These Super Mario Boots Are Absolutely Incredible, But Fans Are Raging Over Them For One Understandable Reason
Nintendo has teamed up with Illumination and Red Wing Shoes to make a one-of-a-kind pair of Super Mario boots replicated from the game.
Despite being Nintendo’s iconic character whose fame mirrors that of Sonic the Hedgehog, Mario is also set to become a movie star and a fashion icon. Red Wing Shoes—an American footwear company—just made a real-life pair of Super Mario boots as a result of a collaboration between the company, Nintendo, and Illumination. Needless to say, the fandom is raging over the new pair of boots, as only one pair is made to promote the upcoming movie starring Chris Pratt.
We translated every on-screen pixel into a real-life stitch and brought Mario’s boots to life as a single 1 of 1 prototype pair. Durable leather, slip-resistant treads and mushroom-based mycelium heel pads provide Mario a welcome power-up to take on Bowser. #SuperMarioMovie pic.twitter.com/VCaRB7BcSC
— The Super Mario Bros. Movie (@supermariomovie) March 10, 2023
The Red Wing’s Super Mario boots are stitched using durable leather, slip-resistant threads, and mushroom-based mycelium heel pads. These features are the hallmark of good-quality work boots—which isn’t surprising, considering that Mario’s a plumber. This also includes the mushroom-based mycelium heel pads, which, despite sounding like a gimmicky nod towards Mario’s connection to mushrooms, are actually the latest and greatest in footwear design.
On a side note, the impossible mushroom in Super Mario 64 has finally been picked up after 27 years of trying.
The fact that the boots are unique set the internet ablaze, with Mario fans stating that they wouldn’t mourn a fortune for the opportunity to call Super Mario boots their own. These were first teased by Shigeru Miyamoto, the father of modern video games and maker of Mario, at the same event which discussed the upcoming movie and the future of the Mario franchise—including whether or not they’re making a new, mainline entry.
It would seem that Super Mario is undergoing an expansion; Shigeru Miyamoto has been a strong advocate for brand expansion over the past decade, urging Nintendo’s higher-ups to invest in high-budget cinematic or animated adaptations and broader merchandising—this could very well include clothing and a Super Mario boot collection. Hey, even the Tetsuwan-Atomu (Astro Boy) got boots of his own, and these are mass-produced and quite pricey—they sell for $300 a pair.
Another popular footwear collaboration that comes to mind is the one between the Shoe Surgeon and Puma, which resulted in the red, white, and gold sneaker worn by another recognizable and loved gaming mascot—Sonic the Hedgehog. The iconic Sonic’s real-life sneakers feature an impressive and bold design and are quite coveted and pricey due to their rare status since only five pairs have been made.
Admittedly, Super Mario boots are a true rarity, but unfortunately, they’re not for sale, despite the desires of many. Instead, the one-of-a-kind prototype is currently on display at Nintendo’s New York store. Perhaps they’ll gain enough traction (pun intended) for Nintendo to officially license the boots to Red Wing for mass production.
It would certainly bring in more revenue needed for the development of Nintendo Switch 2, the purported success of the record-breaking Nintendo Switch handheld console.
Super Mario Boots are currently on display at Nintendo Store in New York, while the fandom awaits the release of the upcoming animated adaptation, The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which will be released in theaters on April 5, 2023.
