The Vitra Design Museum is breaking new ground with Nike: Form Follows Motion, the first-ever museum exhibition dedicated to Nike’s legendary design journey.
Spanning 50 years, the exhibit offers a rare behind-the-scenes look at how the brand transformed from a small start-up into a global icon of sports innovation and cultural influence.
Curated by Glenn Adamson, the exhibition explores Nike’s roots, starting in the 1960s with its groundbreaking swoosh logo, the first Waffle Sole, and rare prototypes like the Air Force 1 and Air Max. Visitors can dive into Nike’s relentless pursuit of performance-driven design—an ethos first sparked by co-founder Bill Bowerman’s obsession with improving athletes ’potential.
As Nike’s Chief Design Officer Martin Lotti notes, “Nike always starts with the voice of the athlete.”
The exhibit, divided into four sections, takes you on a journey from Nike’s humble beginnings to its cultural dominance. Highlights include the development of the Air technology, the design evolution of iconic sneakers, and collaborations with designers like Virgil Abloh and Comme des Garçons. You’ll also witness Nike’s push for sustainability, with innovations like Flyknit and Nike Grind, as the brand works toward a more eco-friendly future.
The first section, Track, immerses visitors in Nike’s early days, highlighting the brand’s enduring connection with track and field athletes. Rare prototypes of iconic sneakers like the Waffle trainer and stories of collaboration with pioneering athletes like the Tennessee State University Tigerbelles showcase how Nike’s designs have long been intertwined with social progress.
Martin Lotti also shared his personal favorite story throughout our visit together, such as the origin of the swoosh, which began as a simple logo on Andre Agassi’s cap,
“It all started with Andre Agassi and a simple cap. As his game advanced, so did his desire for a minimalist look. Wimbledon rules restricted the visibility of the Nike name, so we stripped it away, leaving just the swoosh. That’s how the iconic logo came to stand alone, symbolizing motion and speed.”
and his own favorite, the AlphaFly 3.0—Nike’s fastest marathon shoe that’s as much a design marvel as it is a performance leader.
„The shoe I wear the most, it’s a combination of the shoe I’m wearing actually right now, which is the Pegasus Premium, a shoe that’s not even released yet. It’s the next iteration of our Pegasus line.
So that’s the one I wear the most currently. And then it’s a combination with the AJ1. Having worked with Michael Jordan for the last four years, I think when you think about a shoe, AJ1 comes out almost automatically. “
Leading to the Air section of the exhibit, focuses on Nike’s innovation boom in the 1980s, when the brand expanded its reach beyond running into basketball, tennis, and eventually street culture. This is the era of the Air Force 1 and Air Jordans—designs that forever altered the landscape of both sports and fashion.
Nike’s technological leap with the Air sole, introduced in 1987, is also explored, with early prototypes and sketches revealing the complex development behind this now-ubiquitous feature.
Lotti also shared a personal favorite from the exhibition, a nod to his own roots in Switzerland: “The Nike Kyoto, a shoe I designed years ago inspired by my trip to Japan, holds a hidden Swiss cross—a tribute to my heritage that only my family knew about. It’s details like these that make Nike designs deeply personal, while still connecting to a global audience. Thank you’d I didn’t get fired for that” *laughs*
Whether you’re a sneakerhead, running enthusiast, a design enthusiast, or simply curious about Nike’s global impact, Nike: Form Follows Motion is a must-see. As Lotti invites, “Come and see for yourself how 50 years of innovation shaped the future of sport.”
Don’t miss this chance to experience Nike’s design legacy up close at the Vitra Design Museum before it embarks on an international tour.
