The Kicks You Wear, Vol. 434 — Moving forward with Tom Sachs
The Mars Yard 3.0 rollout has begun, but does Tom Sachs have anything to say for himself?
Gooood morning, friends! Welcome back to the Kicks You Wear, powered by The Business of Fashion. Thanks so much for rocking with me today. Appreciate you. Hope you’ve had an awesome week.
HOUSEKEEPING: A lot of these updates lately, huh? We’ll have more details on the timeline to transition away from Substack next week. Exciting stuff! Can’t wait to share more as we make this transition.
Let’s jump into things.
So it begins
The Mars Yard 3.0 release cycle is officially here. This week Nike and Tom Sachs, himself, rolled out what they’re calling the I.S.R.U (In-Situ Resourse Utilization) app as the pathway for consumers to get to the artists’ sneakers.
The backdrop: This is the app that we’d heard about in previous reporting. To have a shot at acquiring the Mars Yard 3.0, users would have to complete various in-app “challenges” to gain access eventually.
The challenges in the app are simple. It’s stuff like running, doing pushups, and reading books before you go to bed. Mundane tasks, really.
Accumulate enough of these challenges and, by the time the Mars Yard 3.0 release comes around in September, you’ll unlock a chance to purchase the shoe.
Wait, what? Yes, you’re reading that correctly. Doing these tasks does not guarantee you a pair of Sachs’ shoes. It just makes you eligible to purchase them.
My take: That seems like a lot to do for a sneaker coming from a guy who, not too long ago, nearly lost his Nike deal thanks to his own abhorrent behavior and the toxic workplace he fostered.
This wouldn’t bother me as much if this quote weren’t included in the press release for Sachs’ app.
“The values of NikeCraft haven’t changed, but they have been refined over the past 20 years,” says Sachs. “From the very beginning, I viewed NikeCraft as an art project: a place where my studio’s output and ideas could reach a larger audience through the sculpture known as the shoe. These two decades are a further reminder that art is in everything — and is showcased through the Mars Yard in the ultimate art gallery of the streets.”
Why this matters: Ordinarily, this quote probably wouldn’t mean much. But it holds a bit more weight considering what what Sachs and Nike went through. The values of NikeCraft haven’t changed? After everything that’s happened, I’d hope they have!
That’s the problem. It seems we’re acting like Thanos snapped and the last three years turned into dust in the wind.
Sachs hasn’t really spoken at length about the things that went down and the work he’s done to make himself better.
Nike is rolling out Sachs’ shoe and there doesn’t seem to be any hesitation there.
And, look, I get it. Sachs’ Mars Yard collection resells for thousands of dollars online to this day. Despite his transgressions, he still maintains a devoted following among those who appreciate his art. If that wasn’t the case, this app probably doesn’t exist, and Nike likely cuts ties with him years ago.
But this is our reality. And that is what it is.
The big picture: I’m not here to make moral judgements on anyone. Who are we to say that someone doesn’t deserve a second chance? I think that, if a second chance is being given out here, you should have to earn that. Others have done it.
Kyrie Irving had to rehabilitate his image following his sharing of antisemitic media on Twitter, and he lost his deal.
Travis Scott had to do the same after the Astroworld tragedy in 2021. I don’t think he did it particularly well, but there was an attempt at least.
Tom Sachs hasn’t done that. It doesn’t feel like he’s earned this. That’s going to rub a lot of people the wrong way.
The evolution of the Climacool
I thought that doing a 3D-printed version of a was the sort of boundary-pushing move that a brand couldn’t take much further. I still kind of believe that. But Adidas has found a way to at least make things a little more interesting.
What’s happening: Last year, Adidas morphed its Climacool line into a single-structured 3D printed shoe. Its structure was designed to tightly mold to your foot for stability while also maintaining proper airflow. Those things were a real science project.
This year, they’ve made that science project look a little cooler by adding laces to it. Adidas released the Climacool 3D laced this week. It looks like you’d expect it to.
The backdrop: This is so fascinating to me simply because of the Climacool line’s history.
The line was originally developed in the early 2000s as a sneaker with all-around breathability in both the upper and the sole.
How it worked, via Sneaker Freaker: “The original Climacool cored out as much of the upper as possible, retaining minimal structural panels, and inserting multiple layered mesh panels and industrial-looking TPU vents as possible for maximum breathability.”
Transforming it into an entirely 3D-printed sneaker was an ambitious move, to say the least. Adidas had done work with 3D-printed parts before — the Ultra 4D wave was an interesting one. But this is something that feels a bit more comprehensive and unique.
My take: It’ll be interesting to see how these do on the market. The Climacool is supposed to be form-fitting and tight, while maintaining breathability. Laces kind of negate that. I think the addition of a lace and a tongue makes them more of a lifestyle play, and I’m not completely sure that these fit this moment of the big, chunky sneakers that have worked for the last few years. It’s the complete opposite of Pharrell’s Jellyfish that everyone seems to love.
But they are interesting! They’re innovative. That’s what we’ve all been asking for for the last few years.
Honoring Virgil
Virgil Abloh will have a posthumous presence at Paris Fashion Week in a few months.
What’s happening: The Virgil Abloh Archive, led by Abloh’s wife, Shannon, is teaming up with Nike to build the “Virgil Abloh Archive,” Hypebeast reports. The archive is supposed to reflect Abloh’s life and work and give us some deeper insight into his journey.
The archive exhibition will be viewable from September 30 through October 10 at the Grand Palais in Paris.
There will be 20,000 objects included in the archive, including sketches, prototypes, collaborations and more.
My take: For a long time, I’ve wanted everyone to just let Abloh rest in peace. The collaborations that came following his death in 2021 felt strange. The behind-the-scenes drama that happened with Off-White felt shameful. Considering all that Abloh contributed to fashion, sneakers, collaborations, and everything else, it’s disappointing to see how his legacy has been poked and prodded over the years.
Yes, but: This feels a bit different. Yes, this is a Nike exhibit. But it’s in partnership with the Virgil Abloh Archive, which his wife founded. It feels more tastefully done, at least right now.
I’m excited to see how this goes. If you’re going to be in Paris this fall, please send pics.
Ferragamo SGA
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander won best male athlete at ESPN’s ESPY awards on Wednesday. Very well deserved, if I do say so myself. He had one of the greatest seasons by an individual player in NBA history.
But I also want to take the time to appreciate this Ferragamo suit he rocked at the awards. This was fun!
Here’s the thing: This ensemble is kind of a lot. The trench over the suit is interesting. He kind of looks like an anime villain, if I’m being completely honest. I get Inspector Gadget vibes.
But I really love that color. The simplicity is nice, too. I’m not the biggest high-fashion guy, but I’d wear this. For sure.
#TheKicksWeWear
First the homie Adrian aka Mr. SNKRS popped out in the Air Ships. We love to see that.
The homie Saoirse came through with the Kith Bron 15s and some Y3 joints! Deep cuts, y’all. Deeeeeep cuts.
The homie Dave kept it clean with the Red Cement AJ4s. Shouts to Aaron Judge. What a shoe.
The homie Jimmy popped out in the Neon 992s. Classic joints, man. Love this colorway.
The homie Jess came through in the N7 Dunks. Never get tired of seeing these beauties.
Then the homie CJ and the Mrs. sent us home in style ready for WNBA All-Star weekend. The Caitlin Clark Kobes!!! Y’all smoked this, sis.
Y’all so fly, man. Sheesh.
That’s a wrap, folks. Thanks so much for reading. Have a fantastic weekend.
If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, feel free to give me a shout at mikedsykes@gmail.com or shoot me a message here via Substack.
See you Tuesday. Peace and love. Be safe, be easy, be kind.
-Sykes 💯
I kind of like that laced, 3D printed Climacool model as a way to be on trend without having to wear Crocs!