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Life is getting seriously cartoonish lately as footwear like the Astro Boy-inspired Big Red Boots and Nintendo’s Mario Boots have come to life and sparked viral moments in the real world. The cartoon craze continues on with the all-new RETRO Clothing “ASSASSIN” Shoes, which are inspired by The Simpsons.
First seen on Ned Flanders during Season 2 of The Simpsons, the animated sneaker was inspired by the Nike Air Trainer SC, made famous by Bo Jackson.
Nike Air Trainer SC High “Auburn”
Over the years, many have joked that The Simpsons are the ultimate time-traveling psychics that have “accurately” predicted events in culture and history, and this animated sneaker was first thought to predict the chunky shoe trend á la Balenciaga and other high fashion labels like Raf Simons. In fact, the 2008 Raf Simons De Stijl Hiking Boot has been closely compared to Ned Flanders’ Assassin sneakers — and the two do look oddly similar.
Ned Flanders’ “Assassin” Shoes // 2008 Raf Simons De Stijl Hiking Boot
While we may never be able to tell what came first, in this case, it’s clear that RETRO Clothing created an homage to The Simpsons with the Assassin Shoes. The independent label brings the animated sneaker to real life, but doesn’t over-realize the details to keep the sneaker’s cartoonish nature intact.
Assassins are a sophisticated type of running shoes with Velcro straps, a water pump on the tongue, and reflective side walls. Ned Flanders owns a pair, as did Homer Simpson before they were destroyed by Santa’s Little Helper.
RETRO Clothing
The sneaker has a midsole similar to the Air Jordan 4 that builds into an extended suede mudguard in Yellow. From there, the sneaker has a White upper with perforations and Red overlays throughout. The silhouette is completely laceless and is secured with two Black velcro straps. RETRO gets bold with a small, upside down Swoosh at the top of the sneaker, as mischievous nod towards Nike. To finish, RETRO leaves their mark on the tongue, while also including obvious nods to The Simpsons with “ASSASSIN” embroidery and “Homer” branding on the heel.
The pre-order for the RETRO Clothing “ASSASSIN” Shoes is open now. Sizes are selling out quickly, so purchase while you still can. For more sneaker news and release dates, follow @NiceKicks on Twitter.
