ARTICLE BY Boon Mark Souphanh

5 TV Shows That Need a Sneaker Collaboration

Sailor Moon Nike Boxes Header

Sneaker brands have ‘Netflix and chilled’ with some of the small screen’s most popular TV series over the years. From adidas’ supercharged collections with Dragon Ball Z and Game of Thrones, to Clarks Wallabees’ tribute to Breaking Bad, we’ve certainly seen collaborations good, bad and ugly across the journey.

While sneaker collaborations with TV series are nothing new, we’re definitely seeing a lot more of them nowadays. The cultural influence of the small screen can’t be denied, and the backstories garner plenty of the inspiration, but we’re still waiting on a few gems from the goggle box to get their own link-ups.

Here’s five we think would send the ratings through the roof.

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The Shoe Surgeon Air Jordan 3 Jth Swoosh Logos

Pimp My Ride

Yo Dawg! I heard you love sneakers, so wouldn’t it be great if you could pimp-out your own pair?! We’re sure Xzibit and the crew at West Coast Customs would approve.

Customisable sneakers aren’t anything new, but what if the wearer could spice up more than just the Swoosh logos on their Nikes? Pimp My Ride really brought the automotive restoration and customisation game into the spotlight, and we think it’s about time the sneaker connoisseurs had the opportunity to mix ‘n match aspects of their creps too.,

Think ‘Nike By You’ on steroids, with the option to customise every aspect of each shoe, including stitching, lacing system, sole technology, and upper material. Get the sneaker of your dreams, all without the obligatory wisecracks from X.

Avatar Last Airbender Aang Toph And Korra
Image via Nickelodeon
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Image via Nickelodeon

Avatar: The Last Airbender

Anime and cartoon collaborations really get the sneakersphere speculating. After months of gossip and build-up, the Dragon Ball Z collection of 2018 ended up being one of the Three Stripes’ big wins for the year. If Nike are looking to hit back, this one is really a no brainer – the show is called The Last Airbender for goodness sake!

We’re thinking a new silhouette with the ginormous Air Max 720 cushioning, or even a pack of Air-infused creations inspired by Aang and his crew. Just make sure M. Night Shyamalan stays away from this one…

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Image via NBC
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Image via NBC

Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Sitcoms have given us some sneaker moments to savour over the years, so it’s about time one of contemporary favourites gets some love.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s NYPD Detective Jake Peralta regularly rocks Converse and Nike classics on the show, but we think another American brand would be a perfect fit: New Balance.

We’d opt for a favourite from the iconic 99x series (duh) – probably one of the 990s.

Sailor Moon Official Image
Adidas Dragon Ball Z Sneakers Bait Group Shot

Sailor Moon

As mentioned earlier, 2018’s Dragon Ball Z x adidas collection proved to be one of most ambitious and intriguing sneaker collaborations of last year, and it looks like Team Trefoil are looking to follow-up with a Naruto-themed release in the coming months. We’re not complaining, but we feel a Sailor Moon pack would’ve made more sense!

While the DBZ collection had its highlights, I think we can all agree there were some bricks among the bunch. As a follow-up, a women’s collection based on Sailor Moon’s heroines could be a chance for adi to right their wrongs with all killers and no fillers. They could even throw in a Tuxedo Mask crep for the guys – we bet it’d improve your chances with the ladies ten-fold.

,Cover Black Mirror
Image via Netflix/Nike
Nike Hyperadapt Profile Angle Side
Image via Netflix/Nike

Black Mirror

Trailblazing sci-fi series Black Mirror could give the big brands the perfect opportunity to unveil their latest technological innovations.

Unfortunately, in Nike’s case, we can imagine some pretty dire situations: Hyperadapts that lace up on command but refuse to untie or, even worse, Vaporflys that tap into your consciousness and make you run laps for eternity.

Hrmm, perhaps this isn’t such a good idea…

Regardless, we think we’ve got a decent concept for next season. Don’t forget to holler at us Netflix.

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