The "Shoe 1" is the first emoji to wear
At first glance a New Balance sneaker with a production error, at second glance ... the running shoe emoji? That's right. Designer Jose Wong has brought the little Apple pictogram into the three-dimensional world.
The Japanese artist and designer Jose Wong was inspired by Apple's sneaker emoji and turned it into a real, wearable shoe. Grey nubuck leather, cream-coloured mesh inserts, a white EVA foam and black rubber sole and - most importantly - the two parallel sewn-on bars give the "Shoe 1" from Wong's brand ABCD the unmistakable emoji look.
Or should I say the unmistakable New Balance look? If you connect said parallel bars with just one more stripe to form an "N", you basically get the "New Balance 574" launched in 1988. Steven Smith, creator of the "574" (and absolute sneaker design legend), apparently enjoys the double homage to his shoe.
But back to Jose Wong and the "Shoe 1". In addition to its emoji face, it also features a printed insole reminiscent of Apple's A-Series processors. Wong has also copied all the typical Apple trappings, such as the (somewhat overly) ceremonial product presentation and the minimalist white packaging.
For 219.90 US dollars, the "Shoe 1" should be available from the first week of December on josewongworld.com - where, as of 2 December, you can still search for it in vain.
Instead, emoji and hype fans will find two other products that Jose Wong has stolen directly from our Apple keyboard: the "Best Socks Ever" and the "No Cap Cap". More of these, please.
Always in the mood for good hits, great trips and clinking drinks.