Michael Le Few Nike collaborations are quite as enthralling as Tom Sachs‘ Mars Yard. Though the silhouette has been updated multiple times — and drastically at that — it never fails to retain the artist’s experimental, slow-paced design philosophy. As the brand embarks on Sachs’ latest, the Mars Yard 2.5, they’re inviting the public to join along in the process.
As its namesake implies, the 2.5 tweaks little from its numeric predecessor. The colorway and shape are near exactly the same, though the materials seem a bit more robust, a bit more enduring relatively. Alongside, the forefoot is being further upgraded with rubberized toes, adding an extra layer of protection from the outside world. And to better study these various updates, a few “dedicated athletes” will be invited to wear test the shoe, tasked with logging their experience and jotting down their feedback from start to finish; each pair will then be returned, sanitized, studied, repaired, and reissued.
“With this particular challenge, we are engaging people to really think about this shoe and bring different perspectives, both culturally and environmentally,” Sachs said. “This is an opportunity to invite a larger audience to really indulge in our favorite part of the process — learning about things and making stuff. The process is the most valuable thing, and if the end result is a great pair of shoes, that’s fantastic. But I think it’s really important that the testing process celebrates the journey.”
If you’d like to participate and receive your own set of Mars Yard 2.5s, applications are being accepted in the form of one-minute-long Instagram videos. Full details on how to enter in the video embedded below.
UPDATE (02/03/2021):
Tom Sachs and company have selected 150 wear-testers for his new Nike Craft endeavor. Images of the seeding-package have been added here below.
NikeCraft Mars Yard 2.5
Release: Application-Based
Additional images: @wideawakearthquake
