5/16/2006

These photos went around the internet years ago but they’re still some of my favourite examples of Japanese fashion. GameBoy Shoes! The source website (syberpunk.com) writes:

In the ultimate merger of Technology and Fashion, these funky boots are highly popular with teens all over Japan. I don’t know if i’d be seen wearing them though. Surprisingly the Gameboys are still playable! Just pop it out and play, anytime anywhere.

But I’m not entirely sure that they were buyable. I’ve searched high and low for shops stocking them, both online and offline. I asked a lot of my students but none of them semed to know anything about it. So, judging from the photos and lack of apparent sales, I’ll go out on a limb here and say that they weren’t in fact street fashion seen around Japan, but rather a fashion student’s design project. And very funky they are, too.

It is actually possible to make your own GameBoy Shoes but it involves some work on the part of your local cobbler, as well as sacrificing 2 GameBoys. It’s possible to pick up second hand GameBoys or GB Advances from Akihabara’s junk shop for a few dollars. It’s one of my many projects that I’ll get around to doing one day.