- "Power Sneakers" redirects here. For other uses of the term, see Power Sneakers (disambiguation).
Sonic's shoes,[1][2] also referred to as the power sneakers[3] and the Hi-Speed Shoes,[4] are objects that appear in the Sonic the Hedgehog series. They are the signature footwear of Sonic the Hedgehog.
Quick Answers
What was the inspiration behind the design of Sonic's shoes?
What are the alternate names for Sonic's shoes in the Sonic the Hedgehog series?
Who was the character designer who came up with the design for Sonic's shoes?
What are the colors of Sonic's shoes inspired by?
What is the significance of Sonic's shoes in the Sonic the Hedgehog series?
Concept and creation
According to character designer Naoto Ohshima, the design of Sonic's shoes was inspired by the boots worn by Michael Jackson on the cover of the album Bad,[5] and the colors were inspired by Santa Claus.[6] Additionally, Ohshima found the color red fitting for Sonic's speed, especially when his legs spun while running.[6]
Description
Appearance
Overall, Sonic's shoes are a pair of smooth, shiny shoes[7][8]/boots[9][5][10] with white tops folded into sock-like cuffs as part of the footwear,[10][11] pointed toes, and white straps over the middles. They come in various colors and patterns, but almost all of the pairs are red.[8] Originally, the shoes had no visible soles, being completely dark red on the bottom. Following the Chaos incident however, they received gray metallic[12] soles with grooves.
During the Dark Gaia incident, the shoes transformed whenever Sonic entered his Werehog form, becoming dark red with ripped cuffs, gray spiked metal straps, and spiked metal soles.
Abilities and traits
Sonic's shoes appear to be nearly friction-proof, able to withstand the intensity of Sonic's running.[13]
Variants
Slow Down Boots
The Slow Down Boots are evil knock-offs of Sonic's shoes, made by Dr. Robotnik during the Super Labyrinth incident. They disable Sonic's speed and agility, and can only be removed with the Chaos Emeralds' power.
Light Speed Shoes
The Light Speed Shoes are upgraded versions of Sonic's shoes. They serve as Level Up Items which enables the Light Speed Dash. They first appeared during the Chaos incident.
Grind Shoes
The Grind Shoes are shoes for Sonic that are specially designed for grinding. They were first used by Sonic during the Space Colony ARK incident. They are inspired by the real-life Soap shoes.
Extreme Gear shoes
When riding Extreme Gear, Sonic wears different shoes meant for Extreme Gear riding. These red and white shoes resemble high-top tennis shoes with yellow accents and gray soles.
Custom Shoes
The Custom Shoes are special shoes designed by Alberto Robert during the Solaris incident. These shoes can harness the power of Gems to both alter their appearance and unlock new abilities, and can as well as be equipped with the Light Chip and Antigravity.
In other media
Animation
Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog
In the Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog television series, Sonic's shoes are referred to as the hi-tops and the power sneakers. In this media, Sonic needs them to protect his feet from friction or else he cannot run for long.
Sonic the Hedgehog (TV series)
In the Sonic the Hedgehog television series, Sonic's shoes, in addition to protecting his feet, are equipped with anti-gravity jets and magnetic soles for different types of missions.
Sonic Underground
In the Sonic Underground television series, Sonic's shoes, in addition to protecting his feet, are equipped with anti-gravity jets and magnetic soles for different types of missions. A version of them was given to him by his adoptive parents when he was very young.
Books and comics
Sonic the Comic
In the Sonic the Comic comic series and its spin-offs published by Fleetway Editions, Sonic's shoes are referred to as the Power Sneakers. They were created and given to Sonic by Dr. Ovi Kintobor to reduce the friction on his feet. With them, Sonic managed to break the sound barrier for the first time, changing him from a brown and spiky hedgehog to his current blue and streamlined form.
Archie Comics
In the Sonic the Hedgehog comic series and its spin-offs published by Archie Comics, Sonic's sneakers were originally invented by Sonic's uncle, Sir Charles Hedgehog. They were made from Power Ring energy so they could never wear down from Sonic's speed. Similar shoes were also wore by several of Sonic's counterparts across the multiverse.
Films
Paramount
In the Sonic the Hedgehog film series produced by Paramount Pictures, Sonic's shoes are a pair of Puma shoes that were given to Sonic by Jojo to replace Sonic's old shoes, which had been worn down to the soles. According to Sonic, they were the first real gift he had ever been given.
Early Sonic canon
In the Sonic the Hedgehog promotional comic, Sonic's shoes (referred to simply as "frictionless shoes") were created and given to Sonic by Dr. Ovi Kintobor. This was after the hedgehog's previous trainers were shredded by the accident that turned him blue. In these sources, there are no indications that the shoes help Sonic to run faster or that they help to protect his feet.
Trivia
- According to Takashi Iizuka, Sonic does not take off his shoes.[14]
- Concept art of Sonic's shoes shown in the Sonic the Hedgehog Birthday Pack history pamphlet refers to them as "Michael Jackson Dancing Boots."[9]
- The Western manuals of both Sonic the Hedgehog (16-bit) and Sonic the Hedgehog (8-bit), as well as a Japanese promotional video for Sonic the Hedgehog 3, claim that Sonic's shoes are the source of his super speed,[3][15][7] in contrary to most other sources stating that Sonic was born with it.[16][17]
- Sonic was originally going to wear his regular shoes in Sonic Adventure 2, but they were eventually replaced by the Grind Shoes. This can be seen in Sonic Adventure 2: The Trial, along with in early gameplay screenshots and footage as well. The opening and space shuttle cutscenes of the Hero Story retained the standard shoes in the final release.
- Other characters have worn Sonic's shoes in the past. Both Mighty the Armadillo and Ray the Flying Squirrel have worn shoes identical to Sonic's and the Sonic the Hedgehog Band concept had all its members wear identical shoes to Sonic's.
- Sonic's shoes are an unlockable Costume part for the Avatar to make use of in Sonic Forces, complete with several differently-colored variants.
- In the Wii U/PC version of Sonic Lost World, Zeena remarks that Sonic's shoes are "atrocious."[18]
- The part where Sonic got his iconic shoes from Jojo in the first movie is a reference to Sonic receiving his shoes from Dr. Ovi Kintobor (before he became Dr. Ivo Robotnik) in the promotional comic for the 1991 video game.
Gallery
References
- ↑ Official wallpaper for Sonic and the Secret Rings.
- ↑ Sega (29 March 2007). Sonic Maze Craze. Browser. Sega. Area/level: How to Play.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Sonic the Hedgehog (Sega Mega Drive) North America instruction booklet, pg. 2.
- ↑ Xbox Live. Awards. "Sonic's Hi-Speed Shoes - Slip into Sonic's Hi-Speed Shoes and experience the ultimate level of record smashing speed."
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Naoto Ohshima on Twitter (27 March 2017). Retrieved on 10 November 2020. "Naoto Ohshima: Sonic's boots were born influenced by MJ's BAD boots. MJ liked Sonic."
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Sheffield, Brandon (4 December 2009). Out of the Blue: Naoto Ohshima Speaks. Game Developer. Retrieved on 22 May 2023.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Video Archive (22 April 2022). Sonic History Video (Sonic 3 Promo) [ENGLISH CC] {Windii Reupload} (Japanese). YouTube. Retrieved on 10 November 2022.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 ソニック・ザ・ヘッジホッグ【公式】 (13 July 2022). 【特別企画】音速！一問一答 ソニックアンサー動画まとめ (2022//6/24実施) (Japanese). Retrieved on 6 December 2022.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Sonic the Hedgehog Birthday Pack history pamphlet.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Naoto Ohshima on Twitter (23 January 2022). Retrieved on 24 January 2022. "SonicWorld: Say @NaotoOhshima what is the white part of Sonic's shoes? / Naoto Ohshima: It's boots."
- ↑ Naoto Ohshima on Twitter (25 December 2017). Retrieved on 10 November 2020. "DevanArcher101: Question for the designer of Sonic the Hedgehog @NaotoOhshima Are the white parts of his shoes that look like his glove cuffs part of his shoes or his socks? / Naoto Ohshima: It's all shoes. 😄"
- ↑ Sonic's concept art for Team Sonic Racing Overdrive.
- ↑ ソニック・ザ・ヘッジホッグ【公式】 (13 July 2022). 【特別企画】音速！一問一答 ソニックアンサー動画まとめ (2022//6/24実施) (Japanese). YouTube. Retrieved on 6 December 2022.
- ↑ Sarkar, Samit (11 June 2019). If Mario can surf barefoot, why can't Sonic?. Polygon. Retrieved on 12 June 2019. "According to veteran Sonic the Hedgehog game producer Takashi Iizuka, "Sonic doesn’t take off his shoes (in canon)" — which only leads to additional questions."
- ↑ Sonic the Hedgehog (Sega Game Gear) North America instruction booklet, pg. 3.
- ↑ Sonic Q and A. Sonic Central. Archived from the original on 19 December 2008. Retrieved on 22 June 2024. "Costa: How did you end up with all this speed if your parents were just normal hedgehogs? / Sonic: A long as I can remember, I've always had the ability to run really fast. I was just born with it."
- ↑ Devra Newberger Speregen (2016). Sonic: The Ultimate Character Guide. Scholastic. p. 9. ISBN 978-1338033243. "Born with a thirst for adventure and the ability to run at the speed of sound and beyond, the hedgehog also known as "the Blue Blur" values freedom above all else."
- ↑ Sonic Team (18 October 2013). Sonic Lost World. Wii U. Sega. Area/level: Frozen Factory Zone 4. "Zeena: (Sigh) All I want to do is chill, but here comes that fashion disaster hedgehog! I mean, those shoes are atrocious, and the white gloves are RIDICULOUSLY retro!"
