When Tom Sachs and Nike collaborated to make the General Purpose Shoe under their NikeCraft label, Sachs made it plain that his goal with the shape — dubbed the GPS — was accessibility.
He begged customers not to pay extra for the GPS because it would be “restocked” and “perennial,” and he mounted notable ad campaigns that mocked his own design as “boring,” while also declaring that innovation was “the enemy.”
Sachs went to great lengths to ensure that the GPS was a shoe for the masses, and his most recent effort was stocking large quantities of it at a retailer that is about as far from the standard definition of sneakerhead “cool” as you can imagine: Kohl’s, which announced yesterday that the shoes were available in a limited number of their stores.
Kohl’s is a practical, utilitarian alternative for footwear, apparel, home items, and more. It is the largest chain department store in the United States as of December 2021, with 1,162 locations and stores in every state except Hawaii. They are a Nike retailer, but their assortment leans toward more cheap everyday pairs from the Swoosh’s budget and breakdown lines rather than high-heat collaborations.
Not mad. @sockjig pic.twitter.com/3lG7lWhkbY
— Salty. (@salty1pt0) September 30, 2022
The “Archive” colorway was the second General Purpose Shoe makeup to be released, following the considerably more limited “Studio,” and while it retails for $110 USD, it is presently selling for around $200 USD – a price that is sure to fall further as the rollout continues.
Visit kohls.com for a list of participating stores if you are interested in picking up a pair of the Tom Sachs x NikeCraft General Purpose Shoe “Archive” there.
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