The way to a geek’s heart is not via their stomach, but from the ground up, starting with their feet.
This time around, the sweet sneakers have been inspired by protagonist Takumi Fujiwara’s vehicle, in the popular racing anime Initial D. Hardtuned’s Fujiwara Tofu Store sneakers are the perfect way to show your love for the series. The shoes sport a design identical to the black and white Toyota AE86, with the iconic text in Japanese reading “Fujiwara Tofu Store”.
The laced-up canvas shoes are double-printed with the design on both sides, and feature a soft textile lining for comfort, as well as a rubber sole for traction. To the uninitiated, it may just look like a regular pair of Converse sneakers with a bunch of random Japanese text thrown onto it, but Initial D fans will be sure to recognise the subtle yet stylish design.
Retailing from US$59, the Fujiwara Tofu Store shoes are available in both men’s and women’s sizes. They come in lowtops, hightops, and running shoe variants in either white or red.
They seem to be quite a hit among fans, with a 5-star rating based on 21 reviews on the Hardtuned store page for the hightops, and plenty of user-posted images from happy customers who commmended the shoes’ comfort level and quality.
These Fujiwara Tofu Store kicks are a worthy addition to the ever-expanding list of geeky shoes, where franchise after franchise seem to have tie-in collaboration sneakers, some producing stylish pairs fans would proudly wear, while others… not so much. Some of the best among recent geeky shoe releases include the Dragonball Z x Adidas, Avengers-inspired kidswear by New Balance, cute yet classy Disney princess TOMS sneakers, and the Pokemon x FILA collaboration.
No doubt that there will be plenty more geeky shoes to come, let’s just hope they all look as good as the Fujiwara Tofu Store sneakers!