The Nike Sock Dart is the result of countless historical milestones and Nike brain power.
This month, we released this shoe in its new found glory in the colourways Midnight Navy, Medium Grey, Uni Red and Triple Black. But, we don't ask ourselves enough how it got to Sole Mate shelves in the first place.
For that, we have to look back to its predecessors.
Nike released a stretch mesh runner in 1979 called the Bermuda Runner and in 1985 released the Sock Racer. They were daring moves as a result of Nike co-founder and innovator, Bill Bowerman, and these shoes became an historic athlete's staple. Both used a single mesh upper that molded around the foot, a technology far beyond the scope of the sneaker market back then.
That was followed by the 1991 best seller neoprene Huarache that hugged your foot through every stride and the Presto in 2000.
"Fun fact: The Nike Air Presto was the choice for the Australian Olympic team back in the 2000 Sydney Olympics."
All of these models, no matter how different they were, became design precedents for the Nike Sock Dart.
The Sock Dart itself was the first shoe ever to be made through computer-aided manufacturing in 2004. It set the stage for the future development of the early 2010's Nike Flyknit and Adidas Primeknit.
It focused on being tailored to the human ergonomics of the foot on both the upper and the sole. It cradled the foot so well that it could handle lateral and medial movement throughout each stride. This could only be achieved in future models like the 2016 Nike Free Run Natural.
At the time of the initial release it was a Hiroshi, Tinker and Mark (HTM) exclusive hitting small boutiques and selling out fast in certain parts of the globe.
There was a pause however with their releases and instead became the inspiration for the Nike Zoom Moire (which also had their big impact on the Moire series of Nike models) and the Flyknit/Primeknit world.
After 10 years and collaborating with Japanese high end label, Fragment Design, the Sock Dart reemerged into the market and into the wardrobes of sneaker heads.
As expected the iconic red, white and blue releases of the 2015 Independence Day Sock Darts pushed them into the mainstream conscious. The Tech Fleece iterations were also big NikeLab releases and sold out globally.
As a result the Nike Sock Dart ended up as the go-to for overall comfort but at the same time a staple for the fashion conscious. It also was and always will be the most advanced and most forward thinking Nike shoe to date.
You can purchase the current season's colours for men's and women's sizing at Sole Mate Sneaker Boutique.