overnight. But there's always some sort of sacrifice. To gain something, you have to not have something. You have to decide what it is. And sometimes, it's at a cost. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Pressure can feel very heavy, but lighter if you step up to it and own it. There's this old saying, "He who doubts, loses". Doubt is for those who don't want to win. You can't doubt yourself. I work very hard, but I also know I'm at a different stage in my life, so I learn how to get more bang for my buck without sacrificing my hard work.

When I first started playing tennis, I had to fight to just belong. As a woman, you have to fight to show what you have done, and what you can do. And not necessarily fight, but "calmly and confidently remind". When you're sure of yourself, it's OK to walk away and say, "This isn't for me right now". I'm very fortunate that now I get to pick and choose the battles that I decide to fight. Some of those battles are great, especially if they involve my children, but other battles end with me saying, "You know what? Not my day today". To stay on top, you have to welcome change. You have to pivot. Take learning AI, for example—I pivoted instantly. I don't wait, I don't think, I just do. That's how I've always been. Especially with my career, I've always thought, oh, Roger's doing that? I'm pivoting immediately. That's why I had the ability to play for so many years, I was always open to change. I changed my racket and my strings at a time where no one was doing it, and people thought that was really crazy. It was unheard of at the time. I did it, and then suddenly everyone else did it. My partnership with Nike is all about building and creating new. I can see Nike's got back to <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/magazine/the-handshake-that-started-it-all" target="_blank">those roots of Phil</a>, starting each idea with "<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/magazine/phil-mccartney-is-showing-what-innovation-means-inside-nike-now" target="_blank">how do we help athletes</a>". I love what's happening in <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/newsroom/releases/nikeskims-introduces-studio-stretch-material-innovation-collection" target="_blank">NikeSKIMS</a>. It embodies innovation. When I first saw that, I called Kim and said, "This is genius". I have always believed in myself. Other people believing in you is fantastic, but let's face it, that doesn't always happen. And there's a lot of times where people will say things that make you not believe in yourself. Having your self-belief is so important. Then, it doesn't matter what happens—it won't change your foundation. It doesn't mean you self-believe in everything, because, quite frankly, I don't. I always have to go to my foundation and say, "This is what I'm great at, this is what I'm good at—now let's build on it".&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

The tennis champion has a new outlook, an important "why", and a belief in herself that's never gone away.

For the win

In Her Return to the Court, Serena Williams Reminds Us Why She's the GOAT

It's 2015, and touring Nike's world campus in Beaverton, Oregon, is Kobe Bryant, 6 foot 6 inches of genius basketball talent, and energetically curious about what his partner sports brand is up to in its product innovation spaces. The creator of Mamba Mentality wanders up to Nike teammates at work and asks, "Are you creating that epic sh*t?"That phrase from Kobe has become <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/newsroom/releases/nike-new-innovation-engine-announcement" target="_blank">the North Star</a> for Nike's EVP and chief innovation, design and product officer, Phil McCartney. It's a call to action, and it spells out a mission as important to him as <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/magazine/bill-bowerman-nike-s-original-innovator" target="_blank">Bill Bowerman</a>'s mandate that the company should make athletes* better. "We've got the authenticity of Bowerman in the roots of the company, plus the athlete irreverence from Kobe, so put that together and it becomes a standard of excellence", says McCartney. It's the way he measures products: is it epic? Does it make athletes better? "If it doesn't, then we shouldn't do it".

Before McCartney came into his role in June 2025, Nike had no shortage of ideas and sport-science research. What it needed was focus, the muscle memory to turn its athlete insights, science-backed data and design and product ideas into intentional, sharper, more epic swings. A little chutzpah couldn't hurt either. "I wanted us to get our swagger back, to be more responsive, have a competitive spirit and an athlete's mindset about the work", says McCartney.A clear strategy, ruthless prioritisation and licence to dream came through in short order. Last September, the Innovation team organised as "IDP"—Innovation, Design, Product—an acronym that McCartney says belies the creation process: before his team does anything, they have to innovate,&nbsp;then&nbsp;design, and the product is the outcome. At the same time, the company launched its <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/magazine/amy-montagne-the-force-returning-nike-to-sport" target="_blank">Sport Offense</a>—organising teams enterprise-wide by sport to better serve the athlete. His two immediate goals in his role: connect <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/magazine/meet-the-nike-mind-team" target="_blank">product back to science</a>, taking advantage of the company's ability to scrutinise and study like no one else, and shore it up with the art of athleticism. And build a deeper, holistic approach to innovating that better connects teams across NIKE, Inc., creating one engine that accelerates product creation.

McCartney says he's at his happiest in creative spaces on campus—the <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/newsroom/releases/inside-the-serena-williams-building" target="_blank">Serena Williams Building</a>, the Michael Jordan Building, the <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/newsroom/releases/inside-the-nike-sports-research-lab-lebron-james-innovation-center" target="_blank">LeBron James Innovation Center</a> and Converse spaces, and the Bowerman Footwear Lab, where he says teams create magic every day. This 8,361-square-metre space tucked inside the campus's Mia Hamm Building is an imagination machine for sneaker creation. Amidst heaps of colourful bolts of fabric and foot lasts, McCartney is like a kid at Disneyland, grinning at the technological abilities at the company's fingertips. "This footwear lab changes how people think about creating product and designing—it's&nbsp;our test kitchen", explains McCartney, emphasising that&nbsp;this&nbsp;is the space where you're reminded that Nike is a product company serving athletes through new solutions. One of the most exciting parts of the space to McCartney is its real-time prototyping capabilities and the ability to tinker with a product idea for an athlete <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/magazine/how-nike-built-its-world-headquarters" target="_blank">visiting campus</a>, then instantly modify the proto based on their feedback.That innovator's spirit goes hand in hand with another classic Nike strategy: get out into the communities and know your people. "I want us to go grassroots again, to operate a hyperlocal model and be so connected with the athletes that we can anticipate their next need", says McCartney. Sitting in his fifth-floor office in the Sebastian Coe Building, he pulls out his computer and flashes up a deck that goes deep on his innovation teams' three major product focuses for Nike's next fiscal year. You can see, he explains, how these three product constructs can be adapted by region, by sport and by athlete. The tight line-up didn't start this way, he adds. Winnowing down the most innovative products to these three constructs took months of killing good ideas in favour of great ones, then punching those up to be epic.One step to making this a reality, says McCartney, is to bring key partners along. He's fresh off a two-week trip to Asia, where he says he worked directly with factory owners he's known for 20 years. "We walked through the steps to accelerate my teams' ideas from concept to final product faster and more efficiently", he says. "This is an essential part of revving our innovation engine and solving challenges in real time".

Like everyone else he knew growing up, McCartney wanted to be a footballer. The sport was the lifeblood of Newcastle, the city in northern England where he was raised. Football was also one of the clearest paths out of the working-class town, a place where most people left secondary school after 16 to start earning money. University was something that other people did, and opportunities elsewhere, like the US, seemed about as close as the moon. So, along with the rest of the boys he knew, McCartney joined his school football team, shoring up dreams of kicking his way into the Premier League.After his first few uninspiring games, his dad suggested he try something else. This was young Phil's first lesson in editing and prioritising, walking away from an OK idea for a better one. McCartney tried a running club, set up by local parents to keep their kids out of trouble. The families operated on a tight budget—his&nbsp;father installed drywall and his mother worked in youth community building—and the rule within the club was that once you outgrew your trainers, you passed them down to a younger kid. McCartney was soon in possession of a pair of bright orange-red sneakers, replete with a yellow Swoosh as electric as lightening. "Imagine getting that as an 11-year-old kid", he says. He loved them so much, he slept in them. "I had no idea what Nike was, didn't know it was American, never even heard of Oregon". But he knew how the shoes made him feel: invincible, strong, fast, capable.&nbsp;The first race he ever won—1,500 metres on the track—was in Nikes.He punctuates this story by pulling out a pair of those exact Nike Flame spikes on a January morning in Glo's Cafe at the base of the LeBron James Innovation Building on Nike's <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/magazine/how-nike-built-its-world-headquarters" target="_blank">Philip H. Knight Campus</a>. (These aren't the same shoes he had as a youth, but rather a pair he tracked down later on.) They're more than just leather and suede: the shoes are a reminder of his duality—who he is and who he's been—and what has kept him going. The kid who filled his hours doodling sneakers; the teen who started working in retail to help support his family; the young man who applied for his dream job at Nike, becoming a Nike EKIN (because these experts are supposed to know the brand's products backwards and forwards); and now, the leader who sets its strategy for innovation, design and product.McCartney knows persistence, intelligence and hard work brought him to where he is today, but for years, he says, he couldn't help feelings of imposter syndrome, of thinking he was still that working-class kid from middle-of-nowhere-England pretending to be just as sophisticated as everyone else. To this day, he says, those feelings can creep in on him. "I'm proud of where I'm from, but there is just such a huge gap from where I was to where I am", says McCartney. That fact makes it all the more important, he adds, to show his teams that they can be their authentic selves. "I want our people of all backgrounds to feel comfortable here", he says, adding, "it's hard to be creative if you're trying to be someone else at the same time".McCartney credits some of this managerial approach to Vincent Coates, a senior director, footwear product development lead, for football, who taught him that a great leader provides an environment for people to feel empowered. And Coates confirms that McCartney's earned that: "I'd walk through a brick wall for Phil", he says, calling him a leader who is as much at home leading an off-site to discuss footwear as he is bringing the levity to diffuse the day-to-day pressure—like when he donned an Elvis outfit and sang Suspicious Minds to lighten the team mood (that story is fact-checked and confirmed). Coates says the company's return to being a player in the football market came from strategies like McCartney's insistence on bringing siloed teams together. Before he took the role, Innovation sat separately from the Product and Marketing teams. Now, they're all connected and pulling towards the same focused goals. "Phil's created a greater team and this culture of belonging, inclusivity and fun", says Coates. "Yes, we have challenges. But now, because we're figuring things out together, it's an enjoyable journey. That's the impact he has on people—he makes you want to be all in".

Since childhood, sport has taken McCartney on some of the pivotal journeys of his life. Races gave him his first taste of exploring different parts of his home country and mixing with different people. With sport, "the world gets bigger and bigger", he says. And because of his long-held dedication to running, he brings a particular empathy to his work and the plight of the athlete. He knows what it's like to push yourself beyond what you think you could possibly do, to compete against yourself, to wake up at 5am for a run, because that's what he's trained his mind and body to do. It's a viewpoint he cherishes in his job, and one that athletes cherish within him. McCartney and legendary marathoner and <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/magazine/eliud-kipchoge-radical-airflow-new-york-city-marathon" target="_blank">Nike athlete Eliud Kipchoge</a> have been friends for more than a decade, and the record-breaking runner says that he and McCartney talk about everything: innovation, trail shoes, blisters, their families, the future of the company. Kipchoge loves that they can do that while on a run. "It feels great for me to talk to someone who was an athlete himself, who is working with Nike and&nbsp;is among the decision-makers", says Kipchoge.Listening to athletes is not only one of the most inspiring and motivating parts of the job, McCartney says, but a key to making it all work. "The biggest thing in innovation is to take a chance with the athletes and whatever ideas they might have", he says, citing <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/newsroom/releases/six-reasons-why-breaking2-goes-beyond-26-2-miles" target="_blank">Breaking2</a>, the 2017 project that ultimately helped Kipchoge <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/magazine/10-greatest-nike-air-sports-moments" target="_blank">complete a marathon in under two hours</a>. "It leads to huge advancements in sport, human potential and technology, and we need those moments just to think differently and bigger".

Like Nike athletes, McCartney wants his team to be bold in their approach to innovation and creativity. He knows, though, that it all starts with him as a leader: "I'm always balancing care with competitiveness", he says. "We've got to win. So how do you create the conditions to do that?" His role isn't just to execute or delegate; he also wants to create the right conditions for people to do their best work. "We don't need people to be told what to do; we have loads of incredibly talented people", he says. "What they need is direction, trust and the air cover to go after something big".While McCartney may still be a bit incredulous about leaving Newcastle, when he visits home, he likes to talk to the local kids about his journey: that you can go from being a young runner propelled by the potential in your soles to the executive who guides their production. And not only the sport science that helped create them, but the look, the feeling and the heat&nbsp;that make a new generation of kids wear those shoes to bed at night.That's the standard the company's embracing again under McCartney's guidance—in the lab, in athlete conversations, in the prototype, in the edit, in the final product. Nothing less than epic sh*t.

*If you have a body, you are an athlete.

Chief Innovation, Design and Product Officer Phil McCartney knows what the bar is when it comes to innovation at the Swoosh. This is how he's making sure the company's products clear it.

What Creating Epic Means Inside Nike Now

For kids around the world, going pro in a sport is the ultimate dream. But seeing is believing, and for indigenous youth in particular, there are fewer professional athletes to look up to. But Madison Hammond—who is a member of the San Felipe Pueblo (Katishtya) and Navajo (Diné) tribe, Black and a defensive midfielder for the Utah Royals—had a role model. Her uncle, Notah Begay III, was a professional golfer on the PGA Tour who started the NB3 Foundation, one of the non-profits that Nike and the <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/mission/initiatives/n7-fund" target="_blank">N7 Fund</a> have supported, when she was a child. "At the time, I didn't fully understand how close I was to excellence", Madison, the first Native American athlete in the NWSL, says. "I think in Indigenous communities, excellence isn't always the first attribute that's given to us, but it was ingrained in me from a really young age".&nbsp;&nbsp;Growing up in New Mexico, Madison started playing football when she was 5. At the age of 9, she moved with her mother to Arlington, Virginia, and was catapulted into the highly competitive world of youth football. There, her coaches told her that if she put in the work, she had the potential to be as good as she wanted to be—and it became her mantra.&nbsp;Returning to San Felipe Pueblo during summer holidays, Madison attended an NB3 Foundation-sponsored summer camp, where she played football all day on a turf pitch provided by the foundation. She could see the reservation's sacred hills from the bright green pitch, a stark contrast to the surrounding brown landscape. By playing on a team with other Native American girls, Madison was able to immerse herself both in her culture and her sport. It was empowering.&nbsp;&nbsp;Here, in her own words, Madison tells us about chance, circumstance, her road to success and the legacy she hopes to leave other young Indigenous athletes.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Record: when did you realise you had a real talent for football?Madison Hammond: I was around 10 or 11 years old when that feeling first kicked in. I knew that I didn't just want to be good, I wanted to be great.TR: you've talked about your uncle as your role model. How has he inspired you?MH: my uncle was a professional golfer and a Nike athlete. I think he's inspired me in two different ways. One, the fact that he was the first Native American in his sport as well. He also established the NB3 Foundation, which has been around my whole life. I played on a team that was through his foundation, and my other uncle was my coach. Being able to do that on our reservation with other girls that were from San Felipe Pueblo was really impactful for me. That's just not what I have been able to do throughout my whole football journey. I've typically been one of the only Black/Brown girls on the team. I didn't realise how impactful it would be for me 20 years later.TR: when did you know that you wanted to play professionally?MH: I didn't go into university football with the intention of playing professionally. I went into it wanting to be the best I could be. That has been my mindset my entire life: as long as I am improving, as long as I'm getting better, nothing will stop me.TR: have there been any major hurdles along the way?MH: I went to a university that was primarily white and very affluent, and I felt like I was out of my depth. It was the first time that I had to challenge myself to remember who I was and to remember what my values were and why they made me successful as a footballer. Everything comes back to my traditional beliefs.

Madison at four years old playing football on the Young Dragons team in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Madison at five, photographed with her aunt during a traditional celebration in San Felipe Pueblo.

Madison in primary school playing football for Prince William Soccer club in Woodbridge, Virginia.

TR: what was the transition like from playing at university to playing professionally?MH: in university, I played every game, I rarely came off the pitch, I played 90 minutes and out, I was captain my junior and senior year, I was named second-team All-ACC—everything was hard, but it was also easy. Everyone tells you you're the best, everyone tells you all these amazing things about yourself. And then you get to the pro level and you're a rookie, and literally you are back to the bottom after over a decade of playing football. They don't teach you the coping mechanisms for that.TR: how did you deal with that?MH:&nbsp;I think because of who I am and the family that raised me, I never really addressed when things were difficult. Being able to validate an experience, like, "It's OK to be upset, it's OK to not always be perfect, it's OK to not always achieve that excellence that you are pursuing every single day". I was so used to "rub some dirt in it, get over it, if you're having a bad day just push it down". Pushing all of that down for my whole life came up in these crazy ways my first few years as a pro, where you're suddenly doubting yourself and your confidence is dampened because you are not playing a game. I realised that I put too much value in just being on the pitch and put not enough value in the fact that I'd made it to this level.TR: when you reflect on your journey, what has changed? What have you learned since you started playing professionally?MH: I can see how easily doubt and hesitation can derail a career. This is my seventh year as a professional footballer. Personally, I don't think I ever gave myself enough credit for being a good footballer until I was older and was able to look back. In the moment, you feel like you are executing the mission every single day. You come in, you train hard, you play hard. But I don't think I gave myself the credit I'd earned. One thing I want to get better at is celebrating my journey.

Madison and TJ Kahoalii, a footballer who is Tolowa Dee-Ni' Nation and Kanaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian) are the faces of Nike's summer '26 N7 Collection.

TR: what does this <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.nike.com/n7-native-american-indigenous-heritage" target="_blank">N7 Collection</a> represent to you? How does it feel to now have a role in bringing it to life?MH: to me, N7 represents opportunities for education and conversation and shows how incredible all these different communities and tribes are. I think that this collection shows that we can be a part of the mainstream culture. It is a dope example of Indigenous design influences, and it's come together into something that feels really authentic. There's a design motif that mimics a modern pueblo; the colours represent the mountainous terrain, clay and water. All of these things bring so much meaning to me, my family and my people.&nbsp;<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/newsroom/releases/nike-s-new-n7-collection-celebrates-indigenous-communities-on-and-off-the-pitch" target="_blank">It feels like such an honour to have this N7 Collection come to life</a> and have it centred around football and indigenous people from the Southwest—and to be the face of it. It is a unique blend of everything I am.TR: what is your goal as a representative of your community?MH: as a woman of colour, one of my foundational pillars is to be an active participant in the communities that I occupy. I think having that consistency in my traditions and beliefs has given me the confidence to live bravely in the sports world. It can be a lonely place, and by using the innate experiences that I have access to as an indigenous and Black woman, I can approach every team I'm on with the same perspective and desire to be an active participant and the best teammate that I can be.TR: how would you like to inspire the next generation of Native American athletes?MH: I think the best way I could inspire the next generation of Native athletes is to continue striving for on-pitch excellence and remember to give back to where I came from. Now there are native athletes doing amazing things; there's Janee' Kassanavoid and SilentRain Espinoza. It makes me feel really positive to know that I'm not alone in carrying that message of visibility and opportunity. It's a reminder that when you give pathways to people in my community, we will deliver.TR: what kind of legacy do you want to leave?MH: I hope to be a reminder to young people that if you come from a small town, it's OK. If you come from a small community, it's OK. You can still make it to this level.

"When you give pathways to people in my community, we will deliver", says the Utah Royals defensive midfielder.

How I got here

On the Road to Excellence, Madison Hammond Is Celebrating the Journey

Shoemakers. Cobblers. Stitchers. Pattern engineers. These are only a handful of the specialists inside Italy's Montebelluna and Diamant workspaces, where Nike partners with teams that guide a single football boot through 35 individual manufacturing steps. In about three hours, the shoe moves from pre-assembly to shaping and stitching to final build.This work represents the final stretch of a much longer journey—nearly two years of development, testing and refinement—to deliver Nike's pinnacle football boot, the Mercurial.Nike came to the region in 1996, drawn to a place long regarded as the best in the world for boot manufacturing. For three decades, Nike has relied on the expertise here to provide old-world Italian craftsmanship to complement its advanced footwear innovations, using hands as often as machines.Inside the Montebelluna sample room lives a one-of-a-kind collection of roughly 300 pairs of foot lasts. These custom forms honour more than 200 players who've shaped Nike Football, from Cristiano Ronaldo to Kylian Mbappé to Sophia Wilson. And while Montebelluna perfects the boot for Nike's most elite athletes, the process starts in the Diamant factory, where this year's Mercurial Vapor 17 and Mercurial Superfly 11 are made for footballers around the world.Every iteration of the Mercurial builds on what came before, raising the bar for speed, performance and confidence on the pitch. For the artisans who meticulously engineer these boots, the reward goes beyond turning a "prototype into a masterpiece", as one bootmaker put it. It's the pride and responsibility of knowing their work will be worn by football's elite athletes on the world's biggest stage.Here, go inside the Italian workspaces where the Mercurial comes to life.

<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/topics/nike-football-2026" target="_blank">See more of our universe of Nike Football.</a>

Shoemakers. Cobblers. Stitchers. Pattern engineers. They all partner with Nike in these unique facilities to perfect football boots—like the new Merc—for the game's most elite as well as everyday footballers around the world.

Inside the Italian Workspaces Where We Craft the Nike Mercurial Boot

Walk through NIKE, Inc.'s global campus in Beaverton, Oregon, and you'll experience a place defined by both its scale and the life within it.This isn't an office park or even a corporate headquarters. It's a world. And it's one built around sport, where movement, the landscape and daily life intersect in ways that feel all-encompassing.Spanning more than 400 acres, this rolling campus has buildings named for legendary athletes and running paths that wind past football pitches, a lake and cutting-edge innovation labs dedicated to the future of sport. It's an intentional, expansive environment.Last autumn, this city within a city, teeming with thousands of employees, was given a new name: the Philip H Knight Campus, honouring its visionary co-founder whose restless belief in athletes&nbsp;and innovation helped build the company from a fledgling startup into a global force.But long before this campus existed—before the full-size track, the 11-lane pool and 30-foot-high (9m) rock-climbing wall, the tens of thousands of square metres of athlete buildings or the world-renowned <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/topics/next-level" target="_blank">Nike Sport Research Lab</a>—Nike had no headquarters at all. In 1964, it was known as Blue Ribbon Sports, and it had far humbler surroundings.

Before There Was a Campus

In April 1964, a delivery of 300 pairs of shoes arrived at the home of Bill and Lota Knight on SE Claybourne in Portland. Their 26-year-old son, Phil Knight—known to friends as "Buck"—was beginning his shoe business, and he stacked the boxes in the basement laundry room.This space became, quite literally, the company's first office."I don't remember if I asked them", Knight later recalled in an interview with the Department of Nike Archives. "I just moved the shoes in".

From there, Knight would load the shoes into his Plymouth Valiant and drive to high schools around Portland, trying to sell them directly to runners. Sometimes the athletes didn't have cash on hand, so they would come by the house later to buy a pair."It was pretty amazing that they could find their way", says Knight. "We were on a one-block street that was hard to find".As Knight's shoe company, Blue Ribbon Sports, grew, it decamped from his parents' basement, but stability was still years away.The first official office opened in 1967 at a small building at SE 50th and Powell Boulevard in Portland. Rent was only $50 a month."It was cheap", says Knight. "Cheap and available".Inside, the tiny space served as nearly everything at once: home office, warehouse, sales office and retail store. Orders were packed in the back, invoices typed at the front desk and deliveries dispatched by hand."We'd get an order and go back and pack the shoes in a box", recalled Bob Woodell, an early employee and the company's first chief operating officer. "Then we'd come up front and type up the invoice, address and stamp the envelope, and mail it out. Those were the days when if you could get a 10-pair order, you'd be in heaven". It wasn't exactly a quiet office space. At exactly 4pm, the jukebox next door at the Pink Bucket Tavern would kick on, its bass vibrating through the wall."You could set your watch by it", recalled Woodell. "Boom, boom. You'd know it was 4 o'clock".The Powell office was the first stop in what became a nomadic stretch for the young footwear company.During the next decade, Blue Ribbon Sports moved repeatedly—from its first offices in southeast Portland to Tigard's Horace Mann building, then to Beaverton and back to Tigard, near Nimbus Drive, before returning to Beaverton, where the company operated out of a pair of offices on Murray Boulevard known internally as "Murray I" and "Murray II". Along the way, it also established its first dedicated product warehouse on Burnside in Portland, separate from its office spaces. By this point, it had claimed its permanent moniker—Nike,&nbsp;after the Greek goddess of victory.By the early 1980s, Nike employees were scattered across more than 20 buildings throughout the Portland area. The company was growing rapidly, but it didn't yet have a true home base.

A Place to Unite the Team

Nike knew it needed to bring everyone together in one location."We were spread out in buildings all over Washington County", says Knight. "When we could move to a central place, we felt we could improve communications between the various departments".There was also a perception problem. The company was gaining momentum as a major global business, but it didn't yet look like one.

"[We] had some traction, but we had no presence", recalled Jim Robison, who joined the company in 1979 and later helped lead the campus project. "People were flying in from Asia and Europe, and they'd come to a little 40,000-square-foot building across the street from K-Mart. Then they'd have to get back in the car and go someplace else for a meeting, have the meeting, then get back in the car and go back".Nike needed more than space. It needed an environment that reflected what it was becoming.

In 1984, the company found that physical grounding in a 75-acre parcel just north of its existing offices in Beaverton. Nike purchased the land for $5.5 million in cash, securing the footprint for what would eventually become its permanent world campus.But construction didn't begin right away."We decided we didn't want to move on building the headquarters until we really understood what our brand stood for", says Knight.That clarity came in 1987, when Nike <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/magazine/full-court-press-how-nike-found-its-footing-in-college-basketball" target="_blank">sharpened its core identity</a>.&nbsp;"By 1987, we said we were going to be a performance company", says Knight. "We were going back to our roots—that was our focus".With that came a bigger question: if Nike was becoming a global company, what should its world headquarters look like?

Designing a Sense of Place

When construction began, the goal wasn't just to bring people together. It was to create a place that felt fundamentally different from the offices it had outgrown."We wanted a campus atmosphere because everybody is a junior in college at heart", says Knight. "We wanted a place where you could get your work done, but also a place you wanted to be". That idea became the foundation for everything that followed.

Rather than a single high-rise, the new headquarters would take shape as a collection of buildings organised around shared spaces, more like a college quad than a corporate office park. There would be room to move, gather and think.&nbsp;Early buildings were designed with places to eat, meet and reset. The Joan Benoit Samuelson Building, for example, functioned similarly to a student union, with a cafeteria, small shops and informal gathering spaces that drew employees together throughout the day. Weekly gatherings like the "Thirst Thursday" summer beer garden brought together employees across roles and tenures in a way that blurred the lines between departments.

"Everyone from rookie hires to senior executives bumped elbows and lifted pints together", recalls Nike historian Scott Reames. "It was a relaxed atmosphere that encouraged employees to let off a little steam and also meet Nike colleagues from across every department".Nearby, the Bo Jackson Fitness Center served as a campus recreation space, with workout facilities and fields that hosted intramural sports."Employees would be surrounded by each other all day, every workday—in their offices, at lunch, at the gym and on the jogging trails. This proximity promoted spontaneous interactions, facilitated collaboration and fostered a sense of community", says Reames.

Incorporating Natural Elements

Nature wouldn't be pushed away or relegated to an afterthought. It was central to the campus design.At the heart of the grounds, a man-made lake was introduced, with buildings arranged carefully around it. Rather than treating water and landscape as obstacles, the team chose to build with them, shaping the campus around the environment rather than forcing the environment to conform.

The earth that was removed to create the lake became a berm surrounding the campus—a quiet, tree-lined buffer that separated the company's space from the outside world while creating running paths that looped through the property.The effect was intentional. Drawing inspiration from the contrast of dense urban life and quiet interiors he had experienced in Japan, Knight envisioned a place that offered a sense of calm after the intensity of work travel."You'd go out and fight the wars", he says, "and you'd come home and just want a place where there was peace".

Even the buildings themselves reflected that thinking. Kept relatively low in the beginning, they were spread across the landscape to take advantage of light, space and the surrounding environment. With more land available, Knight and his leadership team made the decision to build outward rather than upward, favouring four-storey structures over taller towers. Inside, design decisions prioritised openness and movement, with elements like expanded stairways introduced to bring in more daylight, even at the expense of usable office space.From the beginning, the campus wasn't just built to house a business. It was built to reflect its identity as a company shaped by athletes and the environments they move through.

Built Around Athletes

As the campus took shape, even its buildings' names reflected the company's values.Early plans that referred to the buildings simply as "A", "B" and "C" were scrapped in favour of a system that better aligned with Nike's sports culture."I said, 'If you want to name our buildings that way, you're going to have a heck of a time'", recalled project leader Howard Slusher. "'It doesn't seem like who we are. Why don't we just name them after our athletes?'"That thinking reshaped the plan. Buildings were named for athletes who stood apart in their sport—Hall of Famers, figures who were head and shoulders above their peers.The first buildings were named for icons like Steve Prefontaine, Joan Benoit Samuelson and Michael Jordan, a precedent that would continue as the campus grew.

The original campus came to be over a two-year stretch, beginning in 1990 with buildings such as Mike Schmidt and Michael Jordan, and continuing through 1992, culminating with the Nolan Ryan Building.For the first time, the company had a place designed for how it worked—and for what it aspired to become.It wasn't just a headquarters. It was a foundation."Bringing the Footwear Design and Apparel Design teams together created amazing synergy", recalls former Design Director Wilson Smith, who spent more than 40 years with the company. "We were separated only by an internal bridge between the two sides of the building ... I don't think it was coincidental that we look back on the 1990s as the golden age of product design".

Expansion and reinvention

Growth came quickly—and in waves.By the late 1980s, construction was moving in step with the company's momentum, with new buildings added as demand surged. Nike officially dedicated its new headquarters in October 1990, bringing together employees who had long been spread across the region.The pace didn't slow. Within a decade, Nike expanded the campus significantly, roughly doubling its footprint as the business surged in the 1990s. The athlete-naming tradition continued, with buildings honouring figures like Ken Griffey, Jr, Mia Hamm and Jerry Rice, reinforcing the connection between the company and the athletes it served.

The next phase wasn't just about scale but also capability.As Nike entered the late 1990s and early 2000s, the campus evolved to reflect a company no longer building with contingency in mind, but rather with confidence in its trajectory."The original campus was laid out in such a way that if Nike's business took a sharp downturn—which was a threat in the 1980s—one or more of the buildings could be sold off or rented to another company", explains Reames. "But the explosive growth in the 1990s cemented the idea that the second expansion would need no back-up plan, and the layout of the new buildings reflects that air of permanency".New facilities were larger, designed to support a rapidly expanding workforce and the increasingly complex demands of a global brand. Additions like the Tiger Woods Center, dedicated in 2001, created space for large-scale gatherings, from sales meetings to product launches, that previously required off-site venues. Each building expanded not just how much space Nike had, but what the campus could do.

The evolution culminated in a sweeping modern expansion that reshaped the campus once again.Beginning in the late 2010s, Nike undertook a major development project that included three major new buildings across thousands of acres and more than 1.1 million square feet (102,000 sq m) of new space. The expansion introduced a new architectural language—darker, more minimal structures designed with sustainability, performance and collaboration at their core—and brought together research, design and product creation in closer proximity than ever before."Nike leadership wanted world-class architecture that captured the ethos of the brand and reflected Nike as a leader", says Gene Sandoval, partner, ZGF Architects, who led the design of the Sebastian Coe Building, which opened in 2018. "Seb Coe was designed to represent movement, dynamism and be an inspirational creative office space nestled in the North Wood Forest".Nike knew what it wanted from its structures. When Sandoval would bring plans to Knight and Howard Slusher, they would tell him to "go bigger". Knight's philosophy was simple: if Nike was going to do this, it was going to do it big. Sandoval says he was continually struck by how seriously they took the idea that architecture should carry the culture and ethos of the brand.That vision shaped every detail of the Seb Coe Building. Nestled in the North Wood Forest—and originally named for that forest—the building was designed around preservation. They were asked to preserve as many trees as possible, and they wanted the interiors to feel like you were part of the surrounding woods. This can be sensed strongly in the cafeteria, with the floor-to-ceiling windows looking out over the forest. The building was meant to feel like it was coming out of Oregon.In its cantilevered front, a water element anchors the structure's most striking feature. The original plans called for the cantilever to reach 60 feet (18.2m) from base to tip—until Sandoval showed them to Mark Parker, who pushed for more. They ended up doubling it. At 120 feet—36.5 metres—it stands as an engineering marvel unlike any other building in Oregon.At the centre of the architectural transformation was the <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/newsroom/releases/inside-the-nike-sports-research-lab-lebron-james-innovation-center" target="_blank">LeBron James Innovation Center</a>, which opened in 2021, representing a sea change in how Nike develops product. At its core was the groundbreaking Nike Sport Research Lab (NSRL), a world-class innovation laboratory built to study athletes in motion. Equipped with hundreds of motion-capture cameras, dozens of force plates and advanced testing environments, the lab allowed researchers, designers and engineers to observe performance in real time and translate it directly into innovation."The NSRL is the epicentre of where we work with athletes of all abilities, all backgrounds, all skills and all sports", says Matthew Nurse, Nike chief science officer.If the LeBron Building represented a leap forward in sport science, the <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/newsroom/releases/inside-the-serena-williams-building" target="_blank">Serena Williams Building</a> reflected an equally ambitious investment in creativity.

Opened in 2022, the 1-million-square-foot structure (93,000 sq m) is the largest on campus and one of Nike's most significant commitments to design. It brought together teams across product, insights and merchandising in a single space, designed to accelerate collaboration and push new ideas from concept to reality. Dedicated labs, immersive environments and expansive showrooms allowed teams to test, visualise and refine ideas at scale."The whole building takes your breath away", says Serena Williams of the building named after her. "Every element, everywhere you go, is an opportunity to be inspired".The more recent additions marked a new era for the campus, one characterised not just by growth, but by integration. Science and creativity, research and design, all working side by side.

A Rare Workplace

Taken together, decades of considered decisions have created something rare at the Philip H. Knight Campus: a workplace that operates at the scale of a global company, but can feel like a personal, immersive home for its teammates.For first-time visitors, the impression is immediate. Walk the campus, and open fields and tree-lined paths reshape your sense of distance. Crossing from one side to the other can take 15 minutes or more, and the setting shifts constantly, from wide-open spaces to scenic stretches that feel hidden within the landscape. Like any special space, the people give it its energy. Teammates pass one another between meetings, mid-conversation or mid-stride in moments that feel closer to a university campus than a corporate office, raising quick waves as familiar faces cross paths throughout the day.

It's the kind of place Phil Knight envisioned early on. Somewhere you come back to reset and prepare to go again."I worked at Nike for 30 years and studied it closely as the company's historian for 17, and I truly believe that the creation of what is now the Philip H. Knight Campus was a catalyst that fostered an unprecedented era of creativity and innovation", says Reames.&nbsp;"If the Nike campus is the nucleus, then its employees are the electrons, bouncing off one another to create energy, light and ideas".

A new name, a lasting legacy

For more than three decades, the campus has been known simply as Nike World Headquarters, the centre of a company that grew from a basement operation into a global force.In 2025, it was officially renamed the Philip H. Knight Campus, cementing its connection to the company's co-founder."This is more than a name change", wrote <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/magazine/elliott-hill-ceo-of-sport-interview" target="_blank">Elliott Hill, president & CEO, NIKE, Inc.</a>, in a letter to Nike employees. "It's a tribute to the man whose vision created a global movement. And it's a reminder,&nbsp;to every one of us who will walk these paths and run these fields, of what can happen when belief meets action".The renaming will be formally marked on 21 May 2026, a moment designed to bring the Nike community together around the legacy—and future—of a space that has shaped the company for more than 35 years.In that sense, the renaming doesn't mark a new chapter as much as it clarifies the one Nike has been writing all along. From a basement laundry room to a world headquarters spanning hundreds of acres, the throughline remains the same: a belief in athletes, in innovation and in knowing that the greatest is always yet to come.

From a basement laundry room to a global headquarters spanning hundreds of acres, the throughline for the space remains the same: a belief in athletes, in innovation and in knowing that the greatest is always yet to come.

The Definitive History of Nike's World Campus

On an early Wednesday morning in February, Amy Montagne stands in front of a small production team in the Serena Williams Building on Philip H. Knight Campus in Beaverton, Oregon. The president of Nike has a presence—commanding, assured and dressed in hues of black; she stands on a makeshift stage while the crew adjusts the lights. Whether or not the camera's recording, Montagne is on—personable, assertive and ready to go—despite waking up well before sunrise. She says the energy and passion it takes to do that day after day, week after week, comes from the shared dedication of the teammates surrounding her during her more than two decades with the company: "Bringing my A-game is critical to my role, because I want to rise to the level of the people around me".Montagne is filming a message for the global Nike team meeting in Milan, a thank you to the tens of thousands of worldwide employees for the hard work leading up to the winter's major sporting moments—the Super Bowl, All-Star Weekend, the Winter Olympics—and a rallying cry for the hard work everyone knows is still ahead. After her first read-through under the lights, a make-up artist dabs her face with a sponge while she listens to feedback. Her delivery (only two takes!) earns applause, and she laughs. "This is not a normal day", she promises.But when a day in the life of the president of the world's largest sports brand can encompass anything from lunching with premier athletes to leading meetings on global sport brand strategy to snapping a pic with Kim Kardashian for her Instagram grid during the NikeSKIMS launch in New York (this one jackpotted Montagne cool points with her triplet teenage sons), maybe the normalcy is found in accepting that every day will be different. And that's exactly what she loves about it: "Each day, you get new information: people loved a certain product drop, a new sport campaign resonated with a specific community, an athlete's authentic style led to a whole-new way of dressing to compete—the energy of that immediate response from people who love Nike is what inspires me", she says. The question that she has asked herself to guide each unique day, over her two decades at the company, remains the same: "How do we lead our teammates and this brand to greatness?"

When Elliott Hill accepted the NIKE, Inc. president & CEO position in 2024, bringing the company back to its sport roots and focusing on the athlete was at the top of his to-do list. Nike needed a turnaround. After years of dominance, the brand was no longer the untouchable giant in the sports industry, and upstart brands were clawing away at the Swoosh market share. Nike's once-clear mandate to be steeped in sport, by listening and serving the athlete, had turned murky. Finding a visionary leader to drive a vigorous reestablishment of the brand's credo was key, and the path to that had to be through strengthening the relationship with athletes (and that means Nike's definition of "athletes"—anyone who has a body).Hill needed a trusted leader for the Nike brand who could lead its new Sport Offense, a plan that rebuilt the company and its priorities through sport, allowing teams to go deep on what those specific athletes need. This right-hand leader would not only need a mind for end-to-end strategy, a commitment to innovation and an adroitness for emotional storytelling, but also be someone who could use those skills to make deliberate choices to strengthen the business for the long term, activating Nike's many levers to connect with athletes, sport communities and fans across the world. Hill had a clear choice: Amy Montagne.Over her 12 roles and 21 years at the company, Montagne had established herself as a healthy balance of left and right brain—an outside-the-box thinker who also uses "spreadsheet" as a verb—and was a motivating force behind Nike's new sport-first operating model. "She always asks, 'how is this connected back to sport, back to the athletes?'" Hill says, outlining her strategic filter. That comes from her unwavering dedication to the benefits of sport that go beyond playing: in high school, for example, Montagne tried out for the basketball team but didn't make the cut. Instead of walking away, she doubled down and became the team's statistician, a role that encapsulated her talent, her secret sauce: she can see the whole court, identify people's unique abilities and skill sets and use that data to help make the whole team better.

Montagne is a straight shooter, with the sort of no-filler management style that makes it clear what she's thinking. If she works with you, she believes in you. And she's the first to admit that she expects big things. But she knows that success is only achieved by pushing past what you think are your limits, and as a team. Charles Williams, global vice president of Footwear, wasn't remotely surprised when Montagne became the president of the Nike brand. For years, he'd known her as a "courageous, empowering" leader, one who was just as likely to come and meet Williams in his office as he was in hers. It's a small gesture with a big ripple effect. Not only does it show respect for his time, Williams says, but it's an opportunity for more junior employees to get a bit of face time with her. Hill likens her to a coach and notes how many relationships she's fostered during her time at Nike. "Because of Amy's level of clarity and accountability, she builds trust with the team, and then you get the followership", he says.Once, Montagne received feedback from her team that, while she has extremely high expectations, they knew that she has those same high bars for herself, above all. "It was one of those moments where I felt really seen for who I am", she says. And that approach has resulted in a genuine loyalty between Montagne and her teams—she gives people the tools, guidance and space to be great, and in return, they are.&nbsp;

Nike's winning history is never far from Montagne's mind: it excites her that everyone around her knows they have big, and well-made, shoes to fill. "Every product, every story we tell, every marketplace execution has to be done with uncompromising excellence", she says. How does she make that happen? By asking honest questions: is the product living up to our expectations, what we know this company is capable of? Is that the best way to tell the story? Is the execution the most premium, sustainable way we can do it? Did we give it absolutely everything?If that philosophy sounds almost unbelievably driven, well, that's on purpose. And it's what makes her ideal for the job. "Amy's the leader Nike needs right now", says Hill, "and I believe the structure we have in place, the team she's put in place, the expectation that she set, is going to give us that sharp clarity against the different consumers we're serving, and that will unlock another wave of growth".

Only recently has Montagne allowed herself—her full self—to be seen in the workplace. Early on in her career, working at the corporate headquarters for The Gap, in San Francisco, she was known for leaving her personal life at the door. Work was work, home was home, and never the two shall meet. "She has a strength to compartmentalise things to be able to move through adversity", says Janet Hayes, her former coworker, long-time friend and current CEO of Crate & Barrel. But that also meant that people had a harder time getting to know her. "I'm watching her now, in the last couple of years, become a different kind of leader who is braver and a little more vulnerable, and I think that's an evolution of her leadership that's going to take her far", Hayes says.&nbsp;For Montagne, the shared trauma of the pandemic illuminated a new managerial approach. For the first time in her career, everyone she knew was going through the same struggle. There was no reason to pretend it wasn't happening, so why not face it head on? The comfort that came with that allowed her to bring more of her personal life into the workplace. Not as a proselytiser, but as a person. "I am who I am because of the life experiences I've had", she says. Having kids later in life, going through a difficult IVF journey, having triplets when she thought she was having a single child and being all too familiar with grief and family loss—these&nbsp;are truths as integral to understanding Montagne as her management style or work habits. "We all have these things, and you find the right ways to bring your personal and professional lives together", she says, "to be your true, authentic self and to support people to be theirs".Seeing a leader like Montagne be vulnerable and sincere in the workplace has allowed others to do the same. "She's a real one", says Williams. "You need that in this organisation, because it shows people they can be themselves".

Montagne's true self at Nike is pure energy; she has a palpable enthusiasm for the job, a humming aura around her. Her role today is a culmination of a steady focus throughout her career, starting from what drove her when she was working in retail in high school in Arizona—a curiosity about the consumer. Even then, she was fascinated by buying habits: what do people like? Why do they buy the things they do? How do fit, colour and style make a difference? That desire for understanding makes just as much sense for Montagne now as it did back then. "In a big company, driving billions of dollars of revenue, everything gets clear when you come back to a consumer and their insights", she says. "Nike can seem so big, but in the end, we're shop owners".&nbsp;As an undergrad at Santa Clara University, she enrolled in the retail management institute, where that curiosity became a tenable career path: this was an actual job, being a buyer for a store. "And that was it!" she says. Her path unfurled before her, like a finger before it beckons. She graduated with a degree in communications, sharpening the storytelling skills that now drive Nike's most simple and powerful message: that sport can change the world. That's a fact Montagne's seen time and time again, be it watching her kids commit to and improve at a new skill, or being part of grand moments, like the Super Bowl or World Cup. "In a world today that has so much challenge and change, sport is the unifier that really brings people together", Montagne says.

After graduation, she completed buyer training at Walmart headquarters and took a role as an allocation analyst at Gap Inc., capping off 11-hour days by running across the Golden Gate Bridge, training for marathons with friends. Her sport of choice has changed—now, you're more likely to find her in a Pilates studio or a cycling class—but her tenacity and strive for excellence is the same. Her husband, Pete, formerly a category manager at Nike, calls her the hardest worker he's ever met. (Their pairing was a matter of fate; although they attended the same college, they didn't meet until after graduating, when Pete was working at Nike and Amy had just started.) More than anything, Pete says, Amy is smart, sharp and prepared. That hasn't always come easily, though; she's had her fair share of shoot-down remarks, plenty of times where she's been the only woman in the room, he says. "What she does that sets her apart is create a culture of inclusivity—she cares about her team, about mentorship, about elevating people's careers".

Her passion and commitment to championing women is well represented in her office, on the 5th floor of the Sebastian Coe Building, where an oversized copy of the company's 1996 print ad "If You Let Me Play" sits on her desk. Working with top athletes, like A'ja Wilson, Caitlin Clark and JuJu Watkins, is one of the most fulfilling parts of her job, which includes "doing everything I can to show them support—that we want to learn, listen and meet them where they are, and keep doing that as they succeed", she says. The bar isn't what the world expects Nike to do. "It's giving so much more than that", she says, "what we know our athletes deserve".When Montagne took over her current role in May 2025, she and her team went on a retreat to hammer out a clear vision for the Nike brand. The company will always be about sport, they contended—but the evolution had to come from following the lead of the Nike athlete. "They don't compete just to be like anybody else", she says. "They say: 'I can do it better, faster, stronger, more stylish'. They break things to be better—and that's what we're meant to do, too".

For Montagne, that means taking her vision of the Nike Sport Offense—establishing more than a dozen specific sport focuses and creating the teams that power them—and nurturing those sport cultures, from running and football and basketball, to golf, tennis, training and more. Each of these has its own personality, energy and nuances, and essential for Nike, its own aesthetic. For example, the look of running, Montagne says, is style, for everyday and professional athletes alike. She points to Sha'Carri Richardson, who doesn't run fast and break records in spite of her long nails or false lashes—she does so because of them, how they allow her to be her authentic self. Show up as the most real version of you, Montagne says, and you perform at your best. That's a tenet that stretches across sports. "Look at the relaunch of the ACG brand at the Winter Games", she points out. "The brand has legitimate outdoor legacy and innovation, and products that speak to an epic, unique style".As our interview ends, Montagne is in her 5th-floor office, seated at her desk and turning to the next events of the day—meetings, presentations, preparations. You can see her mind whirring, just like that high-school statistician. The court is bigger, but her diligence has remained the same: she's surveying, watching her teams' plays and noting what must happen next to make everyone, and the brand, better. The through line, to be sure, will be sport. To know where Nike is going next, look to where the energy is in the world behind sports, behind athletes. Wherever you find that, you’ll find Nike, supporting, listening, learning—and fiercely competing like no other.

With more than 20 years of experience over 12 roles, the brand president is guiding Nike's new Sport Offense, taking the company back to its athlete-first roots and strengthening the business for the long term.

Amy Montagne: The Force Returning Nike to Sport

There is a moment Martin Lotti still sees clearly in his mind. He was 16 years old, a Swiss exchange student standing in the original Niketown in Portland, Oregon —a kid from Fribourg, a town of fewer than 40,000 people, who had arrived in the Pacific Northwest for what was supposed to be two weeks and became a year. He left Niketown holding a pair of Air Max 180s and a Michael Jordan Wings poster, the one that reads:&nbsp;"No bird soars too high if it soars with its own wings".&nbsp;His host family snapped a photo of him outside the store, mid-Jumpman pose, arms wide, grinning.That photograph would travel with him across two decades of craft, curiosity and creative ambition. And one day, while serving as chief design officer for the Jordan Brand, Lotti stood in front of Michael Jordan himself and showed him the image."This is why I fell in love with the brand as a 16 year old",&nbsp;he says, sitting at the Philip H. Knight Campus on a cool February morning, dressed in an immaculate all-white fit that reflects an understated confidence.&nbsp;"To have the person from the poster over your bed actually standing in front of you—that was surreal. One of those moments where you think: how did I get here?"

Getting to Nike was never a straight line—and that, Lotti will tell you, is exactly the point. After finishing secondary school in Switzerland, he enrolled at ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena, California. A woman in his visual communications class mentioned she'd interned at Nike, which piqued his curiosity. He sent in an application, Nike sent back a job offer. He would later marry that classmate, Linda Mai-Lotti, a detail he shares with a quiet smile that suggests he still can't quite believe his own story.What Nike represented to Lotti, and still does, was something he didn't have a word for growing up in Europe.&nbsp;"In Switzerland, it's more step by step,"&nbsp;he says.&nbsp;"The leash gets longer one step at a time. Whereas in the US, the opportunity is just … there for the taking. It doesn't matter how old you are or where you're from. If you can bring it, you get the chance to design it".That belief—that potential has no ceiling—became the foundation of how Lotti designs, leads and sees the world.

Today, Lotti serves as Nike's chief design officer, representing the Swoosh in major cultural moments such as Milan Design Week, and overseeing product and concept design across the company—an enormous responsibility he approaches with the same grounded clarity that has defined his career. A good designer is a good listener first, he says, because creation is so reliant on input, from the athletes, of data sets, for how to support the product with the right storytelling. The why of your creation—who you're creating for and what problem you're solving—is what delineates a designer from an artist. "Design is not just executing or sketching; we are problem solvers", Lotti says. "<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/magazine/bill-bowerman-nike-s-original-innovator" target="null">Bill Bowerman</a> baked this into the DNA of the company: you create for a reason, not just because you can". He also points out that this is no simple task. "Creativity is often romanticised. It's painful! I think it's like a marathon. It takes time, you have to lean in, and in the end you're exhausted and elated".The drive to continue that process runs deep within Lotti. There is a phrase he returns to again and again, a quiet north star beneath everything he creates:&nbsp;making people fly.&nbsp;He didn't fully understand its weight until his team began working with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and he watched critically ill children choose, as their wish, to spend time with Jordan Brand designers."Not everyone can be Michael Jordan, but everyone can make someone feel something", he says, his voice measured, the words deliberate.&nbsp;"After something like that, you don't come in the next day and just make another shoe".He invokes Steve Jobs' idea of leaving a dent in the universe—of finding your platform and using it with intention.&nbsp;"We have this reach, and I don't take it for granted",&nbsp;he says.&nbsp;"It's not just an opportunity. It's an obligation to make an impact". That impact is felt within Nike too. "There's no one who pushes me more than Martin", says <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/company/people/nicole-graham" target="_blank">Nicole Graham</a>, EVP and chief marketing officer. "He's so good that it makes you want to be better; he'll come up with a great idea, which will make you want to come up with a great idea". That mindset, says Graham, comes from the way Lotti looks at the world. "He can walk down the street and see 18 different things that could be interesting for a project that we're working on—colour, material, font, topography. He lives and breathes creativity and design".

Lotti's design philosophy goes beyond aesthetics or function. He wants his teams to truly understand athletes—not just what they need from a product, but what drives them, what they carry onto the field, what makes them feel seen and inspired.In 2014, a Brazilian footballer described his&nbsp;why&nbsp;to Lotti's team:&nbsp;"We play for the love of the game and for the love of Brazil",&nbsp;the player said, grabbing his shirt as he spoke. The gesture unlocked something. The shirt wasn't just a piece of clothing; it was a symbol of pride, an encapsulation of purpose.That year, the team printed in Portuguese&nbsp;"nascido para jogar futebol"—born&nbsp;to play football—on the inside of the shirt. So that every time a player placed his hand over his heart during the national anthem, he'd feel the purpose beneath it."You aren't just listening to what athletes say about what they need",&nbsp;Lotti says.&nbsp;"You want to hear the person. You want to understand what makes them tick".Sometimes, Lotti and his team's inspiration is more abstract. It surfaces in the raked gravel of a Zen garden in Kyoto, Japan, which became the outsole geometry of the Nike Kyoto, the brand's first yoga-inspired shoe, its upper a subtle nod to the kimono's wrap. Or it can live in the stark, earthy palette of Iceland, which shaped an autumn and holiday training collection.This is one of the quiet gifts of being based in Portland, he says. You're required to go out, seek, learn. "We're more global citizens, which I love, because so many doors open up when you go to new places".

His wife Linda describes Lotti as an athlete—not just literally (he competed and taught snowboarding), but in the way he approaches his craft. When their professor in school assigned 10 sketches, Martin did 20. Not because he had to, but because the work was alive to him, and the push to keep refining it would never rest. Curiosity, for Lotti, isn't something you switch off.That energy surfaces everywhere. A recent trip to a car dealership ended with a salesperson offering him a job, only half-jokingly. He'd arrived knowing more about every model and option than the staff.&nbsp;"He's able to stay focused and keep working until he ploughs through it and finds the solution",&nbsp;Linda says.&nbsp;"Like an elite athlete with a relentless drive to grow and perfect. Just in a very different arena".We're sitting in the Energy Product Design space in the Mia Hamm building, and Lotti is flipping through the pages of the Nike Design Annual, a thick-stock magazine containing a sweeping overview of the best that the Nike brand has done in the past year, through a range of sport, athlete and product moments. "We're so focused on the future, being able to look back is almost cathartic, and it allows us to set a benchmark: if you want to be in this book, it has to be a certain level", Lotti says. "It's a way to celebrate the team".The team Lotti's gathered, says Graham, is unmatched. "One of Martin's most meaningful contributions to Nike is the creative community he's nurtured", she says. "When you're on Martin Lotti's team, you feel like you're one of the most creative people in the world—and that's exactly what he wants you to feel, how he's empowered people to feel". You see the impact of that in this year's Nike Design Annual, which includes 25 of the most innovative pieces the company produced in 2025. Many are feats of the unexpected, breaking the mould—like the <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/magazine/what-is-nike-radical-airflow" target="null">Nike Radical AirFlow</a> long-sleeve for ultra-marathons. People were sceptical at first of the long-sleeve shirt meant to cool you down, says Lotti, with some even affectionately dubbing it the "Christmas sweater". Lotti laughs about it even now. "Believing is wearing it", he says, "it's like air conditioning for your body. You pump your arms while you run, and the material creates little cyclones of airflow. That's its geometry—it's naturally cooling".

Throughout our conversation, Lotti emphasised the uniqueness of working on design at a company like Nike: the cutting-edge technology, like the nascent ability to create prototypes from 3D printers or virtual mock-ups; the eye toward sustainability, shown in&nbsp;<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/newsroom/releases/nike-aero-fit-official-images" target="null">the new base material, Aero-FIT</a>, for&nbsp;<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/newsroom/collections/nike-football-unveils-2026-federation-kits-featuring-aero-fit-performance-cooling-technology" target="null">all football shirts</a> that are more breathable for athletes&nbsp;and&nbsp;have a lower environmental impact to create; the&nbsp;<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/magazine/meet-the-nike-mind-team" target="null">Mind Science team</a>, which focuses on improving athlete experience from the neck up.This depth and range creates the perfect balance of humanness, enterprise and technology that Lotti seeks. That even the executive chairman, Mark Parker, shares Lotti's design background makes Lotti's work all the more fulfilling. "It makes our life so much easier to see design as part of the foundation of the company", he says, dancing his fingertips over the tabletop. "It's not an afterthought. It's central to everything we do".That belief extends to how Lotti thinks about risk—not as something to manage, but as something to embrace, to push Nike to new places. "Calculated risk is what athletes do every day", he says. "They don't try to replicate their fastest time or most powerful serve or heaviest weight, they want to be better. The best".Why shouldn't we all?

"Design is not just executing or sketching", says the chief design officer. "We are problem solvers".

Martin Lotti is Driving a New Wave of Creativity at Nike

On the raucous machinery floor of Nike's Air Manufacturing Innovation facility, a group of engineers study an inflated Air Max unit prototype. Its shape is stunningly technical. This "clover" unit, the visual cue that would later become the flowering, minimalist Air bag for the new <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/newsroom/releases/nike-air-liquid-max-merges-superior-comfort-and-air-max-heritage" target="_blank">Nike Air Liquid Max</a>, is curved to help the wearer glide from each step to the next. The ride is meant to be incomparably smooth.&nbsp;But there's a catch. The unique shape of the bag is so complex it needs a lot of special attention. It's the first Max unit to include internal cut-outs. The trim, or the perimeter of the bag, is complicated to get right. Air Max engineers have a word to describe Air: elastomeric. It means that Air has the ability to transform based on changing variables like temperature and humidity. As soon as you introduce more complexity to the shape of a filled Air bag, the harder it is to cut it to a precise shape over and over again across a full size run. Think of a cookie-cutter mould. The more complicated the shape, the greater the margin for error when you slice the dough. Now imagine that dough is curved upward. That's the case for this Max Air bag, and any dip or rise in room temperature can make the bag change shape ever so slightly.&nbsp;What's more, the same design has to be replicated hundreds of thousands of times.&nbsp;High complexity. High precision. All in a minimalist silhouette meant to feel like the most nothing Max ever.&nbsp;

What does it mean to walk on Nike Air? There's the comfort, obviously. Every step should feel effortless. Then there's the unmistakable look, beginning with the Air Max I in 1987, when the big see-through bubble was actually a prism into the future of shoe cushioning. But Nike Air could never just be a platform built on inspiration. It needed to be built on technical rigour to give a precisely tuned feeling.&nbsp;While the evocation of "walking on air" is easy, creating it is anything but.

The silhouette was originally briefed in 2019 and tag-lined "The Most Nothing Max". The goal was to create an Air Max that felt light, fluid, flexible and barely detectable—a goal that's historically been at odds with the platform.

In an Air Max legacy that was founded on the big bubble, designers wondered whether an Air Max unit could, should, feel like nothing. A filled Air bag, when combined with layers of cement foam and rubber, can come across as rigid and slappy, making it challenging to feel a smooth step-to-step transition.&nbsp;"Liquid Max had to set a new visual precedent, but the Air unit also had to give a new sensation for walking on Air", says Ditte Kuijpers, design director, Nike Sportswear Innovation Footwear. "People needed to both feel and see how it was different. Every component of the shoe had to work together for this to happen".

To begin, designers and engineers discussed how this unit would break from Air Max models of the past. A few key descriptions stood out as inspiration: sleek. Reductive. Minimalist. The Air Max unit had to be lighter and more flexible than previous models. When Nike designers began conceptualising this sleeker unit, one source came from an unlikely place: <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/newsroom/releases/nike-air-max-scorpion-official-images-release-date" target="null">Air Max Scorpion</a>. Released in 2021, it was maximalist in the truest sense, featuring an enormous unit shaped by ambitious proportions. It was the largest unit ever created in terms of volume of Air per square inch. One observation stood out from designing the Scorpion bag: its emphasis on a term called "point loading". This is when each area of cushioning is precisely mapped against the entirety of your foot, comfortably spreading your bodyweight out on certain points of the bag. Each part of the Air unit can have a different stiffness or softness.&nbsp;

"Scorpion gave the team a good starting point", says Wade Flanagan, director of Nike Air Innovation. "We learned new techniques that could help us tune the bag for flexibility across different zones. Comparing the Scorpion bag to Liquid Max, we wanted to make something lighter, more flexible, more minimalist, but just as responsive".But cutting the bags to achieve this effect is complicated, says Flanagan. Each Air bag almost has a mind of its own because of how it can change in the slightest of circumstances. Trimming each one perfectly, he says, is like hitting a moving target.

The silhouette's name shifted to Liquid Max for good reason: the unit had to move with a undetectably smooth transition, like liquid. One of the designers' early prototypes used a modified version of the Air Max Dn8's Air units, a row of pressurised tubes across the full length of the foot. To create a more contoured system that worked with the foot, and to reduce the number of parts in the shoe, designers experimented with different versions of a drop-in midsole.Some prototypes of the Air unit were more organic. Others were more industrial. Some shapes tried turning visual details into mechanical advantages. Could a sly spelling of "Air Max" on the outsole create a trampoline-like effect through the middle of the letters? The possibilities were wide open. Testing wasn't limited to the physical world, either. A digital method called Finite Element Analysis, or FEA, helped designers simulate the real-life forces of a person walking in the shoe, putting pressure on different regions of the unit and then measuring how it responded.&nbsp;

This testing through trial and error helped designers and engineers land on a beautiful, two-chambered, full-length Air unit design. Maybe its most noticeable shift from Air units of the past was also its most challenging on a technical level: cutting out inserts in the bag; coring out unnecessary parts in the middle; and moulding it in a curved, rockered shape to make it more minimalist. Trimming a unit this complicated inside and out, on a curve? It hadn't been done before. It would require a more precise kind of Air manufacturing.&nbsp;

The Liquid Max team began working closely with the technicians at Nike's Air Manufacturing Innovation (Air MI) facilities in Beaverton, Oregon. There was basically no margin for error. Cut the bag at a poor angle, and the bag can pop. Cut it too wide, and you leave behind messy, awkward flanges around the perimeter. A dynamic ingredient like Air is also highly sensitive to the environment around it, meaning the bag can change shape in an instant based on the indoor temperature, resulting in inconsistent sizes. Air unit manufacturing is the equivalent of baking the world's coolest soufflé.

The final version of the Liquid Max Air unit is what happens when bold creativity meets manufacturing ingenuity. And the strategies employed to make the Air unit go beyond any single shoe."The Liquid Max unit is an example of when our designers, engineers and Air MI technicians set their sight on a challenge and overcome it", says Flanagan. "A lot of that comes from being inspired to challenge limitations and push Air Max to a new place so we can provide new benefits to people who wear it".

Nike Air Liquid Max is the first Max unit to include internal cut-outs. It ushers in an era for the Air Max franchise where precision and complexity go hand in hand.

Explore Nike, Converse and Jordan footwear and apparel design stories featuring Nike Air Force 1, Nike Air Jordan, Nike Air Max and more.

Design

Making it

Less Is Max In the Newest Version of Nike Air

For Yao Miao, becoming the "Queen of Trail Running" in China took everything she had. Yao grew up in a small farming village in China's Guizhou Province, the youngest of six daughters. She often helped her parents, working long hours in the rice fields, but even as a child she knew she wanted to pursue a future outside of her rural community. That opportunity came in middle school. Yao left home when she was selected as one of four students from her area to attend a state-run sports school for future elite athletes. The early days were tough. Leaving her family wasn't easy, and she often felt lonely and homesick. Her body struggled to adapt to a kind of training she had never done before. But it was there that she discovered her passion for trail running.Overtime, her natural resilience paid off. She pushed through injuries and setbacks to become Asia's first three-time Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB) Finals champion, one of the most celebrated trail-running races in the world.Now, as she joins the ACG <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/newsroom/releases/nike-acg-all-conditions-racing-department" target="null">All Conditions Racing Department</a>, ACG's roster of elite trail running athletes, Yao looks back on where her journey began, the victories and challenges along the way and how her ACG partnership will help reach a new generation of athletes.

My hometown helped shape me into an elite athlete. There are many small mountains, and I played there when I was young, so I grew used to that terrain. That experience helped me become a strong trail runner. I really enjoy running in China's mountain environments, especially running on the Great Wall.It's important to know that you don't have to reach your goals immediately. At sport school, I focused mainly on running and was part of an organised team. But after graduating in 2016, I was not chosen to join a professional team or university. So, I started working. I handed out flyers at a gym, then I helped my sister at her makeup shop. I felt lost. I wasn't training like an athlete anymore.I wasn't interested in anything but running. Eventually, that rejection was motivating for me. I had the opportunity to enter a trail race. While I didn't finish, that failure to finish made me feel I needed to come back to trail running. My goal was to become the best trail runner of all time. I made up my mind to keep working and continue racing. I believed I could succeed and I wanted to prove it.One of my most challenging races was in 2019 at UTMB. During the 168km run, I had a period where I lost my vision. I was racing so much that my body couldn't bear the strain of so many competitions. I couldn't finish the race, and the organisers asked me to quit. I was very nervous because I worried I might never see again and not be able to return to trail running. The vision loss was only temporary, but I felt like I was losing confidence in the sport.

Getting my footing in trail running took time, but that journey was so rewarding. After my first championship in 2018, I knew I had the talent and motivation to become an elite trail runner. I kept chasing another win but couldn't seem to get one. I struggled in 2019 with several DNFs and stopped racing in 2020. But I still had this intense passion for the sport, so I came back in 2023. I finally won again in 2024, the OCC-UTMB, which was my most satisfying victory. I was back! The hard work paid off, and I felt like I could finally move forward.For me, the most important mindset is love for the sport. I've faced many challenges, but because I love trail running, I've been able to keep going and become who I am today.

I want trail runners to think about how their actions affect the environment. Trail running is becoming popular very quickly. However, many runners still don't think enough about protecting their environment. I encourage runners to care for the outdoors and our planet—stay on marked trails, carry out their trash properly, respect the wildlife. Protecting these spaces is part of being a responsible runner. I know it's not easy to educate everyone, but I can start with myself and help model good behaviour. Last year, I helped organise events focused on environmental protection and I hope, in the future, more people will join me.I know how much I can do with ACG to build my dream and support the next generation. I'm proud to launch the Nike-supported "Boundless Girls with Yao Miao" initiative that will help more girls in many Chinese primary and secondary schools access sports. I want to inspire teenage girls who grow up in underdeveloped areas like I did to find their confidence and know that the world is vast. Sport has the power to open new doors for them.

Her rise from rural China to three‑time UTMB Finals champion—and now member of the ACG All Conditions Racing Department—is a story of endurance, belief and relentless dedication to the sport.

Trail Runner Yao Miao Is Running Down New Goals With ACG

Basketball has never seen a decade like the 1980s. With a deep roster of incandescent stars and bitter rivalries in both the pro and university games, the sport's growth curve had never looked so steep, and may never again.In some aspects, Nike rode the wave of the round-ball revolution. In others, the Swoosh was out in front, fuelling—and occasionally suffering the effects of—the money and fame that pulsed through the sport.But before signature shoes, before billion-dollar categories, before basketball became central to Nike's identity, there was a foothold to secure.That foothold began in US university gyms.In March of 1979, the NCAA championship game between Larry Bird's Indiana State and Magic Johnson's Michigan State captivated the country. It remains the highest-rated televised university basketball game in history. A year later, ESPN launched with a heavy diet of university basketball programming. By 1985, the NCAA tournament would expand to 64 teams.US university basketball was no longer regional. It was televised, expanding and captivating the country.Nike was already moving.

University 101

Nike began its push into university basketball in the late 1970s with the help of a personality named Sonny.By then, the company's foray into the NBA was already underway. But aside from the University of Oregon, the university game had largely been ignored. That changed in the summer of 1977, when John Paul "Sonny" Vaccaro met with Rob Strasser, Phil Knight and a handful of others to pitch a sandal-type basketball shoe.The shoe idea was a dud; Vaccaro, however, had an idea that would stick.

Vaccaro's strategy: create connections. Through the Dapper Dan high school tournament he had been running in Pittsburgh since 1965—essentially the first countrywide All-Star showcase—he built a network inside the coaching ranks. And the university business was ripe for the picking. In the early to mid-1970s, only a handful of elite coaches were paid anything. A few received lecture fees. Converse had sent Georgetown's John Thompson to Italy in 1977 to run a clinic. But most coaches with shoe deals received little more than discounted products.Nike saw an opportunity. NCAA rules barred companies from paying players, but coaches were fair game. Provide products. Build relationships. Establish loyalty.

With that philosophy in mind, things moved quickly. By November 1978, Nike had 17 universities on board. By 1980, it had 71.What began as a gamble was starting to look like a sure bet. But contracts were only the first step. Growth gave Nike reach, but it still needed credibility.

The Lab

No programme encapsulated the 1980s university basketball scene and Nike's growing presence within it quite like the Georgetown Hoyas under head coach John Thompson, whose programme became one of the most formidable forces in the sport.

While serving as Nike's unofficial flagship, Georgetown made the Final Four in 1982, 1984 and 1985, winning the national championship in 1984 and claiming five Big East regular-season titles during the decade.Thompson first met Phil Knight on a trip to Nike in August 1980. "The esprit de corps manifested by your people is most impressive", he wrote in a letter to Knight soon after. Following a falling out with a close friend at Converse, Thompson signed with Nike and the relationship deepened quickly."What you found out about Phil, there were certain people he didn't cross", said Ron Hill, who ran the basketball programme in the mid-1980s. "If John Thompson barked, Phil didn't want to hear it. 'Just get him what he wants'. There were a few of those, not many".Georgetown became a lab of sorts for Nike ideas.Take the Legend, released in 1982. It featured thick, durable leather that took time to break in but was ultimately comfortable. It introduced coloured soles and linings, a perforated toe, a flex point at the lacing break and a hook on the back—small evolutions that felt distinctive at the time."Legend was the shoe when I came to the company", said Mike Caster, Nike's basketball marketing manager in the mid-1980s. "I remember everybody played in that shoe. It was just an awesome basketball shoe".

Thompson's Hoyas were fiercely loyal to it. So when Nike executives approached him about switching Georgetown into softer-leather Air Force models or the upcoming Dunk, Thompson refused. He preferred the thicker material, and he wanted Georgetown to stand apart. Wearing the same shoe as a dozen other programmes was not acceptable."He said, 'I'm not wearing anybody else's shoes, number one; and number two, I want it exactly this way'", Hill recalled.By then, the Legend had been discontinued and the name was no longer available. So designer Mike Aveni modified the design slightly, adding a heel counter stamped with "NIKE", and created what became the Terminator. For Georgetown's player-only versions, "HOYAS" was stamped on the back instead, avoiding university royalties and reinforcing Thompson's demand for identity.The collaboration extended beyond footwear. In 1983, Thompson had Patrick Ewing wear a Nike undershirt in a nationally televised game against Virginia, featuring an illustration of the Legend on the sleeves. The NCAA objected, banning what it considered "free" on-court advertising.But the message was clear.Nike wasn't just supplying products. It was embedded inside one of the sport's most visible programmes, testing ideas, responding to a powerful coach and building trust on a national stage.

Be True to Your School

If Georgetown gave Nike credibility, March gave it scale.At the 1985 Final Four, Nike leaders Rob Strasser, Jack Joyce and members of the New Products team saw university passion up close. Students and fans lined up overnight to get into the games. University colours dominated the arenas. Allegiance was visible, tribal and loud.

They began to see something bigger than product placement. If Nike could create footwear in the actual colours of these programmes, fans might wear them as badges of identity.The success of the Air Jordan 1 and Jordan player trousers had already suggested that consumers would embrace bold colour. Now the idea moved to college and university basketball.The College Colours programme was born.

Conceived by Strasser, Joyce and a small internal team that included creative director Peter Moore and Mary Bodecker McGoldrick, the programme paired footwear, apparel and bags in coordinated university palettes. It began as part of the "Guns of August" sales push in June 1985, promising samples by August and carrying a simple directive: "Be True to Your School".

Twelve universities anchored the initial release: UNLV, Arizona, Iowa, Purdue, Michigan, St. John's, NC State, Georgia, Maryland, Syracuse, Georgetown and Kentucky.The centrepiece was a high-top basketball shoe originally sketched by Moore. At first called the College Colour High, it was, as Nike veteran Brad Johnson later said, "a mash-up of different shoes"—a common design practice at the time. Its outsole resembled the Air Jordan I and the Big Nike. Its upper echoed familiar silhouettes. It was built on the same last used for the Legend, considered one of Nike's best-fitting basketball forms.Eventually, the shoe took a name from that lineage.It became the Dunk.

College Colours disrupted a basketball footwear landscape that had largely been defined by white shoes with minimal colour. For the first time, university identity could be worn head to toe, on campus, in dorm rooms and in packed arenas during March.The Dunk's initial retail performance was moderate. The marketplace was suddenly crowded with colour after the Air Jordan I. But culturally, something had shifted. Nike had aligned itself not just with players and coaches, but with fan allegiance itself.The foothold in university basketball was no longer theoretical. It was visible—in blue and orange, in red and white, in navy and grey—on feet across the country.

March on the Main Stage

As the 1980s progressed, that visibility only intensified.Nike universities began advancing deeper into the NCAA tournament with increasing regularity. By 1985, the shift was undeniable: the entire Final Four—Villanova, Georgetown, St. John's and Memphis State—wore Nike.

The tournament had become the sport's national convention, and Nike was everywhere.By that point, Phil Knight reportedly asked what it would cost to sign every top-level programme in the country—an idea that never materialised but spoke volumes about how far the company had come in less than 10 years.Exposure in March did more than sell shoes. It cemented perception. University basketball was now national theatre, broadcast into living rooms across the country, and Nike was attached to some of its most high-profile programmes.The 1977 strategy—build through coaches, embed through relationships—was no longer speculative. It was unfolding in front of a national audience.

The Coaching Fraternity

The relationships that fuelled that rise extended beyond contracts.Each autumn, Phil Knight received envelope after envelope from university towns around the country containing handwritten notes on university letterhead thanking Nike for the summer trip and praising the company.

"The Nike company is simply amazing", wrote George Blaney of Holy Cross. "Not only are you aggressive, young and dynamic, but the company is actually concerned about people. I like that".Those letters followed Nike's annual university coaches trips, gatherings that were nominally about product evaluation but functioned as something deeper. Coaches met with designers. They discussed equipment. They compared notes. They built bonds both with the company and with each other.Clinics expanded the network further. Nike-sponsored events brought elite university coaches together with high school coaches and players, spreading influence and reinforcing the company's presence at every level of the game."It's about relationships, service and product", Ed Janka later recalled of the philosophy from the early days. "None is more important than the other".Service became a differentiator. Nike representatives were on the road constantly, visiting campuses, talking with trainers, building custom solutions when needed. While competitors sold stock products, Nike showed up.The approach required sustained time and investment. It proved effective.By the mid-1980s, being a "Nike university" meant more than wearing a logo. It meant belonging to a network, and one that connected product innovation, marketing visibility and personal relationships in ways the sport had never previously experienced.

A Proving Ground

Even as colour and culture captured attention, performance remained central.Georgetown's status as an informal laboratory was not cosmetic. Coaches demanded durability. Trainers offered feedback. Designers iterated.Models like the Legend and the Terminator reflected those conversations—incremental shifts in materials, structure and identity. Shoes were refined season by season, informed by the needs of university programmes competing at the highest level.

Basketball's growth in the 1980s is often told through signature athletes and market-share battles. But before any of that came into focus, Nike's position inside the sport was built on university courts.