Vans Is Making NASA-Themed Sneakers and They're Out of This World
You’ll soon be able to show your love for NASA on your feet. Sneaker News reports that Vans is releasing new designs based on the U.S. space agency just in time for its 60th birthday.
The Space Voyager collection includes shoes, apparel, and a duffel bag, all of which will allow you to rep your favorite government agency from head to toe. There are space suit-inspired Old Skools, high tops, a NASA sweatshirt, a NASA jacket, a backpack, and an astronaut orange duffel bag. The high-top shoes come in white or black and feature removable mission patches and other NASA insignia, while the Old Skools come in white or orange and feature the retro NASA “worm” logo, a John F. Kennedy Space Center stamp, and a removable American flag where the usual Vans logo would go.
While some sneaker blogs are calling this a collaboration, NASA likely wasn’t very involved in the design beyond approving the use of its imagery, as it does with any NASA-related merchandise. Because it’s a government agency, all of NASA’s logos and designs are considered public domain, meaning that anyone—companies included—can use them for free. NASA doesn’t participate in any kind of co-branding, according to its guidelines. (It would be pretty weird if the government was trying to sell you Vans, actually.) So when you buy a cool NASA-branded shoe, the space agency doesn’t actually get any of the profit. On the bright side, NASA’s budget got a big boost in 2018, so it’s not as cash-strapped as it has been in the past.
Regardless of whether any astronauts were involved, we’re still pretty excited to try these guys on. The NASA x Vans Old Skool collection will be available on November 2.
And if you're looking for other ways to upgrade your shoe closet, look out for Van Gogh Vans, these Toy Story Vans, and taco Vans.
[h/t Sneaker News]