Nike Sportswear introduces Los Angeles designer Masyn’s 3D-printed Air Max silhouette as part of the inaugural Air Works program. Created in partnership with Nike and Zellerfeld, the design draws inspiration from the friends, family, and community members who have shaped Masyn’s life. The project translates their influence into a footwear design that carries a personal message through its form, details, and construction.
SHOES
The reveal includes a friends and family gathering at NOVA studios, bringing together the people who inspired Masyn throughout his creative development. The occasion connects the designer’s work with the community that encouraged him and contributed to his perspective.
Masyn approaches the concept through the idea of everyday stars. Growing up in Los Angeles, a city where billboards frequently feature recognizable faces, he developed his own understanding of what makes someone important. His stars are the people who supported him, offered guidance, and believed in his potential. “I’d be lost without the stars in my life, and this opportunity is a chance to show them how much they mean to me,” Masyn explains.
The silhouette carries this idea through a constellation of stars that extends across the upper and continues onto the outsole. The placement connects the shoe’s visual identity directly to the people Masyn wants to acknowledge. Every star represents the personal relationships that informed his development, giving the design a meaning rooted in his own experiences.
One of the shoe’s defining details appears underneath the sole. Masyn incorporates a large embossed star into the outsole, creating a feature that leaves a star-shaped impression with every step. The resulting footprint references the influence that important people leave on one another over time.
The designer also makes a deliberate choice with the silhouette itself. He develops the Air Max as a mule, exploring a shape that crosses traditional masculine and feminine design conventions. Masyn intends the footwear for anyone to wear, using its construction to express an inclusive approach to personal style.
The project forms part of Nike Air Works, a new program that brings together a global group of designers to explore possibilities for Air Max through 3D-printing technology. Masyn represents Los Angeles in the program’s first class, joining participants who received an invitation to Nike’s Philip H. Knight Campus in Beaverton, Oregon.
During the program, designers explored Nike’s 40 years of Air innovation and developed their own interpretations of Air Max. Masyn worked alongside Nike mentors and used Zellerfeld’s 3D-printing technology to develop his silhouette. The collaboration gave him an opportunity to translate his personal concept into a physical footwear design.
Nike continues to introduce creations from the inaugural Air Works group through a series of reveals. Each participant brings an individual creative perspective to the program, drawing inspiration from the local communities that contribute to Air Max culture internationally.
Masyn’s contribution connects the program’s technical exploration with a deeply personal subject. Through its constellation details, distinctive outsole, and mule construction, his design expresses how the people around him have influenced his life. The project also reflects Nike’s interest in exploring new ways to develop and produce Air Max footwear through emerging manufacturing methods.
