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You are looking at a pair of First Generation Nike Moon Shoes, also known as Waffle Racers. Moon Shoes were the first Nike Waffles ever made and used in competition. About a dozen pairs of Moon Shoes were Handmade in 1972 by Geoff Hollister under the direction of Bill Bowerman. The shoes were given out to athletes competing in the Marathon at the 1972 Olympic Trials. The pair in this auction was worn by Number 26 Bruce Mortenson. Bruce finished the race in 2 hours and 36 minutes. It was just 1 of the 64 marathons that Mortenson has run during his career, which is why Alberto Salazar nicknamed him "The Marathon Man"


Bruce Mortenson has been running for more than 50 years and has logged more than 175,000 miles. Bruce started running in 1959 in high school for Coach Roy Griak. He attended college at the University Of Oregon where he was coached by Bill Bowerman. Bowerman handmade shoes for Bruce and his teammates! Mortenson was given this pair of Moon Shoes by Geoff Hollister at the Blue Ribbon Sports Store on 855 Olive in Eugene, Oregon. Bruce actually ran that store for a short while with hurdler Bob Blum when Hollister entered the Navy. While working at the store, Bruce got to know Phil Knight quite well. The two of them would pack up Onitsuka Tiger shoes into their cars and sell them to athletes at high schools and colleges.


I asked Bruce to tell me about his Moon Shoes and here is what he said... "The Moon Shoes were definitely different than the Tigers I had been wearing. More cushioning was the main difference. The Waffle Soles had a different feel as I felt quite a bit higher off the ground. I wore them in several races but as shoes continued to improve I put them in a box and they sat in my basement until about ten years ago I let a friend of mine display them at his store Twin Cities Running Company. I am not sure why I kept them as I had gotten rid of all my other shoes but I suspect it was because they were unique and were part of the 72 Trials."    


Nike Moon Shoe (1972)

  • These shoes were worn by Bruce Mortenson in the 1972 Olympic Trials.
  • These are first generation Moon Shoes. Nike made several renditions of Moon Shoes and these are the first. 
  • The Uppers are made of Nylon and were imported from Japan.
  • The Uppers are very faintly marked on the inside Size 10.5 Japan.
  • The Swooshes are attached to the Uppers with fishing line.
  • All four Swooshes on the Uppers are in tact, which is rare for this model.
  • These shoes do not have their original laces.
  • The Waffle Outsoles were hand cut and glued and stitched to the Uppers in Eugene, Oregon.
  • The Waffle Outsoles on this pair are cracking, crumbling, and deteriorating.
  • These shoes feature their Original Green Spenco Sockliners.
  • Please see detailed pics to see these amazing shoes. Pics were taken by Unrah/Jones. 
  • The last two pics were taken at Steve Prefontaine Hall at Nike World Headquarters. One of the pics features the 1964 University Of Oregon Track Team. Bruce Mortenson is the smiling blonde wearing glasses on the right. The second pic features Nike's coveted Moon Shoe. It is enshrined alongside Bill Bowerman's Original Waffle Iron with a plaque that reads Nike's Holy Grail.
  • To learn all about the Nike Moon Shoe visit ShoeZeum dot com or google "World's Greatest Sneaker". For more information about Bruce Mortenson google "Bruce Mortenson ESPN".
Size
  • Mens Size 10.5

Shipping

  • Shipping to US Destinations:  Free. Shoes will be sent out via USPS Priority Mail.
  • Shipping to International Destinations:  $100. Shoes will be sent via USPS Express Mail.
  • Shipping within One Business Day:  Items will be sent out within one business day.