Source: TheDrum
Nike, along with the creative technology group at Wieden+Kennedy, W+K Lodge, has taken a new step in retail with an experience that offers custom sneakers in less than 90 minutes.
Done in collaboration with Mark Smith, vice president of Innovation Special Projects, and his team in Nike’s Innovation Kitchen, the Nike Maker Experience opened recently at the Nike By You Studio in New York. It merges digital design with traditional footwear making, giving guests the chance to design and take home a one-of-a-kind sneaker, all in just over an hour.
The experience begins with a series of graphic options, generated from either Nike heritage or on-the-spot phrases, which can then be customized into patterns through shifts to size and color.
“The intention of the project is to bring to life the collaborative design experience that we offer our athletes,” said Smith on the Nike website. “They love products that tell their story, so we wanted to combine that idea with a new process of live design and manufacturing that allows our guests to come into the space, work collaboratively with us and leave with a special product in less time than ever before.”
The invite-only experience will initially be limited to Nike friends and family and select Nike+ members. The experience promises to be a “super-charged augmented reality experience that uses your shoes as the visual ‘device’,” according to a release.
