Last year we saw the arrival of next-gen consoles, and now in 2021 thanks to RTFKT Studios, we're seeing next-gen sneakers sporting an RTX 3080. Yes, really.
As spotted over at sister site PCGamer, RTFKT (aka Artifact Studio) posted a video showing off some seriously wild sneakers fitted with a twirling fan at the heel, techy component innards that can be seen through a transparent side, and a big display camera up top showing off Dragon Ball-Z and Yu-Gi-Oh (as all good shoes should do).
SNEAKERS MASTER RACE, @NZXT DRIP 💧 pic.twitter.com/OuNrEA6j4RJanuary 20, 2021
Of course, they do seem to be more on the conceptual side than actually real, but it's not entirely clear. The pair of futuristic-looking shoes came with the announcement of a collaboration with PC hardware manufacturer NZXT. Over on Artifact's website, RTFKT describes itself as a "collective of creators merging worlds of gaming and craftsmanship to create virtual and physical next-gen collectible sneakers for the best esports, gaming and entertainment celebrities."
I can't even begin to imagine how much a pair like this would set you back if they are real. I also imagine they wouldn't be the comfiest, but that's not really what they're all about, right? They'd certainly make for one very displayable pair. The shoe design does bring to mind Marty McFly's self-tying pair in Back to the Future 2 (which Nike actually made into a reality), only way more powerful.
Still, we've seen a lot of interesting new tech this year already during the CES 2021 showcase. Razer, for example, revealed a genuine face mask with RGB lighting and a built-in microphone known as "Project Hazel". If you think about it, we also live in a world where you can buy hoverboards, so these shoes aren't entirely outside of the realms of possibility.
Look ahead to future releases with our roundup of all the new games 2021 on the horizon.
