Culture

Grim Fandango Shoes Make Purple Sneakers Possible

Purple sneakers? Hah. Nothankyou. Oh! Unless they’re custom purple Cons covered in Grim Fandango artwork. Now that, that we can consider.

Reader Tonks – who also made those Noby Noby and Phoenix Wright kicks – sends us his latest work, showing that his love, like ours, is as strong as ever for Tim Schafer’s wonderful adventure game.

And as strong as ever for wonderful video game sneakers. Even if they are purple.

The Grim Fandango Converse. [Kyozo Kicks]

Comments (AU Comments | US Comments)

  • FunkyMunxy

    @lordhewlett: Doy! These are customs. Did you really believe Lucas Arts had decided to run a line of sneakers based on a cult 10 year old game in the hope of somehow making money from it. Really?

    FunkyMunxy

  • Juan José Méndez Gallardo

    @Nick Tonks: You sir are very talented and I wish more people did this kind of work in México.

    Can I have the Calaveras? I'm Mexican and (judging from my avatar) I clearly need me some new shoes! :D

    Juan José Méndez Gallardo

  • ShadowOdin finally got a copy of

    @Nick Tonks: DS is not enough. How are we to enjoy all the details on that small screen?

    No, we need full immersion. Time to bring VR back.

  • Hassun

    @excel_excel:
    Backs to the wall people!

  • Nick Tonks

    @NeVeRMoRe666:

    Thanks for the support!

    Nick Tonks

  • Kraznor

    Totally awesome. Would purchase any of the shoes showcased thus far.

  • Nick Tonks

    @ShadowOdin finally got a copy of Suikoden III. Is upset wit...:

    I don't think it's a fault as much as it's just abit tricky!

    everything about Grim Fandango is great, LucasArts really need to re-release it (DS lucasarts games Anyone?)

    Nick Tonks

  • Nick Tonks

    @excel_excel:

    I'm always here! love me some Kotaku!

    I tried responding to your earlier post but it stuck it on the guys above you, I really dig TF art syle but I don't know the game, I need to know off you guys what makes it such a good game!

    Nick Tonks

  • ShaSt One

    @Jellocakes: Yeah, originality is always remembered over those who just refine it

  • Jellocakes

    @ShaSt One: It's a testament to those games from the early years of Lucasarts that they are still remembered and discovered by new gamers all these years later. Many of whom could enjoy owning such flashy shoes.

    Try saying the same about Killzone, Crysis, Halo in 10-20 years time.

    Jellocakes

  • NeVeRMoRe666

    @Nick Tonks: Great job on the kicks Nick. You sure are talented! Keep it up!

  • an skyline

    @Zyconis: High Jordans.

    Once you get used to them, there's no going back.

  • ShadowOdin finally got a copy of

    @Nick Tonks: Imo, I don't think it's anyone fault other than the original artists. Grim Fandango had a very original art-direction.
    Props for picking my favorite costume for the Manny.

  • Andy misses his 360 :(

    :') Bravo.

  • freedoms_stain

    Pity no amount of interesting artwork will stop these from crippling your feet.

  • excel_excel

    @Nick Tonks: OMG ITS TONKS! Do a Team Fortress one will ya?

  • excel_excel

    @ikiddo: FUCKING SPIES! ARGH

  • ShaSt One

    @excel_excel: SHOE IS CREDIT TO FEET!

  • ShaSt One

    @Phibius: 21 isn't exactly senior citizenship status... we should have fun while we're still young. You see all them old people saying youth is wasted on the young... if those old people were young again, you can bet they'd be wearing these shoes!

    Of course the whole Grim Reaper resemblance might be a turn off for them as they've surely had to make dealings with him in their old age

  • ikiddo

    @excel_excel: IMA COME-*Backstab*

  • Nick Tonks

    @ShadowOdin finally got a copy of Suikoden III. Is upset wit...:

    Hands down, the shape of the head is what took me the longest to get right. It seems to be an ongoing problem with Grim art work! If I recall the GF fan made models (which were excellent) had an odd shaped head in the end!

    Nick Tonks

  • Nick Tonks

    @excel_excel:

    Team Fortress has a wicked art style excel, it's not a game I know or play (unfortunately) so I would need some help from TF fans to put them together - help I'm more than willing to except!

    Nick Tonks

  • Luffay

    It makes me cry that I'm not wearing these right now :'(

  • Sebnotic Is Serious Business

    So it seems that 10 in the UK converts to a 10 1/2 size in the USA.

    .....
    Damn!

  • Nick Tonks

    Kotaku you are far too kind to show my shoes! I always beam with pride when they grace this blog.

    Kotaku readers, you to are far too kind for your comments. Really like the opportunity to talk to people about them.

    I won't give my site a plug 9not sure if that's the done thing?) but my shoes go under the name KyozoKicks, so with a quick google search you should find me & my shoes!

    Another pair will be on the way soon no doubt, let's just say the (tri) force is strong with them!

    Nick Tonks

  • Zyconis

    @CosmicElement: I used to only wear sneakers, but then I got a pair of high-tops, and once you get used to them, there's really no going back.

    Zyconis

  • Zyconis

    @samuraifez: Haven't you heard?
    Reading the article isn't a requirement for posting.

    Zyconis

  • Bogulmon

    @CaptainAtman: SKULL JOKE!

    Bogulmon

  • CosmicElement

    @Zyconis: I'm more of a sneaker person.
    Plus, it always grates on my nerves how long it takes to put them on.
    Either way, I still wouldn't wear these; the artwork is way tooo beautiful :)

    CosmicElement

  • samuraifez

    @lordhewlett:

    Do you know how to read?

    samuraifez

  • ShaSt One

    @QualityJeverage: Yeah, these are the first possibly successful gaming shoes I've seen in a while. Not ridiculously over the top and not so subtle that they hardly look different from normal shoes. Good work I say

  • dunetiger reads kotaku, seems pl

    With bony hands I hold my partner
    On soul-less feet we cross the floor
    The music stops as if to answer
    An empty knocking at the door.
    It seems his skin was sweet as mango
    When last I held him to my breast
    But now we dance this grim fandango
    And will four years before we rest.

  • Phibius

    what I don't understand is, why make a "youth" design object for a game that was released 10 years ago? well maybe not exactly 10 but I think I was 11 when this came out, now I'm 21... Not judging, but at 21, I don't plan on wearing flashy shoes anymore.
    Maybe black classy shoes with a white design would've catched my attention.

  • ShadowOdin finally got a copy of

    Head is not rectangular enough.

  • Pult|Ost - Dark Days Are Coming

    I should start drawing on my ugly shoes. The smell will probably make the paint fall off though.

  • Zyconis

    @lordhewlett: It's not a company that's making it. It's just an artist who seems to enjoy putting game art on sneakers.

    Zyconis

  • Zyconis

    @CosmicElement: Converse are the only thing I wear(aside from the occasional pair of dress-shoes).
    Regardless, even though the artist says they're perfectly fine to wear, I don't think I would. I'd be too afraid that they'd get all dirty and scuffed.

    Zyconis

  • MaikenX

    yuck.

    MaikenX

  • CapnCourage

    Man, if those weren't Converse, they would be the best shoes over.

    As it is, they only rank among the best shoes ever. Along with the Tetris shoes!

  • CosmicElement

    @Zyconis: The art is cool, but I wouldn't.
    I don't know why, but I don't like Converse.

    CosmicElement

  • SPECIALciaNAPKIN

    There's a song for my younger beginning korean students in a song book called The Purple Sneaker Song.
    Only in that picture i don't count "four little purple sneakers" like the lyrics say.

  • CaptainAtman

    I want to cry because the shoe is too small for me, but as a skeleton, I have no eyes! YOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO

    CaptainAtman

  • excel_excel

    My GOD. I hope he does a Team Fortress pair. I've got that on my brain....thats not natural...MEDIC

  • mitch_93

    I love the game. What I would really love if those were in black. You know the whole Fandago bit being a white skeleton man in a white suit with his shadow on a white wall.

    mitch_93

  • I jizzed in my pants like a boss

    You can't hide from the Grim Reaper. Especially when he's got these awesome sneakers.

  • lordhewlett

    wow....

    How much money can you make off your product in the sillyest/crappyest ways? Thats the name of the game for most companys these days.

    lordhewlett

  • QualityJeverage

    Normally game-themed sneakers are ugly as sin.

    I can't decide if these are an exception or not, but oddly enough I still want to wear them either way.

    QualityJeverage

  • Zyconis

    @samuraifez: I know!
    I think I'd be willing to kill for a pair of those..

    Zyconis

  • samuraifez

    DO WANT. I would totally wear these.

    samuraifez

  • Leonharfs

    What's for the dead then? BONE WAAAAAGOOOOOOOOON!!

    Leonharfs

  • 2NinjasTapedTogether

    Holy Christ on a shingle, those are beautiful shoes. Grim Fandango is one of those games I always wish I had a PC good enough to play back in the day...

    Someday... Some... day...

  • Purple Dave

    @SPECIALciaNAPKIN:
    I count four...in my living room. Two low-top purple suede All-Stars, and two hi-top purple leather chucks that say "PurpleDave" down the back. I don't know that they really qualify as "little", though...

    Purple Dave

  • Xusder

    @excel_excel: Don't worry! The Engineer is here to save the day...*ZZZAP*...

    What the?! SPY SAPPIN' MAH VIDEO CARD!

    Now I can't play TF2. :(

  • the good dr zero

    A great combination of three of my favourite things. Chucks, Grim Fandango, and You Am I.

  • ericisgreat

    We need to give a medal to whoever thought of combining Mayan architecture with Art Deco.

  • Donner, party of 4... er...3?

    @Donner, party of 4... er...3?: And I give myself a C for failing to proofread my own comment.

    "Silliest", not "silliness". Tsk, tsk.

  • Donner, party of 4... er...3?

    @samuraifez: Obviously not. Did you not see the spelling used for "silliness", "crappiest" and "companies"? And while I appreciate the correct use of "your", the omission of the apostrophe in "That's" made me cringe.

    F. SEE ME AFTER CLASS, lordhewlett.

  • NekuSakuraba

    Grr....if only I could.

    NekuSakuraba

  • typingfromwork

    @samuraifez:

    i, too, would totally wear these. and the objection/hold it shoes.

    typingfromwork

  • icanryme2002

    I hate Chuck Taylors

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