Sculptor and Designer Tom Sachs has once again joined Nike for the latest shoe under their NikeCraft collaborative line. Their new General Purpose Shoes release this week and have had some interesting, or not so interesting marketing.
The name says it all, the General Purpose Shoes are designed to support the wearer in any activity. On the NikeCraft website, Sachs describes their vision saying “we wanted to make a sculpture that everyone could wear. It’s a tool for everyday life; it’s democratic.”
The shoe is built from suede and mesh coming in grey and beige, the tabs on the tongue and heel being the only hits of colour. The midsole is surrounded by a thick brown rubber and below that sits a version of the Nike Waffle outsole with its US patent number embossed on it. The GPS’ functional looks could be seen as having a dull – though deliberate – appearance.
Tom Sachs’ previous work on NikeCraft includes the Mars Craft shoes. While they had a similar utilitarian construction to the GPSs, they also had a distinctly futuristic look. They were also noted for inviting several wear-testers to give their feedback on their upcoming 2.5 model. These new General Purpose Shoes also seem to be the result of thorough design, representing 10 years of collaboration between Sachs and NikeCraft.
In a standout bit of marketing for the shoes, the above promo is upfront about the shoe’s appearance, with “BORING” stamped below the shoe in all caps. It then goes on to describe how the shoe was solely designed to be a simple, versatile piece of equipment. “Your sneakers shouldn’t be the most exciting thing about you. They are tools, and what matters about your tools is that they work.” The promo caps things off with the quote “It’s not what you do, it’s how you do it.”
The General Purpose Shoes drop this Friday. For more news on upcoming releases stay tuned to KLEKTIVE, and be sure to head to KLEKT to check out previous Tom Sachs x NikeCraft releases.
