John Kim 
Foamposite was first developed during the early part of the 1990’s by Nike’s Advanced Product Engineering Team. What they were searching for was a lighter and less labor-intensive material to suit footwear construction, and what they found was someone so out-of-the-ordinary that it would potentially alter the horizon of footwear development and design. However, the new-age Foamposite never truly collided with the conventions of leather and mesh as it never really posed a threat to some major divisions of footwear development such as running, which depended more on breathability and lightness (which mesh had a firm advantage over any other material). In fact, Foamposite operated on a plane all on its own appearing only sparingly since its debut on the Nike Air Foamposite One, and even then, those models were never widely embraced; it was too different from what we were accustomed to, almost like it came from outer space.
A lot’s changed since Foamposite was first introduced to Nike Footwear; it’s hardly a cornerstone of performance these days (that sector is dominated by the modular construction of Hyperfuse, Flywire, and Lunar), but it has captured the essence of sneakerheadism so firmly because it acutely defines the passion for the out-of-the-ordinary and the visually unforgettable. Only until 2010 did the Air Foamposite begin the make a dent in the mainstream, with the release of the Copper and the re-issue of the Eggplants, and in 2011, Nike Sportswear re-opened the Foam factory with six solid releases – three ‘Ones’ and three ‘Pros’ – that became one of the widely celebrated releases of the year. In just the sixth week of the 2012, four releases have either released, been confirmed, or have been rumored, but none has been as energetic and exciting as the upcoming ‘Galaxy’ release, which is set for a limited release on February 23rd (Nikestore reports a release on the 24th, but we’ll clarify that for you very soon).
Using the ‘supernova’ as the core concept for the entire 2012 NBA All-Star collection, Nike Basketball raised the Foamposite to new heights by administering a visual graphic on the upper, replacing the lustrous metallic appeal of tonal paintjobs is a wide imagery of the Galaxy, dotted with shining stars and milky ways. Standing above the upper is an outsole that is entirely treated with glow-in-the-dark infusion like the Nike Basketball 2012 All-Star signatures, something that has yet to be pictured until now. Attached to the shoe is a ‘Remove Before Flight’ flag, found cautiously attached to objects destined for space travel. Even seventeen years after the debut of the Air Foamposite One, the shoe continues to hold the attitude of being ahead of its time, but we’d say the definitive Foamposite release couldn’t have landed at a better moment. Continue reading for a detailed look at the Nike Air Foamposite One ‘Galaxy’ as well as a first viewing of the glow-in-the-dark outsole and be sure to stick with Sneaker News for more updates regarding one of the best releases of 2012.
