After eight years of testing, rumours and anticipation, the Mars Yard 3.0 is finally landing this September. To mark the occasion, we’ll take you through the history of the iconic Mars Yard sneaker and the partnership between Nike and contemporary artist Tom Sachs.
NikeCraft and Mars Yard
Tom Sachs’ NikeCraft partnership began in 2012, with the release of the original Mars Yard sneaker. The shoe made its debut in Sach’s Space Program 2.0: Mars, an immersive exhibition held at the Park Avenue Armory in New York City, which drew from the challenges and possibilities of exploring and terraforming the red planet.
Sach’s space theme wasn’t just an aesthetic that carried over to the Mars Yard; he wanted to build the perfect shoe for engineers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab. He even brought on an actual NASA engineer, Tommaso Rivellini, who invented the airbags used on the Mars Rover missions. The name Mars Yard also comes from the Rover’s testing ground. The shoe’s upper borrows the Vectran fabric used on Rivellini’s airbags, while the outsole was borrowed from Nike’s SFB boots. All of these details combined to form Sach’s utilitarian ethos.
Mars Yard 2.0
In 2017, NikeCraft released the Mars Yard 2.0. Originally intended as a simple rerelease, Sachs upgraded the shoe with some new materials. The Vectran fabric was obviously durable enough for space, but it was untested as a sneaker material and would tear with everyday wear. This was swapped out for a tough open mesh material, while the rest of the shoe remained the same.
Overshoe and 2.5 Testing
2018 saw the release of the Mars Yard Overshoe. This was a waterproof version of the existing design, covered in a lightweight Dyneema shroud. In late 2020, Sachs and NikeCraft previewed the Mars Yard 2.5. This prototype was given to a specially selected group of 150 wear-testers who put the shoe through its paces, with these tests published online by Sachs. This event served not only as a fact-finding mission but also to build anticipation for the final 3.0 version.
General Purpose Shoe
The Mars Yard sneakers became extremely coveted grails. While this may have been great for his profile, it went against Sach’s ethos of purpose-built designs rather than pure hype. And so, NikeCraft’s next model was its most accessible release yet, the General Purpose Shoe. For the GPS, Sachs looked to the past, drawing from beloved classic Nike models like the Killshot and Waffle One. The retro design consisted of a durable mesh and suede upper, with a resoleable waffle rubber sole. As the name suggests, the GPS was made to be worn by anyone, for anything, and worn out.
Controversy
Following the release of the General Purpose Shoe, Tom Sachs came under fire from several former employees. They alleged that the artist had created a toxic, cult-like atmosphere. This controversy caused Nike to suspend their partnership with Sachs, leaving the release of the Mars Yard 3.0 up in the air.
After some time, in September 2024, Nike announced that they would resume their partnership. The brand issued a statement saying: “Tom has demonstrated and recommitted to fostering a culture of respect and inclusivity.” Earlier in 2025, Nike put forward their plans to release the 3.0, slotting it into the finale of one of the biggest summers for sneaker releases.
Mars Yard 3.0
Staying true to the original, the 3.0 maintains Sach’s signature colours, tan suede, white mesh and red Swooshes. The new improvements include TPU reinforcements around the toe and heel. The lacing system has been rethought to be more accommodating, while the red Swooshes are achieved with a silkscreen printing technique. Underneath, the SFB sole is updated with Nike’s React foam and a new carbon fibre shank plate.
The NikeCraft x Tom Sachs Mars Yard 3.0 is set to drop on the 5th of September, via a series of challenges on the IRSU app. A wider release is also expected on the 12th. If you miss out on either release, be sure to check our KLEKT app for resale listings.
