The Story Behind the Nike Sock Dart





While early releases were limited edition amendments to old and new favourites, the mutual appreciation for the Sock Dart meant that it would become one of the most advanced entries in the HTM collection.
Six colourways were released in July 2004 without warning, appearing in tiny size runs at a handful of boutique stores globally. In some territories, they were in instant hit, while others needed a little more time to take in the unique aesthetic. Oddly, none of the shoes were given any official HTM branding, and beyond coverage in some Japanese publications of the time, there was no marketing, no advertisements and very few blog entries. Then it was gone.
Throughout the last decade, elements of the Sock Dart’s influence were manifested elsewhere. Special versions of the Zoom Moire — one of the original Nike+ releases — were evocative of the Sock Dart’s sole, and when Flyknit premiered in early 2012, that game changing construction emerged via some conversations sparked by the Sock Dart’s knitted upper.
A decade after that 2004 drop, the Sock Dart returned in late 2014 as a limited edition NikeLab partnership with Hiroshi’s Fragment Design. That reintroduction has helped define what lightweight everyday performance could be in the modern age. It took 10 years for mindsets and wardrobes to nearly catch up with a Dart, but its impact was significant.
Since that resurrection, the Sock Dart has been released in an an array of makeups, from 4th of July variations in white, red and blue, to a ‘Be True’ celebration in rainbow colours, to a Tech Fleece remake and more recent design democracy via the NIKEiD system.
Engineered solutions, a single shoe, and the industry altered forever. Simplicity emerges through complex processes.
