Last week in the heart of Paris, Nike brought together 40 top athletes, including Serena Williams, Charli Richardson, and Chloe Kim, for a runway show unlike anything editors see during the biannual Paris Fashion Week. This was not a catwalk to encourage a top-to-bottom wardrobe overhaul (although there were some impressive pieces by Sakai and Marine Rose mixed in with functional leggings and sports bra looks). It was meant to create the next generation of it sneakers.

The event superficially kicked off Nike's involvement in the 2024 Olympics. It unveiled team kits for several U.S. competitions designed using motion-capture footage of athletes for optimal fit and function, and unveiled new footwear featuring Nike's Air Max technology. (Before reaching the runway, guests navigated a winding exhibit detailing the Air Max's many evolutions, from its first incarnation in the 1970s to the chunky Zoom Pegasus, which will debut next year)

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Each athlete walked the runway wearing a currently available Air Max model. The show then closed with a glimpse of futuristic prototypes designed for each sport. As the past and future gold medalists left the stage and unveiled new shoe models enhanced with aerodynamic soles and lightweight materials, my mind turned to the streets outside the Air showcase, and to New York City. Because several pairs of Nike's had already done so.

That same week, I watched Kaia Gerber walk around New York City on my cell phone wearing a pair of Nikes with grippy, cleat-like soles. Two days later, Katie Holmes showed off her collaboration with Nike's upcoming "Bode" on a casual neighborhood walk; their sneakers, originally designed for competition, have made their way into everyday life.

Nike's lead footwear designer, Juliana Sagat, knows that the brand's upcoming track shoes, basketball shoes, and even marathon shoes can have a purpose beyond the original field of competition. It's built into the design. When our design team creates a new Nike product, we focus on form, function, and feel. These are equally important in performance and lifestyle," she tells me. Breaking records and winning medals are the top priorities in sneaker design, and crossover to street style is often a bonus.

It sneakers are undergoing a transformation. After years of slim, retro runner sneakers dominating the market (Adidas Samba), chunkier, more athletic sneakers are making a comeback, both in runway collections and everyday styling. Some celebrities are already incorporating thick-soled shoes into their outfits: Taylor Swift spent the opening weekend of Coachella wearing chunky black sneakers, while Gerber, Kendall Jenner, and Gigi Hadid recently wore more power-up Gerber, Kendall Jenner, and Gigi Hadid have recently been spotted circling Manhattan and Los Angeles in the more beefed-up shoes.

Hadid, Holmes, and Gerber probably have no desire to be selected for the Olympic team. But if Nike's soon-to-be-released sneakers are anything like the ones that are beginning to appear in street style, their origins may not matter. Athletes and it-girls alike, after all, want the same thing. That is a sneaker that feels like you are walking (or running) on air.