Of all the changes the Air Max 97 has gone through in its 20th anniversary celebration year, none is more drastic than this version created in collaboration with Swarovski. A women's style, the Nike Air Max 97 pictured uses Crystal Fabric to add a brilliant layer to the original runner.
To build the shoe, members of the Nike Women team traveled to Swarovski headquarters in Wattens, Austria, where they got access to the company's archive of materials.
"This was such an exciting project in terms of material innovation," said Marie Crow, the material design director for Nike Women Sportswear. "We were looking to explore shine and durability in a new and innovative way, and we loved the juxtaposition of the Crystal Fabric’s tough sparkle to reinvent an already iconic shoe."
The black Swarovski Nike Air Max 97 LX released in March for $400. The other pair seen here, which mimics the original "Silver Bullet" Nike Air Max 97, will release in women’s sizing on Sept. 7.
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