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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Michael Sykes

The big stupid red boots from MSCHF everyone is wearing, explained

You don’t have to look very far around the internet to find pictures or videos of the big, stupid red boots some people on the internet have been spotted in.

If you haven’t seen them, don’t worry. We’ve got you covered. They’re these big, clunky boots that look like they’re just made solely out of rubber. I’ve never seen a piece of footwear look more uncomfortable in my life.

If you’re an OG anime nerd like me, they probably look familiar to you. These joints look exactly like the boots we’d see in the old Astro Boy anime from back in the day.

If you’re still confused, don’t worry. Unfortunately, we’re about to dive a bit deeper into these.

 

OK, thank goodness. So what do these boots look like?

They’re big, clunky and made of rubber. There’s absolutely no reason anyone should want to wear these, but there seem to be people who are excited about them.

There are even unboxings of them on the internet already. Here’s a quick look at one from Steve Natto.

They’re bad, right? Right? Oh no, not you too.

CHILL! I'm just...learning about them! You're saying that these boots were inspired by who?

Astro Boy. So, for those of you who don’t know, Astro Boy was originally a Japanese Shōnen manga series that started way back in the 1950s.

It’s a pretty awesome series, honestly. It’s basically about this android boy who constantly saves everyone and has more humanity than most humans themselves.

Here’s a video of the cartoon from the 80s.

He’s wearing the shoes the whole time. They turn his feet into rockets. Unfortunately, these joints won’t do the same. Otherwise, they’d be awesome.

Instead, they’re just…big rubber boots.

Who makes these things?

Believe it or not, you’ve seen their work before. It’s this company called MSCHF. It’s an art collective based out of Brooklyn.

They practically live to get sued these days. They made the Lil Nas X shoe that had the internet up in arms. They’ve also riffed on popular Nike and Vans models that have gotten them in legal trouble.

But that’s exactly what they want, honestly. It brings attention to the company and makes fun of sneaker culture in consumerism in a way that is supposed to be clever.

These boots definitely aren’t that, though.

OH. THEM. Okay. So you say people are wearing these already? Who?

Well, the biggest name we’ve seen so far is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. He wore them before absolutely torching the Lakers on LeBron James’ big day.

Boy, he looks silly.

There’ve also been some influencers around the internet with them on, but we don’t need to include every single picture. You see the point now. Nothing really makes them look good.

Well, uh, how do they fit?

Not well, apparently? It looks like they’re a struggle to take off. Which is absolutely hilarious, by the way.

Shouldn’t have put them on in the first place.

And how much do they cost?

Lol. $350. Yes, that’s a real number. High Snobiety has more:

“The Astro Boy-inspired MSCHF shoes leaked online on February 6 but they won’t release until February 16 at 11 am EST on MSCHF’s site and MSCHF Sneakers app for $350.”

THREE HUNDRED AND FIFTY REAL DOLLARS? FOR ASTRO BOY BOOTS? I'm out.

YES. EXACTLY. NOW YOU SEE IT. This is completely ridiculous, y’all. Don’t fall for the internet hype.

A perfect word of advice on these.

And that’s that on that.

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