I’m not sure how legal they are, but they’re pretty neat.

American shoemaker New Balance recently attracted some ire after appearing to endorse US president-elect Donald Trump and subsequently getting declared the “official shoe of the white power movement.” Although that was simply a comment about the Trans Pacific Partnership free trade agreement that had gotten blown out of proportion, it has made some people resort to discarding or even burning their pairs.

If you happen to be one of those people, then perhaps you should try Nyuuz (にゅ～ず) from maker Sangachio in Kobe, Japan. These handmade shoes are somewhat similar in design to New Balance models, but instead of the trademark “N” on the side, these have the hiragana characters for “Nyu” which is pronounced just like “New.”

Image: Amazon

If Frank Miura watches which look eerily similar to Frank Muller can pull it off, why can’t Nyuuz? After all, these bear much less of a similarity and I suppose the fact that these shoes are handmade, not mass-produced, helps Sangachio skirt any copyright issues.

However that also means that these shoes are very limited in quantity, and tend to cost a pretty penny with prices averaging at about 26,000 yen (US$221).

▼ Nyuuz Panda – 26,460 yen ($225)

▼ Nyuuz Yellow – 25,920 yen ($220)

They are pretty cute looking, though, and if you happen to be interested in ordering, overseas shipping is free. Their website has limited English but it should be enough to make a purchase if you desire.

However, I wouldn’t recommend abandoning the actual New Balance company over recent events. They maintain a long-standing policy of manufacturing many of their shoes in America and the U.K., and are a pretty stand-up corporation compared to some of their competitors. Perhaps the best solution is to buy a pair of each…and then buy me some too. I’m an 11 and a half and rather fancy earth tones.

Source: Sangacio via Japaaan
Images: Sangacio (unless otherwise noted)