Nike’s New Yu-Gi-Oh! Shoes Blend Anime Style with Sneaker Culture

What enters your mind when “It’s time to duel!” or “Let’s duel!” hits your ears? If you guessed the original Yu-Gi-Oh! anime series, you’d be correct! Or, to be more specific, the 2000 English-dubbed animated show distributed by 4Kids Entertainment.

This show, and the other 4Kids shows, dominated Saturday mornings and childhoods. You couldn’t walk into a store without seeing merchandise stemming from this cartoon. The trend continues with brand-new shoes coming from the renowned Nike company. And they’re based on ones belonging to a beloved franchise character.

He’s the King of Games

Based on the manga by Kazuki Takahashi, Yu-Gi-Oh! follows high schooler, Yugi Muto. He and his close-knit friend group are fans of the Duel Monsters card game. And they often play it using hologram technology that brings the cards to life. The only issue is that the games frequently take on life-saving stakes. When that happens, a spirit possesses Yugi and heightens his competitive skills.

Most of Yu-Gi-Oh! revolves around Yugi and his companions attending Duel Monsters tournaments. They often, unfortunately, involve saving a loved one or stopping a power-hungry individual. As the show progressed, the characters learn their game was real in ancient times. And the spirit possessing Yugi was a powerful pharaoh from Egypt who commanded god-like monsters.

New Shoes Inspired by Yu-Gi-Oh! Character

The Yu-Gi-Oh! series and franchise immediately took the world by storm. Various forms of merchandise, including the phenomenal card game, soon flooded stores everywhere. There were video games, posters, lunch boxes, fashion accessories, and stylish clothing. And it looks like we’re getting a new piece of the final option.

Nike is partnering with Konami to present the mind-blowing Air Max 95 QS YGO. These sneakers take inspiration from the kicks worn by Joey Wheeler. They come in two different sets, one in anime colors and another in manga colors. The grayscale manga-colored sneakers will only be available in Japan. Lastly, each pair comes with an exclusive card that’s playable for the real-life game.