These sneakers are the next best thing to walking on the moon

 

 

Forty-five years after the first astronauts first trod on the moon, the boots they used in the historic landing will live on—as custom sneakers.

 

Earthbound mortals can finally get their hands (or feet) on the iconic space boots via a pair of high-top sneakers sold by a boutique shoe company.

 

A report on tech site The Verge said the shoes are released by GE and Los Angeles-based boutique shoe firm Android Homme and JackThreads.

 

Some 100 pairs of the shoes were made available for sale online at 4:18 p.m. ET Sunday, "the same time as the moon landing," the report said.

 

It quoted GE, one of the companies that provided designs for the original launch, as saying each side of the shoe is made of super-light, heat-resistant carbon fiber.

 

"We really wanted to about the benefits materials have in industry and correlate that to the benefits materials have in fashion," said GE director of global innovation Sam Olstein.

 

The sneakers are designed after the space boots worn by astronauts including Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, who set foot on the moon July 20, 1969.

 

Meanwhile, GE launched a campaign on Snapchat to promote the materials used in the shoes, which can be bought for $196.90. — Joel Locsin/TJD, GMA News