NIKE: FORM FOLLOWS MOTION @ MAD MUSEUM

Early Mechanical Shox Prototype (1981) from  NIKE: Form Follows Motion @MAD Museum, credit:Nike, Inc 

You know the shoes. You know the athletes. You know the swoosh.

But what happens when Nike opens its archives and gives you a peek behind the curtain?

That access is what makes Nike: Form Follows Motion at the Museum of Arts and Design (MAD) so compelling. For the first time, Nike has opened its "DNA" (Dept of Nike Archives) to help shape an exhibition--offering a rare look at the ideas, experiments and collaborations behind the brand, rather than another showcase of iconic sneakers or a retrospective of sneaker trends. From design and innovation to athlete partnerships and Nike's deep connection to community and culture, the exhibit traces the thinking behind the products we think we already know. Keep reading for a look inside...

Nike: Form Follows Motion opening reception and talk between exhibit curator Glenn Adamson and Nike Chief Design Officer  Martin Lotti

At the opening reception, curator Glenn Adamson joined Martin Lotti, Nike's Chief Design Officer, for a conversation about Nike, the exhibition and the inspiration behind the brand's evolution. Lotti shared a particularly interesting full circle story: at 16, he spent his savings on a poster of Michael Jordan and his first pair of Nikes. Years later, after rising through the ranks at Nike, he found himself collaborating with Jordan on the very sneaker collection he once dreamed about. Adamson added that it would be great if the exhibit inspired a young visitor to pursue their dreams after visiting and experience a similar full circle moment. 

Nike: Form Follows Motion exhibit view of "Form Follows Motion" Floor 5. View of innovations from the Nike Sport Research Lab (NSRL)

Nike:Form Follows Motion takes viewers beyond the finished product and into the  thinking that shaped Nike and its products. What problem was a designer trying to solve? What did an athlete need? What worked--and what didn't? The exhibition traces that process from initial idea and experimentation to the products millions of people eventually wear.

The exhibit unfolds across several chapters--Track, Air, Sensation and Relation-- each offering a different lens on Nike's evolution, from its early history and design process to materials, technology, athlete collaborations and the cultural impact of its products. One of my favorite details was seeing the Nike Air Force 1 broken down into its individual components, alongside handwritten estimates of the carbon emissions associated with producing each piece.

View of the component parts of the Nike Air Force 1 sneaker; the post-its contain hand-written estimates of the carbon emissions

Nike's most recognizable products grew out of questions, challenges, experiments and conversations. Designers worked alongside athletes. Materials and technologies were tested and pushed in new directions. Personal experiences found their way into the process, sometimes in ways that only become visible years later. 

Comme des Garçons x Nike Cortez (2018) platform shoe as part of the "Relation" section

Athletes are an important part of that story. Nike’s partnerships mean more than putting a famous name on a shoe. Athletes have served as collaborators, testers, critics and-- in many cases--catalysts for new ideas. Few partnerships illustrate that better than Nike’s relationship with Michael Jordan. The Air Jordan story extends beyond basketball—or even sneakers. It’s a case study in what can happen when athlete, designer and brand come together to rethink what a product can be and, ultimately, what a product can mean.

Comme des Garçons x Premier (2021) heels

Towards the end of my visit, I had the opportunity to speak with Martin Lotti After showing him my favorite pair of Nikes (a pair of customized dip dye Air Max 270s from 2018), I had to ask: which shoe is his favorite?

His answer surprised me: the 2002 Kyoto slip-on. 

The more memorable moment came when Lotti pointed out a hidden detail from one of his designs on display. A design element was inspired by the birth of his son on February 16: two lines, followed by sixteen lines on the side of a light blue sneaker. It's the kind of detail you could easily walk right past. It's also what makes this exhibition so interesting. The shoes are familiar, but the stories embedded in them may surprise you.

Mbappé x Nike A.I.R (2024) shoes developed with AI

By the time you reach the end, the exhibition has shifted your focus from the shoes themselves to the thinking, people and stories behind them.

You may walk in expecting a showcase of sneakers.

You walk out thinking about design--and all the ideas, people and stories behind it.

In between, take your time. Read the words. Look closely. Pause. 

You will experience a familiar brand a little differently.

Nike:Form Follows Motion is on view at MAD Museum until March 2027. Check the museum's schedule for more events and information.

Shoe created by Molly Martin while a patient at the Portland Children's Hospital

Off-White x Nike Hyperdunk

Riccardo Tisci x Air Force 1 Boot SP RT (2014)

Air More Uptempo Denim x Serena Williams Designs Crew (2023)

Concept to market

DNA=Department of Nike Archives, where much of the exhibit objects were sourced from

Installation view of "Track" and Nike's brand origins and evolution

View of one of the cases relating to "Track"

A case dedicated to the "waffle iron" concept

Interesting to see the hand written notes and "ideas on a napkin" type design ideas throughout the exhibit

Installation view NIKE: Form Follows Motion @MAD Museum

A case of all things Nike and football! In the middle, there is a soccer ball in Brazil's colors designed for the UN to gift refugee children

Installation view of "Air" and how the free natural resource was first integrated in ski boots... and the evolution of where air is used now 

Installation view of Jordans as part of "Air"

Nike Kyoto Yoga slip on--this is Martin Lotti's favorite shoe