Not every Nike innovation began in a lab. In 1971, co-founder and track coach Bill Bowerman was searching for a way to give his runners better traction when inspiration arrived via an unlikely source: his wife Barbara’s waffle iron. Liquid urethane, a ruined wedding present and several experiments later, the distinctive waffle sole was born — an innovation that would come to define not only Nike’s early running shoes, but its restless approach to problem-solving.

The first expression was the Moon Shoe, a remarkably minimal racing prototype hand-cobbled in tiny numbers for runners around the 1972 U.S. Olympic Trials. Its waffle tread left marks likened to astronauts’ footprints on the lunar surface, earning the shoe its now-mythic name. The Moon Shoe itself never received a commercial release, but its DNA travelled: first through the Oregon Waffle and later the Waffle Trainer, the latter becoming one of Nike’s earliest blockbuster successes. Reintroduced more than five decades later, kicked off by a Jacquemus collaboration, that original experiment is finding an entirely new life — recast as a low-profile silhouette sitting somewhere between performance archive, fashion object and everyday sneaker.

For Thomasin Hummerstone, Senior Director, Energy Footwear at Nike, revisiting something so embedded in the brand’s mythology poses an interesting question: how do you move an icon forward without polishing away the peculiarities that made it important in the first place? RUSSH spoke with Hummerstone about digging into the Nike archive, the enduring pull of the waffle sole, buttery leather Moon Shoes, the rise of the off-duty athlete and why, sometimes, a very good sneaker is even better with a sock.

RUSSH: I wanted to start right at the beginning, with the history of the Moon Shoe. As is the case with so many historic performance pieces at Nike, there’s always a story. What was it about the Moon Shoe that made now feel like the right time to revisit it?

TH: Our archive is vast, and there are very few models within it that we haven’t touched or retroed in some way. The Moon Shoe is one of those shoes. Originally hand-cobbled by Bill Bowerman himself, only six pairs were ever made, and we’ve never actually brought it back. It’s always remained this sort of sacred grail shoe.

When we were seeing consumers leaning towards low-profile silhouettes, we started thinking about what that meant for Nike and how we could play an authentic role within that space. We were like: maybe this is the time.

It has this beautiful waffle outsole that’s so synonymous with Nike DNA, going back to those early days of using waffle irons to create traction. Even the name came from the marks the shoe made on the ground, which mimicked the footprints astronauts made on the moon’s surface. It’s one of those mythical, magical pieces of history that you can pull back into a modern context.

RUSSH: It does have that mythical energy about it. Even in the campaign, some of the imagery feels almost untouchable — and then you wear them. I’ve been wearing mine more days of the week than I haven’t. The Moon Shoe was originally created for runners, but it’s evolved into this design icon. What gives a sneaker like that longevity, especially when the buying cycle moves so quickly?

TH: I think there are some things that are less subject to trends. The Moon Shoe was looking to solve traction for runners. It’s innovation that you can’t argue with because it was looking to solve a problem. Then it becomes less about, ‘Is it cool or is it not?’ because it’s a piece of history.

But we can also see how it’s resonating with consumers now and where we can take it next. We’ve created a slingback execution and a slip-on inspired by another shoe called the Kyoto. It gives us an authentic way to play into the ballet-flat and slingback movements, but everything is still grounded in this beautiful waffle racer outsole.

RUSSH: One of my favourite Nike mantras is, ‘If you have a body, you’re an athlete.’ It’s interesting to see these iconic performance pieces being reimagined for the everyday — or the off-duty athlete. Is that something you’re thinking about when putting these pieces together?

TH: It’s both. As a company, we’re constantly innovating, but then we have this amazing archive. It’s always: how do you bring something completely new and unexpected to the table while still respecting our past and where we’ve come from? The perfect marriage is where you can bring those two worlds together. We can play with modern innovations alongside references and visual DNA from the past. You have your history, but it’s recontextualised through a modern innovation lens.

RUSSH: Were there any particular design challenges in bringing the Moon Shoe to life this time?

TH: The main consideration was: how do we make sure something so low-profile is comfortable? We wanted it to really mimic the original, so all the comfort is built from the inside out. There’s a really plush, thick sock liner that allows for all-day wear.

Outside of that, this is why it’s so beautiful: it’s incredibly simple in its build and design. We wanted it to feel deconstructed and soft. Now it’s about playing with expression and bringing in new materials while keeping that deconstructed aesthetic.

RUSSH: Without giving too much away, is there a material or iteration of the Moon Shoe that you’re particularly excited about next?

TH: Honestly, seeing it in leather gives it a very, very different take. We really paid attention to the leathers we’re using — it’s this super, super soft, buttery leather. I’m excited about it because it increases the opportunity for people to wear it. Nylon feels more summer and warmer weather, whereas leather gives you a little more protection without taking away from those beautiful style cues.

And do you know what I love? I think we built this for women, but the number of men’s sizes we’ve sold out of... It’s the men that are wearing this and rocking it. As soon as they saw Jerry Lorenzo or Wemby wearing it, they were like, ‘Damn.’ It’s becoming this beautiful unisex proposition.

RUSSH: It’s funny you say that, because we were interviewing Bangarra earlier this week after they went to the Venice Biennale with Nike wearing the Moon Shoe. I asked the dancers how they found their own self-expression in it, and one of the male dancers said, ‘I wore it with a wide-leg jean and a baby tee, and I felt hot.’ H-O-T, in big capital letters. And sexy.

I’ve got the yellow nylon, which is so fun and summery. But chocolate-brown leather… not to tell you where to go with this.

TH: No, no, we’re considering it. All the colours you would expect to see in leather will be there.

RUSSH: How do you personally like to wear the Moon Shoe?

TH: Because it is such a simple silhouette, you can style it in multiple ways. I love the juxtaposition of a big, wide, baggy pant and then the beautiful little peep-toe of the very neat, petite Moon Shoe being revealed underneath. But I also love it with a skirt and a crew sock, maybe a little scrunched down. I think it looks like a vibe with skirts. Mainly, I love playing with that contrast between volume and the neatness and petiteness of the Moon Shoe.

RUSSH: We were talking about the ballerina sneaker trend before, but it’s so great to have a shoe that functions in that way without having to be a ballet flat. Sometimes you just do not want your feet open like that.

TH: I like to wear a sock.

RUSSH: I love to wear a sock too.

TH: Yeah, I like the fact that you can wear socks with these. You can wear a feature sock as well.

RUSSH: Sneakers have become such an important part of how people express themselves. What makes a sneaker feel so personal, and how do you hope different people interpret the Moon Shoe?

TH: What’s interesting about sneaker culture is everyone has different exposure to it and different levels of knowledge. You have those who are completely tapped in. They know everything about the history of the Moon Shoe, our Air Max trajectory and every release of Jordan. The shoes they choose to make part of their personal journey come from knowledge and a true respect for the craft and its history.

Then you have these amazing, cool fashion girls and fashion boys who don’t care so much about the deep knowledge. They’re there because they love the style and versatility. Sneakerheads think footwear first and then dress up, whereas people who are more style-led think outfit first and then, what shoe am I going to wear to complement it?

I think comfort now is also a prerequisite. Everyone wants to be comfortable, and there’s a real shift away from painful shoes. How can you show your style in an evening dress but still be comfortable and wear a sneaker? I think that versatility is what makes sneakers so personal.

You can find your perfect match in the Nike Moon Shoe by viewing the full collection.