Handmade in 1972 by Nike co-founder Bill Bowerman, the shoes began as a wild experiment. One morning, watching batter cook in his wife's waffle iron, Bowerman had a breakthrough. He saw potential in the grid and poured liquid urethane into the iron, creating a prototype sole with grippy, lightweight traction.

That sole became the foundation of the Moon Shoe, a crater-patterned racing shoe built for the 1972 Olympic Trials. Only about 12 pairs were ever made. Most were worn and lost to time. But one unworn pair survived, aged and fragile but untouched, and became one of the most valuable sneakers ever sold.

Born from a kitchen appliance and Olympic ambition, the Moon Shoe wasn't just a shoe. It helped define Nike's future.