The Best Anime-Inspired Sneakers Ever
This article was originally published on September 20, 2021.
Anime and manga collaborations have been doing the rounds in streetwear circles for a while now, and it’s a surprise the sneakersphere has taken so long to catch on. However, with an influx of weebolicious releases hitting the market in recent years, it looks like the sneaker brands are finally making up for lost time. All of a sudden, being an anime geek is actually cool.
Garnering widespread admiration from the hype kids to the nostalgia fiends, anime-inspired sneakers have gone from novelty knick-knacks to bona fide must-cops. From to , to , we’ve seen plenty of colourways surface. However, as you know by now, not all sneakers are created equal. Here are the best anime-inspired sneakers ever.
Nike Air Trainer III ‘Optimus Prime’
When Michael Bay tapped the iconic Transformers series for a live-action blockbuster in 2017, Nike responded accordingly, rolling out a special themed collection featuring this ‘Optimus Prime’ Air Trainer III.
Much like the Transformers franchise itself, this first collection started things off strong, but follow-up Transformers x Nike collaborations didn’t quite live up to the first instalment. Nevertheless, that hasn’t stopped other brands from.
There’s definitely ‘More Than Meets the Eye’ when it comes to this colourway. Aside from the unmistakable scheme and Autobots branding, the sneaker also brings plenty of late-night shine thanks to 3M details.
This article was originally published in May 2020 and updated in September 2021.