The exhibition “Nike. Design in Motion” arrives in Madrid
Six decades of an icon's history. At TeamLabs, until January 25.
La Fábrica presents the first major exhibition dedicated to the history of Nike design, a journey that arrives in Madrid after its success at the Vitra Design Museum in Germany.
The space brings together original pieces from legendary athletes, from Rafa Nadal and Pau Gasol to Serena Williams and Andre Agassi, alongside iconic models that have defined generations. More than 175 sneakers, prototypes, and historical objects reveal how Nike has shaped sport, culture, and contemporary aesthetics. The narrative unfolds from Bill Bowerman’s experiments in the 1960s to prototypes conceived with artificial intelligence in 2024: six decades of innovation in motion.
TeamLabs/ hosts the exhibition in the heart of Madrid, a location that shares Nike’s vision: innovation, applied creativity, and experiential learning.
NIKE: Design in Motion is the first museum exhibition dedicated entirely to the evolution of Nike design. Using original pieces from the Department of Nike Archives (DNA) in Oregon, the exhibition reveals how technical innovation, collaboration with athletes, and a constant aesthetic pursuit have shaped the brand’s visual and functional language. More than 175 objects, including sneakers, sketches, models, and documents, create a balanced dialogue between art, science, and performance.
The journey begins in the 1960s, when Bill Bowerman was molding soles by pouring rubber onto a waffle iron in search of unprecedented traction, while Phil Knight was introducing Japanese sneakers to the United States under the name Blue Ribbon Sports. Among the early pieces are the Tiger Cortez and the handcrafted prototypes of the 1972 Moon Shoe.
From there, the exhibition traces the milestones that have redefined athletic design: the birth of the Nike Air system, the cultural revolution of the Air Jordan, the radical lightness of the Flyknit Racer, and the contributions of the Nike Sport Research Lab.
The journey culminates in the present, with prototypes generated using artificial intelligence in 2024, designed for athletes like Kylian Mbappé and Dina Asher-Smith.
Beyond the technical aspects, the exhibition reveals how Nike has transformed contemporary identities and narratives. Iconic pieces such as Steve Prefontaine’s sneakers, Andre Agassi’s Wimbledon cap, Rafa Nadal’s kit, Pau Gasol’s jersey, and the designs created for Serena Williams showcase the power of design as a tool for expression.
The exhibition also includes key milestones in the history of women’s sports, such as the Air Swoopes Mid, the first Nike shoe created specifically for women, and recent projects like Nike Victory Swim, which underscore the brand’s commitment to diversity, inclusion, and freedom of movement.
The exhibition opens up to explore Nike’s dialogue with music, fashion, and urban subcultures. From pieces designed for Elton John in the 1980s to contemporary collaborations with Comme des Garçons, Sacai, and AMBUSH, the exhibition reveals how sportswear design has transcended performance to become an aesthetic language and cultural symbol.
The presence of Be True, a pioneering project supporting the LGBTQIA+ community, underscores the brand’s commitment to diversity, identity, and individual expression.
The final chapter focuses on sustainability, now a fundamental pillar of Nike’s research. From the Considered line to the Move to Zero program, the brand has driven a new vision of design in which efficiency and environmental responsibility coexist with aesthetics and performance.
Models like the Zvezdochka x Marc Newson, the Air Foamposite One, and the Space Hippie illustrate how athletic design has anticipated 21st-century debates surrounding recycling, materials, and the circular economy.
NIKE. Design in Motion is an invitation to explore more than six decades of visual and technological innovation. A celebration of design as a driver of change, of movement as a common language, and of the creative capacity to imagine the future.
Nike at TeamLabs/
TeamLabs/ is the chosen venue for this exhibition, not only for its strategic location in a historic building in the heart of Madrid, but also because it shares Nike’s vision focused on innovation, applied creativity, and experiential learning.
TeamLabs/ is a learning laboratory where ideas are prototyped, entrepreneurial projects are carried out, and traditional creation models are challenged. In this context, the Nike exhibition, which unites design, technology, and urban culture, finds an ideal ecosystem to engage with a restless, entrepreneurial community committed to the future of design and social transformation.
“Nike was born from a humble prototype, a sole in Bowerman’s waffle iron, and ended up changing sports. At TeamLabs/, we share that practice: experimenting with what you have, learning by doing, iterating, and continuing, again and again. That is the entrepreneurial leadership we promote at Leinners: persevering when everything invites you to give up,” explains Pina de Paz, director of TeamLabs/ Madrid.
NIKE. Design in Motion is one of those exhibitions that leaves a lasting impression, sparking curiosity even before you step inside and lingering in your memory long after you leave. Innovation, culture, and design intertwine in a journey that invites you to see movement with fresh eyes.
November 12, 2025 – January 25, 2026
Sunday to Thursday, 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM. Friday, Saturday, and holidays, 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM.
Address: TeamLabs/, Plaza San Martín, 1, Madrid.