These Animal Crossing: New Horizons-themed Puma sneakers are cooler than they have any right to be, and they're launching on Saturday, September 18 as part of a collaboration between Nintendo and the German apparel company.
Every once in a while, a piece of video game apparel ascends beyond its status as such and into Cool Cat territory. There are a few different tiers of video game clothes before you reach that level: there's the stiff, boxy N64 t-shirts from Walmart whose logos peel off after one go at the laundromat, then there's the slightly more stylish retro-themed stuff you might find at places like Target, and finally, you've got truly high-quality, good-looking video game merch from specialty stores.
As revealed in a first look from SneakerFreaker, these Animal Crossing Puma sneakers are in another category altogether, right alongside the Super Mario Bros. x Levi's collaboration from last year. The pastel hues are carried over wonderfully from the Animal Crossing New Horizons special-edition Switch; the Animal Crossing branding, like the leaf on the tongue and the little character faces on the sides, are implemented tastefully; and the shoes look like they'd work with almost any casual attire.
The Animal Crossing x PUMA collection isn't limited to just sneakers and will include items designed for both adults and kids. With the September release date confirmed, there's only a matter of time before you can rock with K.K. Slider.
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