NASA-inspired sportswear from Nike
In partnership with American artist Tom Sachs, Nike is set to release a capsule collection of clothing, bags and shoes featuring materials that are usually used by NASA.
The Mars Yard shoe ($385) uses Vectran fabric from the Mars Excursion Rover airbags and features detailing from the Apollo lunar overshoe. Its outsole is borrowed from the Nike Special Forces boot.
The collection’s tote bag ($400) is made from Cuben fibre, a laminated polyethylene fabric typically used to make sails. It features a 9m parachute cord, a pry bar and a grappling hook.
The Spacebag duffle ($250) is made from automotive airbag materials and Vectran lining from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. It features a waterproof zip and aluminium interior dividing clips.
The collection will be shown as part of Mr Sachs' 'Space Program: Mars' exhibition, a recreation of a 30-day shuttle mission to explore Mars. Two astronauts, supported by a team of 13, will act out every aspect of the mission, from electronics to waste management, on the floor of the Park Avenue Armory in New York.
"In the hierarchy of manufacturing goods, things like aerospace are the highest quality," says Mr Sachs. "I’m interested in the things that are the highest calibre of manufacturing quality."
