“It Feels Futuristic & Strangely Archaic”: How KNWLS Made Surreal Nike Air Maxes
On paper, KNWLS’ new Nike Air Max Muse sneaker sounds similar to many hybrid shoes released by The Swoosh. But in practice, the fashion label’s collaborative Nike shoes are far more extreme than their bubble-soled peers.
“We wanted to create a completely new silhouette, something that felt like a cross between a dress shoe and a sports shoe,” the duo behind London label KNWLS, Charlotte Knowles and Alexandre Arsenault, tell Highsnobiety.
It’s an almost identical mission statement to that of Serena Williams’ when her design agency recently created a new Nike loafer powered by Air Max tech or Air Afrique when it designed Air Max Oxford shoes. But while that duo of sneakers, both unveiled within the last four months, had a sleekness and a palpable formality to them, the Nike x KNWLS Air Max shoe has a more riotous spirit.
The Air Max Muse, one of the bulkiest sneakers in Nike’s Air Max selection, forms the base for this curious hybrid design.
"We referenced a toe shape from our FW20 collection, which feels both futuristic and strangely archaic,” says Knowles and Arsenault. “We’ve always loved the shape of the Muse’s sole — the heavy heel and distinct arch underfoot — and felt this toe added to its sensual yet strong feel.”
The sharply pointed toe box covered in a glossy TPU cap makes way for a corset lacing system, turning this sneaker part ballet flat. (Although with that towering Air Max sole, this shoe is anything but flat.)
Once all the elements — the oversized Air Max sole unit, ballerina-style corset lacing, spiked toe box, quilted fabrics, and custom TPU cage — came together, Knowles and Arsenault had created what they wanted, a shoe that feels “entirely new, yet timeless and appealing to women.”
In fact, the shoe is so entirely new that we found it difficult to define after initial inspections during the KNWLS Spring/Summer 2026 show in Milan. “Is it a Nike Air Max sneaker disguised as a pump? Or maybe an Air Max ballet shoe dressed in armor?” Asked Donovan Barnett, our bemused editor.
One month later, with the shoes available now on KNWLS website alongside a 9-piece collection of skintight sportswear, we're no closer to an answer. Hybrid sneakers this wild elude categorization.
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