Hello Kitty swaps her cute image for some cool street cred.

In the past, we’ve seen some good-looking limited-edition kicks on the streets of Japan, from big name players like Reebok, Converse and Nike. Now Puma is joining the fray with a red-and-white themed collection, paying homage to one of Japan’s most popular characters: Hello Kitty.

At the centre of the collection is a pair of cool kicks, created to mark the 50th anniversary of the Puma Suede, which first appeared on the market back in 1968. Hello Kitty, who recently celebrated her 40th birthday in 2014, is on her way to turning 50 herself, and is such an icon of pop culture that Puma was keen to get her on board with their new collaboration.

For the collection, Hello Kitty appears with her trademark bow and milk bottle, an image that harks back to the character’s childhood in London, where she made cookies and loved her mother’s homemade apple pie.

The colourful graphic is accented with red laces and red suede on the tongue, heel and sides of the shoe. Hello Kitty also appears on the tongue, poking out from the laces alongside the Puma logo.

▼ The Puma x Hello Kitty Suede Classic retails for 1,2960 yen (US$118.97)

The popular Sanrio character can be found on a number of other items in the Puma range, including a red-and-white tracksuit.

▼ The hoodie retails for 8,640 yen…

▼ While the pants retail for 8,100 yen.

▼ And there’s also a T-shirt, for 4,320 yen, that pays homage to the collaboration. 

Also included in the range are a gymsack (3,240yen) and a backpack (8,100 yen), which feature the character on see-through designs.

To see the full collection, and stock up on purchases, head over to the Puma Japan site. Available for a limited time from 8 February, these items won’t be around for long – especially since all the reporters here at SoraNews24 can’t wait to get their hands on them!

Source, images: PR Times, Puma Japan