Space: the final footwear frontier. Well, maybe for some sportswear brands, but not Nike! The Swoosh has had its sights set on the stars since day dot, releasing all manner of interstellar-inspired sneakers over the past five decades.
With the release of the Air Max 90 ‘Mars Landing’ this weekend, we’ve decided to take a look back at some of the most significant space-themed sneakers in Swoosh history.
In 1969, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin would enter the history books as the first humans to set foot on the moon, making ‘one giant leap for mankind’ in the process. Three years later, Nike co-founder Bill Bowerman would make sneaker history with the debut of the now-legendary ‘waffle’ sole on the brand’s imaginatively titled Moon Shoes, so-called for the unique sole’s distinctive imprint that resembled that of man’s first lunar footprints.
The Moon Shoes’ tread pattern wasn’t the only significant Nike design element to seek inspiration from out of this world. Believe it or not, but, long before Tinker Hatfield would enter the picture, Nike’s groundbreaking Air technology was actually the work of an ex-NASA employee by the name of Frank Rudy. The use of blow rubber moulding for shock absorption was a result of Rudy’s NASA training, which required its designers and engineers to save every last gram of weight possible, due to the considerable costs of space travel. Nike Air technology would make its debut in 1978’s Air Tailwind.
Speaking of NASA, we can also thank the United States’ space agency for the introduction of high viscoelasticity memory foams, such as Lunarlon, into sneaker design in recent years. We’re still waiting on an official NASA x Nike collaboration, but Vans’ recent collaborative efforts with the world’s most famous aeronautics and space administration are enough to tide us over for now.
VANS x NASA
Nike has served up countless space-inspired make-ups over the years, on everything from SBs and Air Force 1s to Jordans and LeBrons. There are few that stick out from the pack, however.
In 2012, Nike whipped Foamposite collectors into a frenzy with the release of the highly sought-after ‘Galaxy’ Foams. This literal interpretation of a special ‘All-Star’ release caused camp-outs around the globe due to limited numbers and its exquisite celestial upper printing. It didn’t take long for this release to command four-figures on the secondary market and a wave of printed Foamposites would soon follow, including an ‘Alternate Galaxy’ make-up as recently as 2018.
Tom Sachs Mars Yard
Arguably, the most innovative space-themed sneakers in history can all be traced back to one man: Tom Sachs. The acclaimed American artist teamed up with the Swoosh in 2012 on an ambitious NIKECraft venture that culminated in the release of the Mars Yard Shoe. This highly limited piece of footwear was designed by Sachs for the purpose of traversing NASA’s simulated Mars environment in Pasadena, California. The OG Mars Yard Shoe featured rugged SFB tooling, Apollo Lunar Overshoe design elements and genuine Vectran panelling: the very same fabric utilised on the airbags that cushioned the landings of recent Mars rovers.
Unfortunately, Vectran would prove less than suitable as a sneaker textile – especially in high-wear areas. Original Mars Yard Shoes began to show premature wear, inspiring Sachs and Nike to reunite in 2017 to release a mesh-based ‘2.0’ version in conjunction with a series of Nike Space Camp activations.
Sachs and Nike would reunite and revisit the Mars Yard Shoe concept for a third – and, so far, final – time earlier this year with the release of the Mars Yard Overshoe, which took the space shoe concept to its most extreme by encasing the original design within a shroud and straps that channeled the Mars Yard Shoe’s original Apollo Lunar Overshoe inspiration to its most extreme. While all three of Tom Sach’s design vary in terms of wearability, the end result has been three of the most sought-after – and expensive – sneakers of the past decade.
Air Max 90 ‘Mars Landing’
Finally, with the ‘Mars Landing’ Air Max 90 only a day away, we must look at its original inspiration: 2014’s Air Max Lunar 90 SP ‘Moon Landing’. Coming full circle on the inspiration behind Nike’s legendary Moon Shoes, this special edition AM90 paid tribute to the 45th anniversary of Armstrong and Aldrin’s first steps on the moon. The make-up featured printed reflective uppers that mimicked the surface of the moon, together with American flag detailing at the heels. The use of Lunarlon cushioning in conjunction with Visible Air was another nod to the integration of space-based technology into Nike design.
The Nike Air Max 90 ‘Mars Landing’ is available through Foot District’s nike store this weekend by online raffle. Get your entry in ASAP to go in the draw to win this much anticipated tribute to the red planet. Pairs will also release through our Madrid and Barcelona locations. Keep an eye on our Instagram account for all the details!