Moon boots from first lunar landing get remixed

Forty-five years after making the first footprints on the Moon, tho
se famous moon boots worn by astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin
are getting a makeover
!alled "#he Missions," the re-invented moon boot, is a$tually a snazzy
high-top sneaker designed for men and women with advan$ed lightweight m
aterials and the latest in fashion and street design
%t&s "a true modern take on the original," says 'am (lstein, )eneral *l
e$tri$&s global dire$tor of innovation in New +ork As a limited editio
n, $ommemorative item, it&s meant to appeal to today&s a$tive youth, bu
t also pay homage to that moment when humans first su$$essfully landed
and walked on the moon
)* s$ientists developed the i$oni$ moon boots the astronauts wore that
histori$ day on ,uly -., /010, one of the most wat$hed, $elebrated, and
important moments in our $olle$tive pop $ulture
#oday, photos of the sneaker will debut on 'nap!hat, then disappear, as
photos typi$ally do on the site, after -2 hours #o see the sneakers fr
om a variety of angles, follow 3generalele$tri$ on the so$ial network f
or photos, videos and stories
#hen, on ,uly -., at 24/5 pm *#, to $oin$ide with the exa$t time of t
he Apollo //&s lunar landing in /010, the sneakers will go on sale #ak
e note, however, 6ust /.. pairs of the limited edition sneaker will sel
l for 7/010. ea$h
8ur$hases $an be made ex$lusively at ,a$k#hreads$om, an online retaile
r for men #here&s one unisex style, but sizes will be listed online as
men&s sizes only, so women need to be mindful when ordering
#he Missions sneakers will be sold on a first $ome, first serve basis
!ompleted orders will be shipped in late 'eptember, )*&s (lstein says
Fortunate buyers who manage to snag a pair of the limited-edition moon
boot sneakers will surely have a $olle$tor&s items on their hands At t
his time, there are no plans to manufa$ture additional sneakers, but do
expe$t to see the hip-looking high-tops being promoted on #witter and i
n other media in the $oming months, as part of a uni9ue marketing effor
t by )*
Not surprisingly, the new moon boot has a )ala$ti$ $olor s$heme4 off-wh
ites, silver, earth tones, and semi-$lear plasti$ on the soles From ph
otos, it appears there is some "moon dust" sprinkled inside small $avit
ies on the shoe&s base, whi$h probably will move around as the sneaker
is worn All-in all, the high-top sneaker has a lightweight, yet urban
fun$tional and sturdy look that should appeal to hipsters, $olle$tors,
and sports enthusiasts alike
#he Missions sneakers, a$$ording to )*, were designed over the past $ou
ple of months, and make use of real-world, advan$ed industrial material
s like :ydrophobi$ !oating, a water-resistant $oating used on big )* ma
$hines like 6et engines and wind turbines to prevent i$e adhesion #he
keen and $ontemporary $onsumer design sensibility $ame from ,avier ;ava
l of Android :omme, a luxury footwear $ompany lo$ated in ;os Angeles, a
nd <aniel Bailey of !on$ept=i$ks ;ab, a footwear design, development, $
ommer$ialization servi$e, and Mi$hael >in$ent of ,a$k#hreads$om
'tabilized !arbon Fiber is another material worked into the new moon bo
ot ;ighter and stronger than metal, $arbon fiber is also used in wind
turbines, 6et engines and in health $are e9uipment
?M '$ot$hlite @efle$tive Material is used in the new sneaker as a metal
li$ $oating, whi$h is representative of the refle$tive $oating found in
many industrial operations today and helps big ma$hines with durability
and performan$e
Also found in the new moon boot is #hermoplasti$ @ubber, whi$h goes bey
ond $ommon rubber by offering big ma$hines improved flexibility, in$rea
sed absorption, and better resistan$e
)*, a key partner of NA'A&s Apollo 8rogram, put 1,... staffers and engi
neers on the 6ob from /01/ to /0A- #hey&re $ontributions in$luded deve
loping the sili$on rubber in the astronauts&s boots, whi$h allowed for
moonwalking under extreme temperatures and $onditions %n addition to b
uilding Apollo&s radio $ommand and guidan$e tools, resear$h s$ientists
at )* also designed the astronauts& lunar visors made from ;exan, a tra
nsparent, industrial-strength plasti$
%t remains to be seen who will buy these updated moon boots on 'unday
But, perhaps even more interestingly, where will they fi
rst landB