Running (through) the World with Pokémon Shoes

Ever since the 25th anniversary celebrations, Pokémon has gotten into some captivating collaborations. Presently, those collaborations have now involved objects that people every day use to walk, run, or travel to places, which would be shoes. Most captivatingly, the current collaboration involves not just one, but three different manufacturers of shoes. That's not only captivating but also significant, and that deserves to be covered all the same.

First one up would be a collaboration with Skechers, an American shoe manufacturer. Through the collaboration, a number of shoes resulted with color bands that are reminiscent of certain Pokémon. Not only that, there are also several Pokémon sandals with images of Pokémon emblazoned on the side. They happen to have Greninja shoes and Snorlax sandals, which I consider fancy and to be my favorites as well. The Rayquaza shoes and Jigglypuff sandals also deserve special mention as well. Anyone should be able to find their faves.

Second, there's a collaboration with Mizuno, a Japanese shoe and sportswear manufacturer. Unlike the others, the collaboration resulted in one shoe - the Esperunzer Pikachu edition - but it also resulted in a diverse array of sportswear that also features Pikachu. I of course will take those Pikachu shoes, but then so would the T-shirt, jacket, and sports bag with the motif. The products are admittedly of one note featuring Pikachu, but for fans of this Pokémon, that should be enough to wow one over.

The third and most recent collaboration is with Puma, one of the big names in European shoe manufacturing. This collaboration resulted in five shoe models, featuring all the Kanto starters, Pikachu, and Gengar. They all look impressive even with their subdued but bright tones, but that should hardly be a problem. Of these, I like the Pikachu model followed by the Charmander one, and Gengar would be a close third. Any of them remain a perfect choice for sporty fans, as that is the image the brand possesses.

And that's something that applies to all of them, really. Discerning sporty people know that they need good shoes, and discerning fans of Pokémon know that they can't get enough of merchandise. Put them both together, and that results in these captivating collaborations with shoe manufacturers with an array of models. They all might just be viable for running (through) the world, something Trainers might be expected to do.

One year ago: Pressing the B Button... Realistically

Two years ago: Stepping into the Marsh

Three years ago: Tournament: Raid Group Ferocious Cup

Four years ago: 3D Printing and Pokémon

Five years ago: (Mid-)Generational Updates