Tom Sachs x NikeCraft General Purpose Shoe | Release Info

Tom Sachs sees sneakers as necessary tools. They carry us from point A to point B, and while we love to dress them up in funky colorways and textures, at their core, they’re really just barriers that keep us from stubbing our bare feet on pointy objects. The Tom Sachs x NikeCraft General Purpose Shoe, while ingeniously…. plain, took a staggering 10 years to create.

“Your sneakers should not be the most exciting thing about you,” the description reads. “They are tools. They do their job so you can do yours. It took us 10 years to make a sneaker this simple, as simple as can be and no simpler.”

Funnily enough, this effort to create a boring, functional shoe has resulted in instant internet hype. The “Studio” gray and blue colorway sold out almost immediately upon release this June, and the latest yellow “Archive” colorway is sure to follow suit.

Pops of traffic cone orange compliment the work boot-esque mustard hue of the durable uppers, comprised of suede and a tight, breathable knitted material. White swooshes and laces keep things classic, while sturdy black rubber outsoles provide some heavy duty flair. The Tom Sachs handwritten logo appears under the tongue pull tab, and scribbled NikeCraft text makes an appearance on the insoles.

Check out official promo shots of the sneakers down below.