‘Nike: Form Follows Motion’ Brings Five Decades of Design to New York

The exhibition will open on September 12 and remain on view through March 7, 2027.

September 9, 2026

Rabat – The Museum of Arts and Design (MAD) in New York is getting ready to explore Nike’s design legacy, as “Nike: Form Follows Motion” will open at the museum on September 12.

The exhibition will remain on view through March 7, 2027. It traces five decades of Nike’s evolution, from its early days as an Oregon running company to its place in global culture.

But this is not simply a look back at Nike’s biggest releases. The exhibition puts design and innovation at the center, showing how sport has shaped the way Nike creates.

Much of the exhibition comes from the Department of Nike Archives (DNA). The collection offers rare access to the ideas behind the brand’s most recognizable designs.

Visitors will see experimental prototypes, original design studies, rare pieces, and one-offs. exhibition dedicated to Nike.

The exhibition is not making its first appearance in New York. It debuted at Germany’s Vitra Design Museum in September 2024, where it ran until May 2025.

It then traveled to Madrid before arriving in New York. The exhibition now comes to MAD, where curator and historian Glenn Adamson leads the presentation with assistant curator Marcella Hanika.

The exhibition also looks at how Nike’s approach to design has changed across the decades. From early running innovations to technologies built for elite athletes, movement remains at the heart of the story.

That journey extends beyond performance. Nike’s designs have also shaped fashion, streetwear, popular culture, and the way sportswear is worn today.

Now arriving in New York, “Nike: Form Follows Motion” offers a closer look at the thinking behind some of Nike’s most recognizable creations. It shows how ideas born on the track eventually found their way into everyday life.