The Sneakerhead of Manga: Takehiko Inoue’s Shoeware Realism in Art
Takehiko Inoue, the author of the successful mangas Slam Dunk, Real, and Vagabond, always brings a high level of detail to his work, creating a fantastic sense of realism.
Fiery emotions are at the heart of the mangaka’s art, so what’s better than sport to convey Japan’s youth's energy?
Basketball is a primordial subject in Inoue's craft. Through works of art such as Slam Dunk, Real, and the underrated short series Buzzer Beater, he is not only showing basketball as a sport but includes its culture wholly. From NBA player references and inspiration for character design to fashion, style, and aesthetics, the sporty mangas of Takehiko Inoue are a chef’s kiss for any basketball fans out there. Among other elements, sneakers are not an exception and are truly part of the Inoue manga universe.
Some of you might be familiar with Slam Dunk’s Sakuragi Hanamichi Air Jordan 6 White Infrared, Air Jordan 1 Black and Red, or Rukawa Kaede’s Air Jordan 5 Fire Red; if you dig more into both Slam Dunk, Real mangas, and art books, you might find some gamechanger footwear cameos. Shoes shown go from the 80s era to the late 90s - even recent pairs are displayed in some of the last chapters of Real. Brands included are Nike, Asics, Converse, Reebok, Adidas, or And1. Some panels were drawn decades ago, so Slam Dunk even features some classic models such as some Converse Pro Conquest or Nike Air Sonic Flight High.
Nike was so present in Takehiko Inoue draws that the brand collaborated with Slam Dunk in 2014 on an Air Jordan 6. The model featured a dominant red color, Shohoku High School color, and Sakuragi’s number 10 on the side. Details also included a few panels of the manga, which was such a unique addition for an official collaboration and reflective of Inoue’s spirit.
Takehiko Inoue is such an amazing artist that the mangaka designed a basketball shoe for Asics named the Asics High Time in 1995 and won the Good Design Award in Japan the same year.
About the Author:
Marius Grandin
Born in the suburbs of Paris, he moved for the first time to Osaka in 2019 and then came back to Japan to live in Tokyo in 2022. Passionate about vintage sneakers and Japanese subculture, he is having fun at Sabukaru.
