tom sachs' nikecraft GPS is an 'ordinary shoe for extraordinary people'

tom sachs’ new NikeCraft collab gets june release date

A shoe 10 years in the making, Nike has unveiled its latest sneaker silhouette created in collaboration with American artist Tom Sachs. Described as an ‘ordinary shoe for extraordinary people’, the NikeCraft General Purpose Shoe (GPS) is decidedly understated—an everyday sneaker for any occasion.

Sachs first teamed up with Nike on the NikeCraft initiative back in 2012 when they created the Mars Yard sneaker to reflect the aesthetics of the artist’s ‘SPACE PROGRAM: Mars’ project. The new NikeCraft GPS comes back down to Earth but still builds on the initial idea of creating footwear as a tool for life.

‘I got involved with Nike in the beginning because we wanted to make a sculpture that everyone could wear. It’s a tool for everyday life; it’s democratic,’ says Sachs. ‘The GPS is a tool to be the best you. They have an understated quality. They’re meant to do all the things that you do and tell your story.’

images courtesy of Nike

distinct but not too distinct

The GPS features a slightly upturned toe that’s ‘not too distinct’, a three-piece molded cup sole, signature donning straps, microfiber collar and ultra-breathable knit. ‘It took a decade to make a shoe this simple, as simple as can be and no simpler. NikeCraft shuns innovation for its own sake, but embraces it as a necessity,’ comments Sachs.

Materials were chosen for comfort, support and a high degree of tactile sensation. Consideration was also paid to durability in utility and style, for example, the upper material is open enough to breath yet tight enough to ward off a few raindrops. NikeCraft also asserts that the GPS gets more beautiful with wear, so scuffs and stains are welcome.

The NikeCraft GPS gets more beautiful with wear

Sachs adds, ‘It took me years to best advantage the superpowers of scale and to deliver value while still reflecting the standards of my studio. A great collaboration is something that no partner could do without the other, and NikeCraft has always been a 50/50 collaboration.’

The GPS is available in multiple colorways from June 10th on the NikeCraft website. The understated sneaker retails for $109.99.

See designboom’s interview with Tom Sachs here when he won the THE DESIGN PRIZE 2021 in the category ‘in the artistic realm’.

the shoe’s lightening-holed foam tongue package is finished with the NikeCraft signature woven label