Hit manga JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure meets casual fashion in the form of stylish sneakers.
Yes, the popular comic series known affectionately as “JoJo” by fans has once again been turned into a line of attractive merchandise, this time in collaboration with American footwear brand Converse. Two of the central characters from the comic’s fourth story arc, Diamond is Unbreakable, have been turned into artfully designed Converse All Star sneakers, specifically as part of the All Star 100 line created to commemorate the sneaker’s 100th anniversary.
First we have the All Star 100 OX / JO Yoshikage Kira model, inspired by the character of Yoshikage Kira, vicious serial killer and the main villain of Diamond is Unbreakable.
The Kira sneakers are made of black leather printed with the distinct skull mark seen on the tie that Kira wears in the comic. While the purple color used on the inside provides a subtle accent that is visible when the shoes are taken off, the generally black and brown coloring gives the sneakers a chic look that isn’t out of character with the murderous yet suave Kira.
The details are sure to delight fans — like the insoles that feature Kira’s deadly “stand” superpower in the form of the indestructible auto-piloted bomb “Sheer Heart Attack“. The mechanical sounds made by Sheer Heart Attack and also the creepy line repeated by the stand, “Look this way!” are printed on the insole along with the illustration as well.
The second sneaker is the All Star 100 WHI / JO Rohan Kishibe model, featuring another popular character from Diamond is Unbreakable: the quirky but talented manga artist Rohan Kishibe (whom many fans consider to be the alter-ego of series creator Hirohiko Araki).
The Rohan model, made of mostly white canvas material, has a classical look, with the green coloring at the top representing the colorful headband Rohan usually wears. As an added cute touch, the sneakers are embroidered with Rohan’s signature manga pen mark on the inside, near the back. The inside of the shoe also contains plenty of fun details, such as the words: “You can’t attack Rohan Kishibe”, just like it would be written by Rohan in the comic using his stand power, “Heaven’s Door“.
The sneakers also have a double-layered design and there are surprises hidden inside the layers as well, such as the characteristic “Zukyuuun” onomatopoeia frequently used in the manga …
… and Heaven’s Door’s face peeking out from between the canvas material.
The insole also features Rohan’s autograph as it appears in the comic, which actually has quite an authentic look to it.
The sneakers are now available for pre-order at the Premium Bandai online shop until January 26, 2017, with the Kira model priced at 23,760 yen (US$203) and the Rohan model at 12,960 yen. The actual shoes are expected to be ready for delivery in July next year, but we’re sure many JoJo fans will find it worth the wait. The only problem they might have is that they may not be able to bear wearing the shoes and getting them dirty, but we guess in that case, they can keep the shoes on display!
Source, images: @Press