Shinji and three of his Eva co-pilots inspire unique shoes with high style and surprising functionality.

We recently took a look at a pair of pumps with show-stopping looks drawn from (and recreating) virtual idol Hatsune Miku. Now the same Japanese footwear fashion company, Mayla, is back with more creations designed to appeal to otaku and fashionistas alike.

This time it’s the cast of Evangelion that’s serving as the muses. Specifically, it’s the Rebuild of Evangelion theatrical tetralogy that’s got the designers’ creative juices flowing, resulting in four pairs of unique “heel sneakers” that blend statement-level uniqueness with subtly surprising functionality.

Naturally, protagonist Shinji Ikari is part of the lineup’s source material. As with each pair of shoes, the Shinji set borrows the image color schemes of Shinji’s biomechanical Evangelion robot and plugsuit.

Joining Shinji’s shoes are pairs for Rei Ayanami…

…Asuka Langley Shikinami…

…and Kaworu Nagisa.

“Sleek and shiny” definitely seems to have been a design goal, and with 7-centimeter (2.8-inch) heels, you might be ready to come to the conclusion that Mayla chose form over function when making these.

But look closer, and you’ll spot concessions like the extra-wide base of the heels, for extra stability…

…and the rugged, grippy “tank soles.”

In keeping with this dual nature, each pair of Eva shoes comes with two sets of laces: expressively flowing ribbons, or determinedly snug cords.

There’s even some Evangelion text theming going on inside the shoes themselves.

Picking just one character’s pair might be hard for Eva fans, but you can at least take solace in the fact that all four appear within the shoes’ special box.

Officially dubbed the Evangelion Iconic Heel Sneakers, all four pairs are identically priced at 31,790 yen (US$216) and go on sale at 5 p.m. on February 16 through the Mayla online shop here.

Source, images: Mayla
Top image: Mayla
Insert images: Mayla
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