The strange story of the Nike Zvezdochka Mark Newson's sneaker-masterpiece inspired by space travel

Few sneakers have a more cult history than the Nike Zvezdochka – perhaps the most legendary project by an equally legendary designer: Marc Newson. Born in Sydney, Marc Newson spent much of his childhood alternating between Europe and Asia. Since 1997 he has settled in London, where his studio is still based. Newson is one of the most critically acclaimed and influential industrial designers of his generation, his work has touched a wide range of sectors, giving life to creations ranging from objects for the home, to furniture, to fashion, passing through cars, private planes, yachts and architectural projects. His clients include many of the most famous and prestigious international brands, with which he has carried out projects that have had unprecedented success; just think of the two pairs of Nike that bear his name, the Apple products created when he was at the helm of the brand, his work for Louis Vuitton or everything he created as an independent designer. Nonetheless, the Nike Zvezdochka remain one of his most iconic works as far as sneaker culture is concerned.

In addition to the previously mentioned styles, Nike made and commissioned other variants of the Zvezdochka, including samples that have never been produced on a large scale.  An example are the 25 pairs of light in-the-dark Zvezdochkas produced in collaboration with Tim Biskup, the ones conceived by Wieden + Kennedy or the unreleased samples that you can admire scrolling through the gallery.