Nike’s Makers Headquarters makes everyone a sneaker designer at NBA All-Star 2018

6:42 PMLOS ANGELES — Tucked away in the Arts District of the City of Angels during NBA All-Star Weekend is a place of creativity, where Nike dares all sneakerheads to be themselves. It’s called Makers Headquarters — a vast warehouse that features a full-size basketball court as well as retail space stocked with shoes and apparel that will revolve every day during the weekend’s festivities. The hottest item for sale? The white and gum-bottomed UNDEFEATED x Nike Zoom Kobe 1 Protro, which officially releases on Friday. “This is the shoe of the year,” said Nike media relations director Josh Benedek on Thursday morning, when Nike welcomed a small group of tastemakers — writers, YouTube channel hosts, social media influencers — to preview the space before it opened to the public later in the day.

Hydro Dipped “Camo” Nike Air Force 1’s 😳 at Nike Makers H.Q. pic.twitter.com/Sxe3aIN3kX

— J23 iPhone App (@J23app) February 15, 2018

Most attendees were enthusiastic about Makerspace, where sneaker lovers can customize Nike’s newest products. White pairs of Air Force 1s, Air More Moneys, Huaraches, Vandal High Supremes and even Nike slides become canvases for the sneaker designer inside everyone. Hyrdo Drip, dip-dye and airbrush processes allow for colorization, while swooshes in every color imaginable are available for stitching — in case folks want to get their Virgil Abloh on. Sneaker lovers were soon lined up all the way down Mateo and around the corner of Palmetto Street.