It goes without saying that the Despicable Me and the Minions franchises are one of the most iconic animated franchises in this era. And what better way to show your love for these loveable yellow blobs with sneakers inspired by them?
American sportswear brand Reebok has teamed up with Illumination to launch the Minions: The Rise of Gru collection in celebration of the upcoming movie of the same name, launching on 1 October on Reebok’s official website and select local retailers. The collection includes five popular Reebok silhouettes, each bearing some inspiration from the characters in the movie, all sporting over-the-top colourways that are sure to turn heads when on your feet.
Leading the pack is the Minions x Reebok Question Mid “Gru’s Lab” (S$175). This metallic silver/black iteration of former NBA star Allen Iverson’s iconic signature sneaker features hits of glow-in-the-dark green on the lace cage and the air bubbles on the midsole as a nice callback to Gru’s laboratory. Little bolt-like designs adorn the air bubbles to reflect the cold lab setting, while Gru’s G replaces the standard #3 as seen in typical Question Mids. The insoles sport blueprints to complement the lab look and feel of this sneaker.
The Minions x Reebok Instapump Fury “Minions” (S$170) is arguably the most recognisable and iconic sneaker in this collection, sporting a bright yellow/blue colourway that will surely melt the hearts of any fan of the franchise. Most strikingly, the sneaker features a single Minion eye on the upper, with hits of blue to reflect the overalls that most of them wear, and the Minions logo stamped across the arc area of the outsole.
On the other hand, the Minions x Reebok Instapump Fury “Vicious 6” (S$200) is a homage to Gru’s archnemeses in the movie: the Vicious 6. This is arguably the loudest colourway of the collection, as it literally takes colours of all six members of the supervillain group and literally slaps them all across the upper, insoles and outsoles. One for the truly bold and brash.
In stark contrast, the other sneaker inspired by the supervillain group, the Minions x Reebok Club C “Vicious 6” (S$100) adopts a more understated and clean look, which resembles the ’70s vibes of the Vicious 6’s lounge in their lair. The off-white upper sports a nice mix of courdroy, premium leather and nubuck, as well as a purple sockliner and a dark grey outsole for a nice bit of contrast.
Last but not least is the Minions x Reebok Club C “Otto” (S$70), which is the only sneaker in the collection that is only available in kids and toddler sizes. Another yellow sneaker, this time in homage to the newest Minion, Otto. The leather upper is in a bright mustard yellow, with other yellow tones found on the laces, Reebok logo on the sides, and near the heel area, with a blue tongue providing some contrast. The sockliner and insole sport prints of the Minions bunched up together. Moving to the bottom is the white midsole, rounded off with a contrasting neon green outsole, at the heel of which is a splash of mud brown.
Rounding out the collection is a series of Minions x Reebok graphic apparel, which includes T-shirts and long-sleeve shirts.
Minions: The Rise of Gru lands in theatres on 2 July 2021.
Marion has a serious RPG addiction. Sometimes it bleeds into real life; he forgets to sleep because he thinks he has a Witcher’s body clock. Forgive him in advance if he suddenly blurts out terms such as “Mind Flayer” and “Magic Missile”, because never once does he stop thinking about his next Dungeons & Dragons game.
Trinity Sun
Edwin Teo
