Singapore Designer Crams Fully Functional SNES Into A Nike Trainer

It appears that for some, the Nintendo Switch is simply too cumbersome. Why carry a console when you can walk on one? Gustavo Bonzanini, a Singapore-based creative, has taken the term ‘mobile gaming’ quite literally by embedding a fully functional Super Nintendo Entertainment System into a modified Nike Air Max 90.

This is not merely a cosmetic mod. The 'AIR SNES', as Bonzanini calls it, actually plays games.

The project, which commemorates the 35th anniversary of the console's Japanese launch, is a masterclass in cramming electronics into spaces they have no business occupying. Bonzanini sliced open the trainer’s tongue to fit a Raspberry Pi Zero W running the RetroPie emulator. It is a tight fit. The logic board sits flush against the fabric, powered by a battery that offers a rather pitiful 30 minutes of playtime. One might manage a quick level of Super Mario World before the shoe dies, but you won't be completing any RPGs on your commute.

Connectivity is equally absurd and impressive. The shoe features an integrated HDMI port for modern displays. However, for those insisting on period-accurate fuzziness, Bonzanini also included an analogue converter for RCA cables. You can plug your shoe directly into a CRT television.

Control is handled either by an original SNES gamepad or, for those who prefer not to be tethered to their own feet, an 8BitDo wireless kit. The aesthetic details are admittedly sharp; the grey suede and purple accents mirror the US SNES design perfectly, with the 'AIR SNES' logo stamped in gold foil on the heel.

Before you reach for your wallet, pause. This is a one-off art piece. Bonzanini has no plans to mass-produce these. It serves as a proof of concept, a demonstration of what happens when sneaker culture collides with retro computing in the most impractical way possible. It is brilliant, slightly useless, and entirely unavailable.

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