NASA collabs are nothing new to the sneaker world at this point. From Vans’ 2018 line that paid tribute to the agency, to the number of NASA colorways Nike has released for NBA superstar Paul George’s signature sneaker, we’re in the midst of something of a renaissance for sneaker and space exploration nerds alike. With this week marking one of the more significant anniversaries in the history of space travel — that being the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission — a number of brands are releasing some dope, new sneakers to commemorate the historic moon landing.
(Photo Credit: Nike)
For starters, Nike and NASA are returning to the PG 3 silhouette as a canvas for their next collaboration. The Nike PG 3 NASA 50th features a sleek silver treatment all over. It’s not quite as ostentatious a colorway as the original PG 3 NASA sneaker but it’s a sight to behold nonetheless. The shoes feature NASA patches on the heels and tongues as well, with the left tongue specifically featuring an Apollo 11 patch. There’s also a unique black and white treatment on the soles of the shoes that seems to represent the surface of the moon – a particularly nice touch given the reason we’re still celebrating Apollo 11 50 years later.
(Photo Credit: Nike)
Additionally, PUMA is getting in on the fun with their Space Explorer pack. This drop may not explicitly reference the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11 but the timing and NASA branding is enough to get the message across. The Space Explorer pack is comprised of three shoes: the RS-X, the RS 9.8, and the Cell Alien. The first two feature pretty clean, classic colorways. They’re built from a white upper with red, blue, and silver accents. Each features the classic NASA logo on the side.
(Photo Credit: Puma)
(Photo Credit: Puma)
Meanwhile, the Cell Alien aims to mix things up and keep it weird. This is a chunkier silhouette with a much flashier color scheme. It’s built from a black upper that rocks reflective paneling, purple and rainbow translucency in the sole, and pale blue and red speckles across the sides. There’s no explicit reference on the shoe to Ridley Scott’s Alien but it’s hard to look at this one and not think of the classic Xenomorph design. And hey, there’s nothing wrong with that.
(Photo Credit: Puma)
It’s hard to imagine these will be the last NASA-influenced sneakers we see for a while — heck, there’ll probably be more dropping later this year. Each shoe features a unique colorway and pays tribute to one of mankind’s greatest accomplishments in its own way. If you ask me, you can’t go wrong with any of these four designs as long as you don’t do anything corny like bust out a moonwalk while wearing them and draw attention to the metaphor.
The Nike PG 3 NASA 50th drops this Saturday, July 20 (the actual anniversary of the moon landing) and will be available for $120 at 9 a.m. on the SNKRS app. The PUMA Space Explorer pack is being released on Saturday via PUMA’s website.
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