
These kicks pay homage to everything from the humble convenience store through to Netflix and even the old-school iMac G3.
We’ve seen some awesome sneakers in Japan that honour local icons like Hello Kitty, Pokémon, and even kimono textiles loved by samurai, but now there’s an artist who’s expanding our horizons with a series of designs that celebrate the beauty of the everyday.
These new illustrations, by artist and Twitter user @mitiruxxx, show that anything is possible when it comes to sneaker design. Kicking of the range is a shoe that pays homage to Akabako (“Red Box”) Beauty Soap, a product used by a huge number of households across Japan, and well-known for its distinctive red-box packaging, cow logo, and milky white colour.
▼ These shoes will make you feel like you’ve just washed your feet in soap.
This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to sneakers that scream “Japan”, as there’s also a design dedicated to Pom juice, a locally produced mikan fruit drink that’s been on the market since 1952.
Another Japanese product worth celebrating is Shingen Mochi, a traditional sweet from Yamanashi Prefecture popularised by Kikyouya, a confectionery store founded in 1889.
Kikyouya’s Shingen Mochi is so popular it’s even available as a 7-Eleven ice cream and a Japanese KitKat flavour, which come packaged in the sweet’s distinctive bellflower design.
Calorie Mate energy bars are another household name in Japan, boasting benefits that can be read about on the packaging of the bar and in this case, the shoe box.
Even the humble roll of cling wrap (a.k.a. saran wrap) looks awesome as a shoe design.
One of our favourites is the 7-Eleven sneaker, which would no doubt sell out in minutes if it were to ever become available.
Suntory Mineral Water is another popular staple that promises to satiate not only our physical thirst but our figurative thirst for unusual sneakers.
This particular design caught the attention of Suntory Mineral Water, who retweeted it on their official Twitter account with the message: “W..want! Fresh and vibrant, with a refreshing, cool feeling. Thanks for the awesome design!”
ほ、ほしい…!
— サントリー天然水 (@suntory_tennen) July 14, 2020
ひんやりと冷涼感あって、みずみずしい💧
素敵なデザイン、ありがとうございます! https://t.co/H4Hkw9L0Vo
Japan isn’t the only inspiration for @mitiruxxx’s sneaker design collection, however, as there’s also a couple that pay homage to the old-school iMac G3.
And rounding off the collection is a shoe for Netflix — a head-turner with its bold red-and-black design.
The so-called “fictitious sneaker” collection has attracted a lot of attention online, with people desperate to get their hands on — or should we say ‘feet in’ — the collection in real life.
#作品を見て下さいあわよくばフォローしてください祭
— ミチル (@mitiruxxx) July 18, 2020
架空のスニーカー量産してます pic.twitter.com/RWoNzVy6o7
While there’s no news yet on whether the collection will actually become available in real-life in future, you can stay up-to-date with all the latest developments on the designer’s Twitter account.
With big names like Nike teaming up with designers to make their dream ideas a reality, here’s hoping the same thing happens for @mitriruxxx…because we really want to be able to say we own a pair of 7-Elevens.
Source: Twitter/@mitiruxxx
Featured image: Twitter/@mitiruxxx
Insert images: Twitter/@mitiruxxx (1, 2, 3, 4)
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