A Spin on Sneaker Release: Tom Sachs x Nike Mars Yard 2.5
If there’s one thing to know about the sneaker community, it’s that a huge component of sneaker culture hype is the exclusivity in being able to actually get the sneakers that you want. For years, during the early 2000s and into the early 2010s, sneakerheads would traditionally stand on lines, or “camped out” outside of retail stores waiting for hours just to get their hands on anticipated sneakers.
Now, the way that one gets their hands on new releases has turned virtual. We can now join virtual raffles, and try to buy a pair of sneakers on apps and websites like Nike SNKRS, END., and Feature at times of release. However, with limited quantities of sneakers, and an overload of users on websites, the chances of actually getting your hands on a pair on release day are up to your luck.
The New Tom Sachs x NIKECRAFT Mars Yard 2.5 sneaker, set to release in Spring 2021, takes a unique spin on the virtual sneaker release. In late December, renowned contemporary artist Tom Sachs, released a promo video for his fourth sneaker collaboration with Nike. The artist invited his followers to post a one minute video on Instagram asking them to explain why they should be chosen to receive the sneaker and conduct and document a wear-test, and then send back the sneaker to NIKECRAFT as part of the experiment.
The video displays the many testing trials of the sneakers within Tom Sachs’ studio, depicting Tom Sachs running through a treadmill of hammers, as well as his staff undergoing water and wear tests while wearing the shoes. With two editions of this shoe made since 2012, the Mars Yard 2.5 is another improvement on the durability of the shoe construction. On behalf of NIKECRAFT, This project will also “support research in the proper care of footwear, underscoring an important facet of sustainability — maintaining the objects one already owns, and wearing them to death.” (Nike News)
This release is intriguing because it invites us to join an important part of all sneaker production– the wear-test. Whether or not you’re a fan of sneaker exclusivity, the Tom Sachs x Nike Mars Yard 2.5 is just another look at how sneaker releases will continue to evolve in the age of digitalization.