Nike and Tom Sachs have come together again for a revised version of the 2012 Mars Yard sneaker, originally conceived and built for the strongest minds in the aerospace industry. Nike CEO Mark Parker and Tom Sachs began conversations of collaboration 5 years before the release of the first Mars Yard sneaker. It came from conversations between the two, with Tom believing he could make a better product than anything being released by Nike at the time. Parker put forward the challenge to Sachs, to create something better. For this challenge, Sachs set out to testify the tenets of reuse, repair and durability over those attached to mass production.

The original Mars Yard sneaker was designed with Tommaso Rivellini, a mechanical engineer at Jet Propulsion Laboratory [NASA], in mind. Tommaso invented the airbags used on the 1997 and 2004 Mars Excursion rovers made of Vectran ripstop fabric, the same fabric used on the first iteration of the Mars Yard.

At the time, they were able to fulfil their goal of creating a durable yet lightweight athletic shoe that would last and support the act of repair instead of replacement. The Vectran fabric is strong in tension, abrasion and heat resistance, though as time passed, the repeated creasing of the fabric in everyday wear in shoes caused the material to crack, which was something they did not anticipate.

Adhering to the philosophy of Tom Sachs's studio and intern program, failure is just part of the process of creation. For the Mars Yard 2.0, they made a supplementary short film called "The Heroes Journey", describing the trials and tribulations of creating something with your hands. This DIY mentality has been the basis of Tom's sculpture and art practice since the beginning. The Mars Yard 2.0 is the result of continuous adjustments from 2012 til 2017, with transparancy being visible at every point possible.

Every seam and stitch remains exposed, which is evident in the unfinished tongue and external pull-tabs on the sneakers. Most of the shoe's materials are used in their natural state; no dyes. A conscious design choice that reflects Sachs' view on modern consumerism, which is reiterated as a slogan: "These shoes are only valid if worn, and worn to death by YOU." Designed with the intent that the outsole will show the marks of use and soft leather that will overtly display patina from use.

The Mars Yard 2.0 features multiple fabric layers to distribute shoe load and to prevent "hot spots" where the foot will wear the shoe from the inside out. The Vectran ripstop fabric was replaced with a polyester warp-knit tricot mesh, a tested and breathable material. The 2.0 also has upgrades to stitching and outsole composition for withstanding the urban environment and everyday use. Also included are two pairs of insoles, one mesh and one cork, the cork was included as Sachs found people liked to wear them without socks; cork is known to have natural antimicrobial properties.

The Mars Yard 2.0 will be landing at SUPPLY soon... 

Photos: Nike & Tom Sachs Studio