Nike launches its newest Air Max silhouette: Air Max Scorpion
Product news
The new Air Max shoe offers a comfy and supportive ride.
Original content published: 14 September 2022
What to know:
- Calculated in pounds of air pressure per square inch, the new Nike Air Max Scorpion sneaker offers the most Air yet, resulting in a responsive ride for all-day comfort.
- The development of the Nike Air Max Scorpion involved 3D, virtual-reality design software, computational design and engineering tools, plus machine learning and digital-twin technology.
Shop Nike Air Max
The latest Air Max sneaker represents a transformation in Nike product design. With a condensed development timeline of 18 months, Nike teams used cutting-edge software to design Air Max Scorpion, which contains the most Air of any Nike sneaker to date.
The Air Max Scorpion airbag system offers a new sensation underfoot. The Air cushioning features "point-loaded" contact points between the foot and airbag, meaning each point of cushioning is strategically designed to absorb impact and provide a responsive and comfortable feel.
The upper features lightweight Nike Flyknit technology and soft, chenille-like fabric. Designed with sustainability in mind, the shoe also contains 20 percent recycled content by weight.
For the teams making the shoe, the fast pace of creation was made possible thanks to new virtual-reality design software and simulation tools. These technologies allowed for real-time, hand-in-hand collaboration between designers, engineers and developers.
The process fostered accelerated testing and prototyping, including in-house rapid testing of virtual prototypes, or digital twins. By using these virtual prototypes, the team was able to reduce the need for—and environmental impact of—physical product samples.
While previous testing protocols took eight weeks for a single idea, dozens of design concepts were tested in just five weeks. Nancy Eisenmenger, expert materials researcher at Nike, said that improved processes allowed the team to find the edge of the material's limits and then "optimise for performance and manufacturability without any aesthetic compromise".
Release date: the Nike Air Max Scorpion will be released on 5 October 2022.
Frequently asked questions
What is Nike Air?
Air first made its way into Nike footwear in 1978. The technology uses pressurised air in a durable, flexible membrane to provide lightweight cushioning. The Air Max 1 was the first shoe with visible Air technology in the heel.
What is the price of the Nike Air Max Scorpion?
The Air Max Scorpion retail price is $250.
When does the Nike Air Max Scorpion launch?
The release date for the Air Max Scorpion is 5 October 2022.