With her first collaboration for Nike, Melitta Baumeister moves between performance running and avant-garde fashion.

The New York-based designer, known for her sculptural and experimental work, applies her distinctive design language to a sneaker for the first time: the Nike Vomero Premium.

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The starting point for the collaboration is Baumeister’s sportswear debut titled “Run Like No One Is Watching.” The focus is not on performance or perfection, but on movement as a personal, emotional experience. This mindset is carried directly into the Vomero Premium.

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The sneaker appears in a dominant shade of burnt orange, complemented by black details and a sand-colored sockliner.

The color palette deliberately references Nike’s classic shoe box and ties into the accompanying Apparel Collection.

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Large-scale black distressing runs across the upper, laces, and even the midsole. As a result, each pair appears slightly different – a deliberate departure from the pursuit of perfection in sneaker design.

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Technically, the Vomero Premium remains firmly rooted in the performance segment. Dual ZoomX and Air Zoom cushioning delivers responsiveness and comfort, while a hidden detail in the outsole, eye graphics placed within the forefoot and heel cut-outs, adds a playful layer to the design.

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Baumeister herself describes running as a state that shifts perception: time and space blur, familiar places are experienced anew, and thoughts turn into memories.

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“The rhythm is in the body, not in the stopwatch,” she explains, an idea that is directly reflected in the character of the sneaker. It is not about creating heroes, but about sincerity in movement and imperfection as a creative tool.

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The Melitta Baumeister x Nike Vomero Premium SP is currently planned for Spring 2026. Nike is available via 43einhalb, AFEW Store, Asphaltgold, BSTN and HHV.

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Photos via Nike, Melitta Baumeister