Remembering the Nike Alpha Project
Long before futuristic product categories like and ISPA existed, there was the Alpha Project. The short-lived but impactful line of shoes, apparel and accessories took an uncompromising athlete approach to performance products, which undeniably influenced today’s futuristic footwear vision. By adopting new ideas and non-traditional forms – all branded with a cryptic row of five dots – this ephemeral enterprise left its mark on the world.
Director’s Cut
Retrospectively, it seemed like the Alpha Project was simply an excuse for Nike to throw a bunch of money at Michael Bay to direct some over-the-top, albeit fairly funny to launch it. French director Michel Gondry also got in on the action with a couple of memorable commercials. Nike athletes, chiefly Gary Payton, gave the product athletic provenance. The were also irreverent and occasionally cheeky.
Thankfully, the products were as good as the marketing. Bear in mind that back in the 1990s and 2000s, most new Swoosh designs were intended for athletic use. Of course, some sneakerheads and influential figures like quickly adopted these performance shoes for casual use – the latter selecting the Zoom Seismic for 2001’s ‘Monotone Pack’. The – famous for its t-shirt sizing – also proved a street favourite.