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Challenge:
The first Air Max was an innovation the sneaker industry had never before seen. But to Gen Z Air Max stood for fashion more than its cutting edge roots.
To this generation, innovation is more than product - it’s the creativity in their minds waiting to be realised. So to relaunch the spirit of Air Max, Nike empowered their creation.

Idea:
Air Max Accelerator is a global program that turns ideas into reality and provides the required tools to succeed – including support, mentorship and an international stage. Joining the first class are three women – Dear Giana, Maremoto and Christyna Pourhabib – who each work with communities to imagine a more inclusive future of sneaker culture.
Following the launch film on Air Max Day, Nike shared the creative processes of each woman’s initiative with the world. Self-shot documentation was edited into three episodes, telling stories from notebook ideas to virtual meetups with dream mentors, and finished projects that are ready to fly.

Impact:
The first class has already started to make waves through communities.
Dear Giana’s initiative, ‘Young Air’, uses creativity to keep children’s morale high during the Covid-19 lockdowns; Maremoto’s ‘Step Out of the Rulebook’ project turns vulnerability into strength within the LGBTQ+ community, and Christyna Pourhabib’s ‘The Next Pair’ idea shines a light on the BIPOC women who are paving the way for sneaker culture.