Tom Sachs and Nike team up on capsule collection and space camp

By

Emily Jensen

Published
Jun 9, 2017

The New York City-based artist has updated his 2012 collaboration with Nike with a more durable design. However, to purchase the shoe, prospective buyers will have to complete an obstacle course on Governor’s Island.

 
Sachs created a capsule collection with Nike in 2012 to promote his Space Craft: Mars exhibit, which included the Mars Yard Shoe, whose sole was meant to provide traction in a simulated version of Mars’ terrain. Sachs found however that certain parts of the shoe began to deteriorate, leading him to create the improved Tom Sachs x Nikecraft Mars Yard 2.0.
 
The new shoe utilizes a polyester warp-knit tricot mesh, which is both more durable and flexible. Following customer feedback, the shoe’s sole has been modified to provide better grip on hard surfaces such as tile.

Inspired by the “failure” of the first Mars Yard, Sachs has created an obstacle force to challenge those wanting to buy the shoe to experience failure along their way to obtaining the shoe. Nike and Sachs have opened the Tom Sachs Space Camp on New York City’s Governor’s Island, which will host the obstacle course and screen the movie A Hero’s Journey, created by Van Neistadt and featuring Sachs and members of his studio.
 
The course will feature a mix of physical and mental tasks, with each task offering an easy or hard path. Visitors will watch the film before embarking on the obstacle course, and Sachs says those attempting the course should expect to fail at least a few of the tasks. The exhibit is already booked until June 11, but new slots from June 15-18 will open soon on the Nike website.