Collaborations between sneaker brands and cartoons have become very popular. These kinds of collaborations are a way for brands to unify their target audiences and reach more people. Sometimes these collabs turn out amazing and sometimes not so great. But we won't focus on the latter, instead here are 10 of the best cartoon-inspired sneakers released. This list includes the Nike Dunk Low SB 'Bart Simpson', adidas McCarten 'Ned Flanders' and many more awesome sneakers!
Some of these sneakers aren't available at retailers anymore due to their popularity. But don't worry! You can still find them at various marketplaces by clicking on the 'View all retailers' button below the shoes. Now let's check out the hottest cartoon-inspired sneakers!
1. South Park x adidas Campus 80s 'Towelie' | GZ9177
The first sneaker on our list is a collaboration between South Park and adidas. This shoe was released to celebrate 4/20 in 2021. This shoe is a reference to, one of the most popular characters from the show, Towelie. He is a cannabis-consuming towel that was developed in a laboratory.
The shoe itself features a purple terry cloth (just like Towelie) upper with white leather overlays and purple leather lining. The tongue shows Towelies white eyes, but when the shoes are exposed to sunlight, those eyes turn red. Simulating the effects of smoking cannabis.
The shoe also comes with a Towelie keychain which perfectly fits in the hidden stash pocket on the inside of the tongue. Two quotes from the character 'Don’t Forget To Bring A Towel' and 'I Have No Idea What’s Going On' are written in the interior of the tongues as well. The sneaker has a white sole and adidas branding on the heel to finish off the design of this special collaboration.
2. Nike SB Dunk Low 'Bart Simpson' | BQ6817-602
The next item on this list is also one of the most recent ones. This collaboration was released this year in July. It's a collab between Nike SB and The Simpsons. They took the Dunk Low SB model and revamped it to feature typical Bart Simpson colors. As the character always wears a red, yellow and blue outfit the shoe also boasts these colors.
The shoe features red overlays made out of short suede. The other panels like the underlays and Swoosh are made out of leather and are colored yellow and white respectively. The sock liner, outsole and parts of the tongue can be seen in blue. The shoe also fits in perfectly with previous Nike SB and The Simpsons collabs like the Dunk SB High 'Marge Simpson' and the Dunk SB low 'Homer Simpson'.
3. The Simpsons x adidas McCarten 'Ned Flanders' | GY8439
This next sneaker is once again a collaboration with The Simpson but with adidas this time around. After other characters received a shoe in light of this collaboration, it was time for Ned Flanders to get his. This shoe completely represents the character. They choose the relatively unknown model McCarten for this project which could be put in the 'dad shoe' category so it fits perfectly. The shoe screams mid-40s male so they probably couldn't have chosen a shoe that fits better.
It completely resembles Ned and his colors. The upper is green with pink sock liners to reference the character's sweater and shirt combo. Brown suede details represent his hair and famous mustache meanwhile the black outsoles are a reference to his in-show shoes. Metallic and eyelets and Trefoil on the side complete the design.
4. South Park x adidas NMD_R1 'Kenny' | GY6492
After launching the very successful 4/20 special shoe of Towelie, Sout Park x adidas returned with a whole line-up of sneakers. Each sneaker represents a core character from the show. The third model in this line-up is a reference to Kenny McCormick.
Kenny is one of the main 4 characters so it's no wonder he got his own shoe. To make sure the shoe resembles Kenny, it's made bright orange just like his hoodie in the show. The side of the shoe also says 'OMGTKK' in reference to McCormick passing away in a brutal manner, in almost every episode. The acronym stands for 'Oh My God, They Killed Kenny!'
The shoe consists of the well-known BOOST midsoles for shock resistance, durability and responsiveness. The upper of the shoe is made of primeknit. These two elements together make for a shoe that's lightweight and comfortable, making it ideal for urban exploring and traveling.
5. VANS x The Simpsons Sk8-low 'El Barto' | VN0A4UUK17A
The 5th shoe in our top 10 was released by VANS and The Simpsons in celebration of over thirty years of the show. The shoe is made of a black suede upper combined with red canvas on the sides. The side panel resembles a brick wall with graffiti over it to reference 'El Barto', Bart Simpson vandalising alter-ego. The laces are bright yellow with a blue tongue to further resemble the character's clothing in the show.
Vans x The Simpsons Old Skool El Barto Mens Black / Red Trainers
6. South Park x adidas Forum Low 'AWESOM-O' | GY6475
Next up we have another shoe from the South Park x adidas line-up. This shoe is made as a tribute to 'AWESOM-O', who is a robot in one of the episodes of the show. But actually, the robot is just Cartman dressed up as a robot to find out Butters' secrets.
The shoe has a black outsole topped with a white midsole. The upper of the shoe is made of thick leather which is colored light brown featuring black details. There is some silver incorporated as well on the heel to resemble the robot's gloves. On the toe box, there are some bright colors in reference to the buttons on AWESOM-O's belly.
7. VANS x The Simpsons Chukka Pro 'Bart' | VN0A4UWT0RB
Another shoe from the VANS x The Simpsons collection is the Chukka Pro model. Once again in reference to Bart Simpson. This model uses a powder blue suede upper with white Vulc Lite midsoles. On the inner side of the sneaker, there is a white circular patch showing crossbones and a skull that looks like Bart. This same skull and crossbones are also shown on a keychain that comes with the shoe.
8. South Park x adidas Superstar 'Kyle' | GY6490
The next shoe is once again from the South Park x adidas collaboration. This time around they combined the iconic Superstar silhouette with the likewise iconic character of Kyle Broflovski. The shoe boasts a dark green leather upper. The Three Stripes on the side and the Trefoil branding on the heel are both made of lime green fuzzy textiles. To finish off the design the laces and the tongue are contrasting bright orange. The latter element also features a snap-closure pocket.
9. Converse Chuck 70 x Space Jam: A New Legacy | 172482C
Converse and Space Jam collaborated in the summer of 2021 to promote the movie's release. The shoes' upper consists of a black canvas base featuring orange and yellow rings to resemble the classic Looney Tunes logo. The lateral heel of one of the sneakers is decorated with embroidered chenille 'Tune Squad' patch. The other sneaker boasts LeBron's jersey number. The inner lining is decorated with a black-and-white graphic portraying the Tune squad to complete the design.
10. South Park x adidas Stan Smith ' Stan Marsh' | GY6491
Last but not least on the list is yet another South Park-inspired sneaker from the successful collaboration between the brand with the Three Stripes and the cult favourite cartoon. This entry features another iconic silhouette in the form of the Stan Smith and it references Stan Marsh, one of the four main characters in the sitcom.
In reference to Stans' clothes, the upper is made of blue synthetic leather made 50% from recycled materials. At the base of the upper, along the midsole, there is a contrasting red line of suede. To furthermore connect this sneaker to the character, 'Stan Marsh' is embossed on the heel tab under the Trefoil and the blue suede tongue displays a graphic of the character to finish the look.
That was our top 10 list of the hottest cartoon-inspired sneakers, we hope you liked it! If you're interested in any of the entries, whether it's the vibrant Bart Simpson Nike Dunk Low SB or the more toned-down Ned Flanders adidas McCarten, click on the button under the sneaker to see where it's available!
Also, don't forget to check out our release calendar in order to stay up to date with all the upcoming releases.