I’ve written earlier than how I’m an enormous fan of Nike’s refined “tributes” to issues they don’t really maintain the license for, the newest instance being a line of Prestos based mostly on Star Wars characters like Boba Fett. These upcoming Hey Kitty sneakers, although, are the true deal.

These have really been rumoured for some time now, and have been first considered a long-overdue public launch of this 2004 collaboration, which have been supposed to see a wider drop however ended up touchdown within the arms of just some dozen fortunate family and friends:

For these not into sneaker historical past, these sneakers are kinda notorious! The peachy/pink colourway above was designed by Fragment’s Hiroshi Fujiwara, whereas the black one was labored on by Steven Smith, the “Godfather” of recent sneaker design whose credit vary from the Reebok InstaPump Fury to the Nike Zoom Air Spectrum to Adidas’ Yeezy line. There have been an extra two colourways deliberate that by no means made it into manufacturing, as Smith recollects on this 2018 function on Highsnobiety (disclaimer: I’ve written for this web site):

The Hey Kitty Air Presto was a part of a mission to rejoice the character’s thirtieth anniversary in 2004. Initially, in keeping with Smith, the pack was presupposed to get a limited-but-available launch. However finally solely an estimated 12 pairs of every colorway made their technique to family and friends of Nike and Hey Kitty maker Sanrio. “I’m undecided why they turned so restricted,” says Smith. “The unique plan was for 500 of every type when the mission was first offered to me.”

It’d sound odd given Hey Kitty’s goal demographic, however Smith was the best candidate to design the shoe. “Mark Parker [now Nike CEO, then co-president] knew how a lot I liked Japan and Sanrio,” he says. “I’d herald my Hey Kitty waffle iron and make everybody Hey Kitty head waffles a few times a yr only for enjoyable. I introduced my lunch every single day in a Hey Kitty or Unhealthy Badtz-Maru lunchbox. It simply appeared pure that I ought to work on the particular mission for Hey Kitty’s anniversary.”

These rumours proved to be a bit of off, although, as a result of the primary photos of an officially-licensed 2022 collab have turned up this week and so they present a brand new design, that includes a blue colourway and, cutest of all, a customized heelcup that function’s Hey Kitty’s face and trademark bow.

Alongside the sneakers, there may be additionally going to be a line of clothes to go together with them, that includes shirts like this:

The entire line is scheduled to drop on Might 2.