Nike 1981 Shoe Show

 Here some vintage catalog nerdporn to sooth your Wednesday

Nike: Form follows Motion @ Vitra Museum

Last Thursday I was invited to the Vitra Campus to take part in a panel discussion about the current 

'Nike: Form follows Motion' exhibition together with Sergio and Mischa.

I had a great time sitting down with old friends and discussinig what we are all passionate about 

and it was even more enjoyable to include a full house in the conversation.

The following day I had the chance to walk around the campus and take everything in the 

exceptional sites have to offer.

It was so comforting being surrounded by the beauty of the great architecture, interior and design!
If you ever get the chance to visit, don't miss it. I can only recommend diving into this stylish world.

Prototypes, signed and game worn memorabilia, original Blue Ribbon Sports pieces, an air 

cushion testing machine Frank Rudy named after his daughter Kim, hand made shoes and lasts 

from the man Bill Bowerman himself, original apparel drawings by @dianekatz , correspondence 

with Steve Prefontaine, vintage advertisement and so much more is featured, I could go on forever.

The exhibition is curated by Glenn Adamson and Marcella Hanika (with some kind help of 

Nick Schonberger and Sara), who did a wonderful job selecting exciting key pieces to make this a 

fruitful experience to anyone who wants to dive deeper and at the same time taking note not 

to overwhelm the average visitor.

A very special thank you to Bao and Dominique for making this an unforgettable trip!
I had such a good time with you and appreciate you a lot for all your efforts, input and care!

Open until May 4th 2024

All pictures after the Jump

All pictures after the Jump

1987 Nike UK Running Range

 

See you tomorrow @ Vitra Design Museum

Nike has shaped and influenced pop culture, street style and fashion like no other sports brand. 

Drawing inspiration from global street and subcultures, Nike has become a pioneer in sports fashion 

across Europe. ⁠ 

Join us at Vitra Design Museum on 17 October for a talk in which we’ll explore the key factors that 

transformed Nike's sporting goods into a culturally significant icon. ⁠ ⁠ 

Three guests will offer unique perspectives on Nike's evolution into a subculture symbol. 

Mischa Krewer, founder of the once largest German-language sneaker magazine »Sneakerized« 

and managing director of the leading sneaker store 43einhalb, brings over two decades of 

experience in the sneaker scene. 

Sergio Muster, the visionary founder of »Sneakerness«, the world's leading sneaker and lifestyle 

convention, will contribute his experiences and insights from the Europe-wide trainer community. 

And yours truly, will share insights as a photographer, passionate collector and influential voice in the 

German sneaker community. 

The talk will be moderated by Marcella Hanika, assistant curator of the exhibition.⁠ ⁠ The talk will be held in German. ⁠ ⁠ 

Free admission, please register at events@design-museum.de ⁠ ⁠ 

More information

From the SQ archive: Nike Air Force III from 2005

It ‚only’ took me 2 days to find this pair!

Since the Air Force III has been re-released I wanted to note that the shape has been reissued in a better way before. 

Of course still not as good as the original (don’t make me find that one too in this sea of boxes 😅), but better…

It’s mind boggling to me, that the toebox shape on most reissues is still such an incredible hurdle.
What are your thoughts on the latest AFIII drop?

Nike: Form Follows Motion at the Vitra Design Museum

 With »Nike: Form Follows Motion« the Vitra Design Museum will present the first ever museum exhibition about Nike, the world’s most revered sports brand. The exhibition will explore the company’s five-decade ascent from a grassroots start-up to a global phenomenon. The focus is on Nike’s design history: from the company’s beginnings in the 1960s and the design of its famous »swoosh« logo, to iconic products such as Air Max and Flyknit, and current research devoted to future materials and sustainability. Following the Olympic and Paralympic Summer Games in Paris as well as the European Football Championship in Germany, the exhibition will emphasize the importance of sports for design innovation and social change, while also shedding light on the almost mythical devotion to sneakers and sportswear in popular culture and social media. The exhibition has been initiated and produced by the Vitra Design Museum and curated by Glenn Adamson. 

Nike, named after the Greek goddess of victory, is not only a successful company; it is a whole design culture. The proof can be seen almost no matter where you go: a dynamic display of innovative materials, performance features, and high-impact graphics. At the company’s headquarters, just outside Portland, Oregon, products are developed through a unique blend of scientific study, sports research, and aesthetic sensibility. Hundreds of designers there collaborate with specialists in other fields, from material engineering to biology to body mechanics – and, of course, with many of the world’s best athletes.  

Now, for the first time, the exhibition »Nike: Form Follows Motion« offers a look behind the scenes of this unique design laboratory while also examining Nike’s involvement with technological innovation and social change. Most of the exhibits are sourced from the Department of Nike Archives (DNA), the company’s own archive, which comprises more than 200,000 items. The exhibition is the first to present a curated selection from this archive to the public. Among the exhibits are rarities and one-offs including experimental prototypes of iconic sneaker models like the Waffle trainer, the Air Force One, and Shox, as well as original design studies for shoes and apparel. The creative contributions of individual designers are highlighted throughout, both those inside the company like Diane Katz, Tinker Hatfield, and Eric Avar, and external collaborators like Marc Newson, Comme des Garçons, and Virgil Abloh. Athletes — from the world’s greatest to the everyday — have also played an especially important role in Nike’s design process by bringing their own experiences and requirements into product development. 

The exhibition is structured in four chronological sections. The first, »Track«, delves into the Nike archive’s earliest holdings. The company was founded by two men: Phil Knight, who had been a runner in college, and his former coach Bill Bowerman. Their early employees — and most of their customers — were mainly serious amateurs and collegiate runners, with a few professionals helping to promote the brand. Marketing was hands-on, with sales representatives taking shoes to track meets. In this formative period, Nike established one of its key design principles: always listen to the voice of the athlete. In this part of the exhibition, visitors will encounter stories from the brand’s earliest days, such as the development of the first Waffle Sole in Nike co-founder Bill Bowerman’s kitchen or the story of the Tennessee State University Tigerbelles, a team of black female athletes during the civil rights era in the United States.  

The second exhibition chapter, »Air«, looks at the 1980s, when Nike achieved take-off. Through endorsements with star athletes like Michael Jordan, Serena Williams, and LeBron James, the company established itself as a prime mover in popular culture. At the same time, Nike transcended its origins in track and field, expanding first into basketball, then tennis, global football, skateboarding, and other sports. Its designs became fixtures of pop culture, thanks to a crafty understanding of the street-style landscape. Classics like the Air Force 1 and the Air Jordan were featured in imaginative TV commercials (mostly by the Portland-based ad firm Wieden + Kennedy). At the same time, the company was investing in a new technology: capsules of pressurized gas that provided cushioning without adding weight. Initially concealed inside footwear soles, Nike Air was first made visible in the 1987 Air Max, opening up a new chapter in the company’s design history. In the exhibition, the fascinating evolution of the Air sole is illustrated with numerous artefacts from the initial development process, including air bag prototypes and a testing machine created by engineer Frank Rudy, who first developed the technology and proposed it to Nike.  

The third space in the show, »Sensation«, explains some of the research and development behind Nike’s designs. Here, visitors get an insight into the heart of the Nike Sport Research Lab, one of the world’s largest and most advanced facilities for the study of the body in motion. Since the 1990s, this technical research has increasingly focused on the advancing athletic potential, leading to products like the Nike Free, which simulates the feel of barefoot running, and the Vaporfly, developed as part of an effort to break the two-hour barrier in the marathon. The gallery shows the impact of material innovations like Flyknit on both performance and sustainability and explores Nike’s current efforts to reduce its own climate impact through ethical material sourcing and circular manufacturing techniques. Nike’s research into plastic recycling is also examined in this section, with examples including Nike Grind —a granulate of recycled items used for a variety of purposes — as well as the company’s journey from the first recycling projects in the early 2000s up to current initiatives. 

The culmination of the exhibition, in Room 4, reflects on Nike’s collaborations with external designers, athletes, and its own public. The gallery is a showcase for fifty examples of intriguing and sometimes outrageous footwear from Nike’s history, some developed through collaborations with fashion designers and creatives, others within community-based projects. The room also examines Nike’s eminent role in pop and counterculture, which is illustrated with examples of music videos or Social Media footage that show Nike’s critical role in shaping and reflecting new trends and values. This section underlines that the symbiosis of design and sports has always been about more than just performance. It is also about reflecting ideals of the human body, ideals of well-being, diversity, equality and, ultimately, the deeply human aim to push the boundaries and discover new territory. 

Mateo Kries, director of the Vitra Design Museum: »For a long time, we have wanted to organize an exhibition on design and sports. When we approached Nike, we learned more about their incredible design archive — a huge treasure that had never been presented in an exhibition. That was how the idea of this exhibition was born. The show offers a unique opportunity to focus on design through the lens of a single brand, and to display fascinating objects that illustrate the process of design development — some of which have never been shown before.«  

Glenn Adamson, curator of the exhibition: »In addition to our interest in the evolution of iconic products, we will look at the larger social and historical context surrounding Nike. Over the past 50 years, sport has had a tremendous impact on our perception of the human body, beyond the track and the court — for example, on conceptions of gender roles. Our exhibition will show how the company has both instigated and responded to these changing dynamics, from its initial emphasis on performance and optimization to greater diversity and inclusion. By looking at Nike’s design strategies, we gain insights into that bigger cultural picture.« 

The exhibition will be guided by a broad range of events and workshops on the subject of sports and design. Following its premiere at the Vitra Design Museum, the exhibition will travel to further international museum venues. 

Nike OTC Meeting 2024 Part 3

Now that you know what the OTC meeting is about, I want to show a bit more what is happening there.
Of course we all meet to share our passion and collections, exchange knowledge and enjoy each 

other's company, but we also have a few activities taking place:

Each year every participant brings some vintage pieces they are willing to let go from their 

collection and they are being raffled. 

This year's raffle once again featured some incredible prizes, for example a pair of baby vintage 

Carmines or an amazing OG Blue Ribbon Sports longsleeve which Nic kindly provided.

Foxtrott Uniform also had a special moment when Mark revealed their first neo vintage collaboration 

with Asics and also raffled a couple of pairs of their X89 to the participants.

Since I seeded a few members of the OTC fam with my family & friends Conductor and many of 

them showed up with their pairs to get them signed.

I felt very honored signing my shoe and other personal items for people whose autograph I should be 

collecting. 

I also brought some memorabilia from my archive to give to the guys, which you will spot in the pictures.

They included a shirt the 3foil crew from Indonesia made for our exhibition in Jakarta in 2017 

and the booklet the Turnschuhzuhälter crew and I produced for our Formaganda exhibiton in 2011.

I already miss everyone and can't wait to return in 2025!

All pictures after the jump

Nike OTC Meeting 2024 Part 2

I prefer not to put all the pictures I shot into one post, as I feel it is devaluing the extreme heat 

presented every year at the Nike OTC meeting.
Also I realized that many might not even know what the OTC meeting is actually about.

If you are serious about collecting vintage Nike then you probably got your hands on the Lightning 

Nike Chronicle deluxe and/or Chronicle extra at some point and realized what incredibly precious 

and meticulous works they are.

Now imagine all the collectors who are listed in them as 'Special Supporters' meet in one room and 

bring some of their grails and all of their knowledge and love to the table. 

This is what's happening once a year in Tokyo and let me tell you it's as good as you imagine it to be.

So get your tissues ready for another round of Nike vintage heat and don't forget look for the details;

Like that white tongue labe on the displayed Sky Jordans, a complete set of the beautiful AJ I 

cardboard art by Tomotatsu Gima behind a Team Convention, Dynasty and Dunk Hi Rainbow (yes, 

those Terminators are crazy), all those SMUs (+Hatu Guni's Baby Collection!) or what everyone 

has on their feet and in their hands...

There's plenty to feast your eyes on and impossible to go trough everything in detail within one 

afternoon that passes like the blink of an eye. So I shoot my heart out as soon as I realize the day 

is almost over and after 5 or so hours we all stagger out of the meeting buzzing on a vintage high.

Once everyone has packed their collectibles we always go for dinner together, so we can thoroughly 

discuss the heat of that day ;)

These customs are on Mr. Sabotage's feet.

All pictures after the jump

Nike OTC Meeting 2024 Part 1

Most of my readers probably know by now, that the annual OTC meeting in Tokyo is always a highlight in my 

sneaker year and I try everything possible not to miss it.

Making it happen turned out to be a real challenge this year, but after hustling through I finally made 

it to Japan again.

Words can't describe how happy I was to visit and see all my otaku friends, but my smile says it all.

Without further ado I of course want to share my pleasures with you, so feast your eyes on part 1 

of this year's gathering which had the theme: Nike The Sting and all shoes with similar uppers from 

that time, as well as the Nike Air Jordan 1.

A special thank you to Smits, Yusuke and Toshiya-Towa for all their hard work making this event happen!

I am so grateful for the whole OTC Crew, the insane amounts of presents I received as well as all their shared 

love and passion!

The only regret I take away from every meeting is not being able to spend more time with every individual. 

Learing more Japanese is becoming increasingly urgent.

Part 2 is coming very soon! All pictures after the jump

New sneaker auctions at Sotheby's

Over the past few years the prestigious auction house Sotheby's has been selling more and 

more sneakers. Some very random stuff, but also some beautiful gems like the following 

Nike Co-Founder Bill Bowerman 1960s Pre-Nike Handmade Black and Blue Track Spikes 

the hand-cobbled 1972 Nike Moon Shoe 

or these 1984 Nike Air Ship.

An 'interesting' development and more proof that the sneaker craze is not going anywhere 

soon except everywhere.

More pictures and infos after the jump

Sneaker Freaker Issue #47 feature

It's been over 8 years since my last Sneaker Freaker appearance and I am more than honored 

to get a monster feature of almost 30 pages in the current issue #47. 
A huge thank you to Woody for his patience and for giving me the creative freedom to bombard 

him with pictures of over 80 pairs as it was impossible to decide for some 20-30 favourites 

(trying to go for just 1 example pair of a model I love and not all the CWs and variations I 

own also helped a bit) and for letting me talk some real talk about what OCD/OSD and serious 

collecting actually means for one’s sanity and surrounding.
I feel super grateful for this massive feature and being able to speak my mind instead of 

answering the same questions I am asked at every interview is a huge privilege!
Sneaker Freaker Magazine #47 is now available and I can’t wait to hear what you guys have 

to say about it.

1980 Nike Cascade Run Off Geisha Artist Proof

The Cascade Run Off is a 15km marathon event that was held every June from 1978 to 2007 
in Portland, Oregon, home of Nike. 
In the vintage collectors community nowadays the run is mostly known for one of the most 
famous merch Nike ever produced; The "Ukiyo-e" / Geisha T-shirt.
The artist Scott McIntire also printed some limited artist proofs for himself, one of which you can 
see below.

Apparently the design came about because Mt.Hood near Portland looks a bit similar to 

Mt. Fuji in Japan. Also Sapporo had been the a sister city since 1959, so these two connections 

with Japan inspired the Geisha Motive for the 1980  Cascade Run Off.

Some more details after the jump

Nike Air Jordan II white red unreleased Prototype

Jordan Brand has some beautiful archive pictures online and I love these unreleased

Jordan II prototypes from 1987, that give a bit more insight into the development

process.

What an interesting mix of elements.
I see parts from the Nike Air Ship, Delta Force, Logo embedding like on the windward 

AC or some Cross Trainers, a Jordan 1 bottom Sole (?) plastic eyelets like on the AFII 

or Solo Flight and a very Court Wimbledon AC like midsole…

That collar perforation also resembles an aesthetic used on future Flights. 

Nike Air Jordan II Prototype/Development Sample

Christie's NY has laced up this pair of Nike Air Jordan II Prototypes/Development
samples for auction and it made me remember a wonderful exhibition I did 
together with Ceyda, Artoo, Tony Toupet, SneakerTV, Bordellski, the Malawi
Brothers and Marco Colombo in Barcelona, 2008.