From PC hardware, watches, to smartphones; Mobile Suit Gundam, one of Japan’s more popular pop-culture icons, has seen plenty of collaborations with brands from various markets. That being said, popular US footwear giant Nike is no stranger to this and, in fact, has recently unveiled two Unicorn Gundam-themed Dunk High sneakers under its Nike SB brand.
The new kicks consist of two colourways that are inspired by the Unicorn and Banshee Gundam mechas from the Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn series. Specifically, the former comes in a white body with red and black accents which mimics the mech’s Destroy Mode. Similarly, the Banshee version sports a Thunder Blue colour with orange and black accents.
Of course, both collaborative footwear also feature brandings from both Nike and Gundam. On each side of the heels are Unicorn Gundam insignias, and the Nike SB logo is situated on the tongue. What’s unique about these particular Nike SB Dunk High sneakers are the shoe brand’s iconic Swoosh logos that not only protrude from the shoes, but are also removable. These are styled to resemble the V-Fin headpiece featured on both the Unicorn and Banshee Gundam mobile suits.
Meanwhile, Bandai also recently unveiled two new Gundam kits as part of the collaboration. Basically, these are the same 1/144 scale HG (High Grade) Unicorn and Banshee gunplas that were released prior to this, but now sporting Nike SB decals on various parts of their bodies and are offered in new packaging as well. These kits are Japan-exclusive limited editions that are priced at JPY2,420 (~RM92.50) each, and are only offered via a raffle held during the footwear’s launch in Japan later this week.
The new Nike SB x Unicorn Gundam sneakers are slated to arrive in Japan, China and Europe on 24 September 2021, and later in the US starting 9 October. Nike has yet to reveal the pricing for the new footwear. Unfortunately, it is not known whether both the Unicorn and Banshee Dunk High sneakers would make their way to Malaysia in the near future.
(Source: Nike SB [Instagram] / Nike Japan / Bandai)
