The Sneakers Inspired By NASA's Apollo 11

NASA’S iconic Apollo 11 has influenced soon to be astronauts and the fashion industry. On July 20th, 1969 the spaceflight mission successfully completed its lunar landing coming in first place in the Space Race. Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became a part of history by becoming the first humans on the moon.

In celebration of the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11 here are some of the best moon landing footwear inspirations and releases.

Mercer Amsterdam released a shoe with a Moon landing themed silhouette. Although Mercer Amsterdam does not have the same recognition as Nike and Adidas, this shoe placed them amongst the competitors. The ” W3RD NASA Apollo 11’s” were designed to imitate Armstrong and Aldrin’s space suits. The touches of red white and blue gave the American feel as well as a vibrant addition. The star feature in this sneaker was the coordinates 28.5729° N, 80.6490° W, which points to Kennedy Space Center. Also the coordinates are where Apollo 11 took off.

On July 14th, 2014Nike introduced a moon landing collaboration that retailed for $145. The popularity of the sneaker grew to the point where the resale value jumped to over $1000.Nike took one of its iconic models, the Air Max 90 and faced it with graphics of the moon’s surface. The sneaker also featured two American flags on the back of the shoes, designed to represent Neil Armstrong.

There are only 12 Nike Moon Shoes and each pair is expected to auction for more than $100,000. The iconic sneaker was created in 1969 by the companies co founder Bill Bowerman. Nike claims the distinct dusty look inspired the name. A resemblance to the footprints Armstrong and Aldrin placed when landing on the moon. Not only was this the firsts shoe behind technology but was Nike’s first shoe created.

Paul George is known for his on court skills, but when it comes to designing a sneaker his diversity shows. The NBA All Star co-designed 3 sneakers influenced by NASA, Apollo 11 and the Lunar Landing. George had told Nike of his love for space exploration, so aside his normal Play Station model, something new was introduced. The PG3 “NASA” and “Apollo Missions” feature touches of grey and blue as well as the AmericanFlag. Quoted on the sneaker is  “Don’t tell me the sky’s the limit when there are footprints on the Moon.” The moon inspired silhouettes are currently available at select stores and Nike.