The Sega Genesis and Nintendo’s SNES have been celebrated by Rivalry Low Nicekicks … [+]
One of the most iconic console wars of all time has been immortalized by two pairs of shoes in a new and exclusive collaboration between Nice kicks and Adidas, celebrating the glory days of the 16-bit era in North America.
The “Rivalry Series” project from Adidas uses the perfectly named Adidas Rivalry model first released in 1986 – a shoe that was originally designed for basketball, but has since found a much wider casual appeal. In an exclusive collaboration with Nice Kicks, this new drop, landing on August 16th, is inspired by the battle between the Sega Genesis and the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), which took place at the height of the sneaker style’s popularity.
Known as the Rivalry Low Nicekicks, the pairs will be available in Low Core Black – the Genesis look that “honors the sonic burst of fun kids would have with the predominantly black console” and White Tint for the SNES, which offers “a super color scheme” which also “pays homage to a legendary console”.
The Rivalry Low Nicekicks, side by side: “Core Black” for the Genesis look and “White Tint” for the … [+]
Speaking exclusively about the collaboration with Adidas, Bryan Tang, Head of Product and Trainer Designer for Nice Kicks, says: “The idea behind Nice Kicks was to tell a story about the opponents, with examples of famous sports teams and figures – just as the Lakers-Celtics rivalry continues.
“Naturally, the Nice Kicks team thought outside the box and focused on something that was more niche and meant something to them. Growing up in the late ’80s and early ’90s, we didn’t have as many options for game consoles as we do now, and if we were lucky enough to have one, we’d have to choose between Nintendo or Sega.”
He explained that the design inspiration for the shoes comes from the team’s interest in gaming and hip-hop music. Tang adds, “We all shared similar stories of going to our local game stores to window shop for the latest game and the artwork they would use for the covers.
The shoes celebrate Nintendo and the SNES with more subtle details on the insole, tongue tag and spikes.
“Over time, many of these toys were resold in stores and had imperfections such as glue residue or fading from sun damage. We took all those nostalgic feelings and incorporated them into the shoes, focusing on wearability and storytelling.”
On both pairs of shoes, Nice Kicks branding is depicted in each console’s font style on the right tongue tags, while “Rivalry Series” graces the left.
Most strikingly, the SNES pair seems to be leaning towards the sunny look of the US NTSC-U console, making it darker and more yellow with age. However, in sneakers as in life, the Genesis shoes are my personal choice, especially with the one-sided red stripes – but then again, the US SNES design, as iconic as it is, isn’t as pretty or colorful as this . we arrived outside North America.
The Genesis and SNES Rivalry Low Nicekicks sneakers, along with the consoles that inspired them.
It’s not the first time the Sega Genesis has been celebrated in the sneaker world, but it’s certainly more appealing than Lavair’s $275 Mega Drive shoes from 2021, which offered a much sportier profile and a color scheme you just couldn’t to lose. worse. In 2019, Nike – in an official partnership with Nintendo – offered more tasteful N64-inspired Air Max shoes, priced around $160.
Games and publishers have also tried their hand at designs in recent years. Assassin’s Creed Valhalla teamed up with Reebok in 2020 for three “Like a Viking” looks. Atari joined forces with Cariuma to celebrate its 50th anniversary. perhaps the most famous of all was the Nintendo x Vans collaboration since 2016and every day I regret missing the Duck Hunt-inspired hits from this range.
Whichever pair you prefer – why not both? – you can get your hands on these gaming-themed Rivalry Low Nicekicks when released August 16th at Shop Nice Kicks.
