Back in April 2016, it was announced by Nike CEO Mark Parker that the brand would be collaborating with New York artist Tom Sachs for another sneaker. Now, more than a year later since the announcement and five years since the original collaboration, the two are back for the Mars Yard 2.0.
While the Tom Sachs x NikeCraft Mars Yard 2.0 is nearly identical to the original there are some major differences. The Vectran upper was replaced with a polyester warp-knit tricot mesh. The red pull tabs feature a stronger stitching and the outsoles have been toned down so they are more suitable for urban wear. Lastly, the sneakers come with two insoles—mesh and cork. All of the changes came after Sachs did long-term wear tests to point out the weaknesses.
"It passed the abrasion test. It passed the strength test. It passed the folding test. It passed all the tests, but when we started using it, it didn’t meet our expectations," explains Sachs. "It's not until you really wear something and realize…We used a new material, and we expected better."
Overall, the design stayed the same with a combination of mostly unprocessed materials.
"I have always embraced flaws. The natural polyurethane midsole shows wear. The shoe shows evidence of experiences, even the little bits of tongue that may flake off are like forensic bread crumbs," said Sachs. "People wear their scars with pride, so that's another reason why we don't polish the materials away—it’s storytelling. Rock your shoes dirty to say, 'I wear my shoes. I do things with my life. Behold the evidence of my actions.'"
The the NikeCraft Mars Yard 2.0 releases in conjunction with the Nike and Tom Sachs’ Space Camp, a unique consumer experience based on Sachs’ studio practice. The first camp opens on June 8 in New York, with an additional camp in London over the course of the month. Head over to NikeCraft for more details.
