First hitting the market not long after the Nintendo 64, one of Nike‘s latest designs for the long-lived Air Max 97 sneaker appears to be dropping some pretty strong hints about its video game inspiration.
Although the brand hasn’t called it an official homage or collaboration, video game fans have spotted six eye-catching ways that this upcoming Nike Air Max 97 edition connects to 1997’s Nintendo 64 design.
View this post on Instagram
Inspired by the Nintendo 64 🕹 New CW dropping soon, Cop or Drop? 🤔🔥 #airmax97talk
A post shared by Nike Air Max 97 Talk (@nikeairmax97talk) on
The color scheme of the CI5012-001 line follows that of the Nintendo 64 game pad: predominantly light gray with green, blue, red and dark gray accents.
Coincidence? Perhaps. Yet faint triangle motifs on the sneaker’s lowest heel-to-toe panel echo those on the N64 controller’s four yellow buttons.
Then, on the heel of each shoe, a reworked Air Max logo is shaped and squeezed into an oval capsule, evoking Nintendo’s own brand treatment at the time.
The tongue badges have the usual Nike logos swapped out for oval “Power” and “Reset” motifs, referencing the N64’s console housing; the shoes’ insoles sport a Nike-flavored remix of the ESRB content rating board’s logo.
And finally, three holes punched into the tongue pull-tabs mirror the console’s controller ports.
This article is published via AFP Relaxnews.