At Nike, the process of design is rooted in collaboration with athletes, who inspire a diverse dialogue — including anecdotes, data points, worn-out shoes and video footage — that motivates innovative solutions to complex sporting problems. The brand’s designers, like the athletes, seek to envision a better future. That means taking risks, pushing boundaries and reminding that, in quest of the perfect race, there is no finish line.

No competitive arena is more indicative of this spirit than track and field. Nike’s own design evolution began with runners in the late '60s. Today, the company archive is filled with footwear that routinely shattered convention and spurred new ways of thinking about how design can propel athletic potential — anywhere from 100 meters to 10,000 meters.