Ever wondered how Apple‘s running shoe emoji would feel on your foot? Artist and designer Jose Wong clearly has, and is dropping the real-life Shoe 1 on his website for anyone who’s been considering these deep questions. The Shoe 1 begins shipping next week, with sizes ranging from five to twelve.
Take a run at Apple
If that silhouette looks oddly familiar, it’s because Shoe 1 is very clearly just a pair of cheap New Balance 574 replicas, right down to the rubber foam wedge on the heel for extra support. Unsurprising considering New Balance was always one of Steve Jobs’s favourite shoe brands, though he was mostly seen in the 991s and 992s.
Similarly to the 574, the Shoe 1’s upper section is made of full-grain nubuck leather with mesh for breathability. The midsole and heel consist of EVA foam with a polyurethane rim. The Shoe 1’s foam wedge is not made with New Balance’s special ENCAP tech, it more than anything just looks like a piece of rubber.
The rubber outsole is made of five percent recycled rubber. We’re not sure if that number is supposed to be impressive. The foam insoles have a print referencing an A(BCD)5 processor, the A series chips Apple uses in its smartphones. They also come in a box inspired by Apple’s own minimalist packaging.
This might be the Christmas gift for true fanatics and Apple completionists who want to keep adding to their collections. Presumably, they already own the Apple Polishing Cloth, so the Shoe 1 is available for around R4,000 on Jose Wong’s ABCD website, along with a real-life replica of the infamous ‘cap’ emoji.
