Nike taps LISA to revive iconic Moon Shoe for new generation
LISA fronts Nike’s global Moon Shoe campaign, reviving the 1971 waffle-soled runner for a new generation and reconnecting fashion with Nike history.
- Nike is re-releasing its iconic Moon Shoe, a trainer originally designed in the early 1970s with a distinctive waffle sole.
- Global star LISA is fronting the campaign to introduce the heritage shoe to a new, younger generation of consumers.
- The collaboration aims to reposition the vintage running shoe as a contemporary lifestyle and fashion item.
LISA has joined Nike’s global campaign for the return of the Moon Shoe, bringing one of the brand’s earliest running designs and its distinctive waffle sole back into the spotlight more than five decades after its creation.
The revived shoe reconnects Nike’s running heritage with a new generation of consumers through LISA, whose global fashion profile gives the historic silhouette a contemporary lifestyle context.
The Moon Shoe is returning to markets worldwide, with the featured version priced at 3,700 baht in Thailand.
From a 1971 experiment to a Nike legend
The story of the Moon Shoe dates back to 1971, when Bill Bowerman, a track coach and Nike co-founder, was searching for a way to create a running sole that offered strong grip without relying on heavy spikes.
Inspiration came at breakfast. Looking at his wife’s waffle iron, Bowerman came up with the idea of pouring liquid rubber into the appliance to experiment with a new sole pattern.
The result was the Waffle Sole, featuring a grid-like pattern of raised rubber sections designed to provide flexibility, traction and a lightweight feel.
About 12 pairs of the early Moon Shoe were handmade for runners competing in the 1972 US Olympic Trials. The shoe later earned its nickname because the waffle-patterned footprints it left on the ground resembled astronauts’ footprints on the Moon.
A rare piece of sneaker history
Its limited production and unusual origin story helped turn the Moon Shoe into one of the designs most closely associated with Nike’s early history.
Its rarity was highlighted in 2019, when an unworn pair was sold by Sotheby’s for US$437,500, or more than 14 million baht. The sale set a world auction record for a pair of sneakers at the time.
More than half a century later, Nike is bringing the design back for consumers who may never have encountered the original shoe or known about its place in the company’s history.
LISA connects Nike heritage with a new generation
Pairing the Moon Shoe with LISA adds a contemporary fashion dimension to a design originally created for competitive running.
Rather than relying only on the shoe’s status as a rare collector’s item, the campaign uses LISA’s global profile to introduce its 1971 story to a younger audience and reposition the vintage silhouette within modern fashion.
The original Moon Shoe was a functional running design created for the track. In the new campaign, LISA is styled in a bold red outfit that contrasts with the shoe’s classic shape, presenting it as a lifestyle piece that also works with contemporary streetwear.
The combination brings together two very different eras: Nike’s experimental running roots and the global fashion culture surrounding the brand today.
