The collection
Pair of black athletic sneakers with silver detailing and black laces.
2001

Athletic Shoes, Air Max Contact

Designed by
Scott Patt (born 1971)
Material
Synthetic leather, mesh, TPU, polyurethane, rubber
Produced by
China for Nike, Beaverton, Oregon
Dimensions
12.5 x 31 x 11 cm (each)

The Liliane and David M. Stewart Program for Modern Design, 2004.1

Since the 1970s Nike has been riding the popular obsession with sports and now dominates the design and manufacture of athletic shoes and clothing worldwide. Its trademark “swoosh”—the recognizable curved checkmark seen on the sides and sole of this shoe—both protects and promotes their brand. Almost any pair of its athletic shoes is aeronautically styled in one or more of its features, and youths of all classes compete to wear the latest models.

The silver and black color scheme demonstrates that popular fashion ended the dominance of all-white dress in sports, which was required in almost all sports competitions into the 1990s.

The Stewart Program for Modern Design, photo: Denis Farley.