Pokémon’s new Clarks collaboration isn’t as childish as it sounds. Seriously.
The British footwear label, which released a Pikachu-covered Wallabee midway through last year, has reunited with Pokémon to drop four character-inspired takes on Clarks’ newest hero silhouette: the Torhill.
Honoring Pokémon day-oners like Charmander, Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and Pikachu, the collection sees four shoes dedicated to their own Pokémon and decorated accordingly.
Each Torhill — which is a shoe that takes design notes from the Wallabee and the ‘90s-born Big Gripper shoe — arrives doused in green, orange, blue, and yellow in accordance with its Pokémon, as well as pixelated stitched graphics on the tongue.
Thing is, while any sort of Pokémon collaboration may, at first, come across a little infantile, these vibrant Torhills actually go pretty hard.
Sure, the graphics on them are pixelated versions of iconic cartoon characters, but for the older reader at least it’s nostalgic AF, right?
Nevertheless, Pokémon is making a habit of creating surprisingly good collaborations.
Not only did Pokémon release a Wallabee with Clarks Originals last year, it can also count the likes of COMME des GARÇONS, A.P.C., Tiffany & Co, and even the Van Gogh Museum as recent collaborators. And to good effect, too.
But that’s the thing when you’re a brand as well-known and respected as Pokémon, it kinda doesn’t matter who you link up with because everyone, especially those over a certain age, will always have an affiliation with the video game series and its characters.
And if that nostalgic flame can be reignited for just one moment by way of a nice pair of Clarks shoes, then Pokémon is most certainly onto a winner.
