Nike has unveiled a dazzling array of conceptual athletic footwear designed with the help of artificial intelligence.
The 3D-printed sneakers were showcased during a Thursday event in Paris ahead of the 2024 Olympics set to kick off there in July.
The futuristic forms were created after consulting with company-sponsored sports stars including NBA legend LeBron James and U.S. sprinter Sha'Carri Richardson, it said.
Richardson's sparkling orange and white track shoe, with Nike's trademark swoosh logo in black, has large spikes sticking out of its front sole and spiraling straps that ride up the calf like a ballerina's slipper, according to an image posted online by Fast Company.
Nike called the 3D-printed sneakers its "wildest Air footwear yet," referencing the pressurized nitrogen encased in the soles of its shoes to provide flexibility and bounce.
The company's chief innovation officer, John Hoke, said he hoped the project would generate a "sense of unlimited potential."
"For these prototypes to be successful, they must stir emotions," he said in a statement. "They must evoke a sense of awe for what lies just beyond the horizon, an optimism for the future."
