Nike used its Beaverton headquarters to test a new model for sneaker production, bringing eight designers from around the world to build 3D-printed Air Max shoes.

The designers came from Beijing, London, Los Angeles, Mumbai, New York, Paris, Shanghai and Tokyo. They worked alongside Nike engineers and 3D printing partner Zellerfeld from May 11 to 14 at the Philip H. Knight Campus to develop their own Air Max styles, as 3D Printing Industry reported.

For Beaverton, the session put the Knight Campus at the center of a test case for how 3D printing could change sneaker manufacturing. Traditional production requires expensive tooling for each design, making short runs costly. 3D printing bypasses that tooling step, letting Nike produce eight separate designs in small batches without the usual overhead.

During the session, designers toured Nike's Air Manufacturing Innovation facility, the Department of Nike Archives, the Nike Sport Research Lab, Blue Ribbon Studio and the Bowerman Footwear Lab, according to a Nike newsroom release.

Andy Caine, vice president and creative director of Nike Sportswear, said in a March statement announcing the program that Air Works is "about celebrating the cultural impact of Air Max and inviting a core group of global creatives to imagine what its future could look like."

Every shoe in the series is 3D printed through Nike’s partnership with Zellerfeld. Each designer will release a limited-run “friends and family” version of their silhouette within their home community, and the drops lead up to Air Max Day 2027.

Four designs are out so far. Motoi Hatsuki of Tokyo released in July, Tasnim of London in August, Marc Su of Beijing in September and Masyn of Los Angeles in October.

The remaining schedule, according to a Nike update published Oct. 15, lists Jose Wong of Shanghai in December, Yams of Paris in January 2027, Omi of New York in February 2027 and Diya Joukani of Mumbai in March 2027.

That timeline shifted from Nike's original May announcement, which had slotted Joukani for November 2026. The updated schedule leaves no Air Works release in November, 3D Printing Industry reported.

Air Works is the latest step in Nike's partnership with Zellerfeld. The collaboration started with limited drops of the Air Max 1000 in late 2024 and expanded to a $179 retail version, the Air Max 1000.2, in May 2026. Nike has also announced the Air Max 1000 will become a Nike By You customization offering later this year.

The next Air Works release is Wong's Shanghai design, expected in December.