Naruto and Japanese sporting goods manufacturer ASICS have teamed up for an official pair of “Sage Mode” sneakers. Now, Los Angeles-based streetwear brand HYPLAND has announced the American launch date for the limited edition shoes.
Via Sneaker News on X (formerly Twitter), retail clothing store HYPLAND will release the Naruto x ASICS GEL-NYC sneakers exclusively in the United States on August 31, 2024. HYPLAND confirmed the news in a quote post: “We’re bringing our first shoe with Asics & @SAbdelhamid to the store next Saturday at Hypland Little Tokyo.” The shoes feature colors that symbolize Naruto’s Sage Mode. Shippuden‘s “Pain Arc” – mainly orange, black, and red. Other motifs include the shoelace lock, which resembles a scroll, and the Konoha (Hidden Leaf Village) emblem emblazoned on the shoelace tongue. Readers can check out the official promotional image and product images below.
ASICS partners with Naruto to release new Shippuden sneakers exclusively in America
The shoes were previously released in Europe and will retail for $165 in the US. According to shoe designer Sebastien Abdelhamid on X, who has previously worked with major French anime streamer ADN and top French team Metz, Naruto Sneakers will be sold in limited quantities; they are expected to be available online after the in-store release. The sneakers join HYPLAND’s numerous collaborations with the anime, including hoodies, sherpa and varsity jackets, shorts, printed T-shirts, and more. HYPLAND’s Little Tokyo store opened in June and aims to provide a full anime experience through manga magazines, retro consoles, and arcade machines, as well as host community events such as gaming tournaments and anime movie nights. Little Tokyo has long been a center of anime culture in Los Angeles, home to a Kinokuniya, hobby shops like Anime Station, and the recently opened Akiba Maid War Pop-up cafe.
Naruto remains one of the most popular anime in the world, with a successful manga series, a gaming franchise, and regular merchandise releases. The series recently partnered with Throne Cycles for the Naruto Bike, which followed recent collaborations with Crocs and phone cases with CASETiFY. Fans can stream the series on Crunchyroll, where it is described as follows: “The village of Hidden in the Leaves is home to the most secretive ninja. But twelve years earlier, a fearsome nine-tailed fox terrorized the village before being subdued and his spirit trapped in the body of a young boy.”
Source: HYPLAND, Sneaker News via X (formerly Twitter)
