Luxury Is Orbiting a Nike Shoe From Many Moons Ago
The Nike Moon Shoe is something of an artifact of sneaker history. The Jil Sander Moon Shoe? Well, its existence points to how Nike's first-ever shoe has become luxury footwear's new center of gravity.
Jil Sander's newly nappa-wrapped lace-ups have been a quietly coveted mainstay since last year, their slim shape, "waffle" sole, and name all too reminiscent of Nike’s premier creation.
Coincidence? Come on now.
The ultra-rare handcobbled Nike Moon Shoe is the ur-cell that birthed one of the biggest, most valuable apparel companies in the world, with even the grimiest of pairs now selling for six figures at auctions. And they're still gaining momentum.
Inspired by the astronaut's footprint left on the surface of the moon in 1969, 12 pairs of the cleated running shoe would make their debut at the 1972 Olympic trials, only to never be commercially released thereafter. Until now, that is.
As part of its partnership with Jacquemus, Nike is due to bring the Moon Shoe back into orbit in three colorways, namely a red, a cream, and a black version.
But even before Nike's own involvement in the iconic Moon Shoe's resurrection, Maison Margiela put forth some eerily similar-looking kicks, right up the enigma-laden house's alley of legacy footwear mimicry.
And albeit flattened, everything from Prada's Collapse sneaker to Dries Van Noten's Suede shoes, too, leans heavily on this ancestral sneaker archetype.
All things considered, Jil Sander's take actually veers the furthest away from the original template.
The Jil Sander Moon sneaker counts as more of a distant homage than an all-out replica, certainly if taking its latest, laceless half-boot iteration into account.
Nonetheless, with so much commotion surrounding the Moon Shoe and its key characteristics (compare also to the revived Astrograbber), one can't help but wonder if its slender, minimalist design-on-lugs is advancing it to "Next Samba” levels of hype.
To the moon, surely. But will it be loved all the way back?
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