The Nike Shox That Almost Wasn't
When Nike spent 16 years on an idea that might not work
Before we get into this one, let me say something about what “From the Vault” means now.
For the past couple weeks, these Thursday posts have been stories from my own vault... decades of working inside this industry, building things, watching things fall apart, collecting shoes nobody else cared about yet. But if there is one thing I have learned over that time, it’s that the best vaults aren’t just mine.
There are collectors out there with stories I’ll never have access to. Auction houses holding prototypes that tell the real story of how we got here. Single pairs of shoes that contain entire chapters of sneaker history.
So starting now, “From the Vault” means exactly that... any vault worth opening. Mine, yours, Sotheby’s, that one guy on eBay who somehow has every player exclusive from 2003. If there’s a story worth telling, we’re telling it.
Which brings me to a pair of Nike Shox prototypes that just went up for auction with an expected price range that’s exponentially more than I’ve ever spent.
Admittedly, I’m not the biggest fan of Shox. Never have been. But that doesn’t mean I don’t have a deep appreciation for them and their story. And this particular story? It’s worth telling.
