Cardcaptor Sakura is in the midst of a revival right now. We’re not sure what’s sparked the renewed interest in creative team Clamp’s magical girl franchise, as we’re still a year away from the manga’s 20th anniversary, and three years from that mark for its anime adaptation.
Still, plucky elementary school student and protagonist Sakura Kinomoto seems to be popping up more and more these days. A recent poll of anime fans named Cardcaptor Sakura the series they most want rerun on TV, and just last month we saw the release of a collection of cosmetics based on it. Now, in the latest round of new goodies, you can pair your manga makeup with some cute and stylish Cardcaptor Sakura shoes.
Coming from anime crossover fashion specialists Super Groupies, the two different pairs of kicks are produced by shoemaker Chakechoke. The most immediately recognizable of the two are these loafer/heel hybrids.
Inspired by the design of the uniforms for the in-series Tomoeda Elementary School which Sakura attends, if you removed the heels, you’d have something similar to the sensible flats mandated for most Japanese schoolkids.
That’s not the only series tie-in, though. Hanging off the back of the shoes is a decorative triangle of cloth evocative of the uniform’s sailor suit-style collar.
Line your feet up next to each other, and from behind, it looks just like the distinctive dual-pointed design of the Tomoeda Elementary outfit.
The shoes retail for 17,800 yen (US$148), but if you’ve been pinching your pennies (or one-yen coins) since the anime wrapped way back in 2000, you might have saved up enough for the pricier 19,800-yen ($168) pair of Cardcaptor Sakura shoes also being offered by Super Groupies.
These are for the truly dedicated fan, as their motif comes from the single episode of the TV series when Sakura captures the dangerous Thunder Card while dressed like a cat.
▼ Cats are immune to electricity, right?
While they ditch the clunky design of the in-anime boots, they do retain the black and pink color scheme, while adding a few more feminine touches.
Their cleverest design element can be found on the outside edge of each shoe, which has an extra flap of material protruding from it. Sneak a peek at the back of it, and you can see they’re actually adorable little cat ears.
Super Groupies is taking preorders for the two designs through its website (here and here) between now and February 1. Delivery is scheduled for late April, and if you’re opting for the more expensive style, since you’re online anyway, we recommend picking up a pair of cat ear headphones and maybe a kitty-style low-cut turtleneck to really tie your outfit together.
Source: IT Media
Top image: Super Groupies
Insert images: Super Groupies, Photobucket, Super Groupies (2), Wikia (edited by RocketNews24)