words // Steve Jaconetta
images // Steve Jaconetta & Fila
I’ve been a fan of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles for as long as I can remember. With the re-boot set to hit theatres on August 8th, Fila is has cooked up another ‘TMNT’ inspired sneaker. Before I even saw the shoe, I was in.
Most people my age, who grew up in the ‘80s liked the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles at some point in their life. Even in the ‘90s as the original cartoon continued on and the first three movies, TMNT was in full-force. A small re-boot in the early ‘00s followed by a new CGI movie kept the legacy alive. Now in 2014, we celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the lean mean fighting team. While most people hit that certain age in adolescence where it was time to put your childish things behind, I decided to continue to hold onto them, just on a smaller level.
In some way, shape or form, my connection with TMNT has followed me throughout my entire life. As a kid, I had everything you could think of that was produced with the turtles on them. Clothes, action figures, stickers, tableware you name it. As I got into my twenties, TMNT was considered a part of pop culture and merchandise was now being made for young adults as well as children. This gave me the chance to express my passion, even if people thought it was dumb. Today however, with everything ‘retro’ being in style, for the most part, it’s not common to see an adult wearing a ninja turtles t-shirt.
For example, if I go out somewhere, say just to the grocery store and am wearing a TMNT shirt, nine times out of ten, someone will make a comment. Not that i’m looking for that (if I was, i’d just wear a cool shoe) but, it’s cool to engage with people who share similar interest in the pizza loving dudes. Outside of sneakers, I am a BIG fan of hats as well (strictly fitted). So when New Era dropped a line of caps, one for each turtle as well as a few others, I was super excited. Unfortunately, I was a little late to that party and only managed to get my hands on two of the four turtles.
Shameless plug: If you have either the Leonardo or Raphael 59Fifty in a 7 ¼ or 7 ⅜ brand new, hit me up!
Following that, in 2013 Fila collaborated with Nickelodeon and released two TMNT themed shoes. First was the ‘TMNT’ Fila-FX 100 followed by the ‘Shredder’ Cage Mid. Both pairs were executed perfectly, nothing too crazy but enough for any fan to see the inspiration in each shoe. The packaging was a nice touch as well. The FX-100 came in a special box along with four interchangeable straps, on for each turtle that featured back packaging like the one found on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles action figures series, by Playmates. The Cage Mid featured claw marks on the box, symbolizing Shredders trademark features.
Present day, we are getting ready for the first live-action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film since 1993. The Paramount Pictures/Michael Bay directed re-boot will hit theatres on August 8th. Any fan has known that this film was in the making for a few years. Lots of speculation and drama has surrounded the film, mainly due to the origins, character portrayals and the overall look of the turtles. Only time will tell how this new take on these beloved icons will be received. I for one remain skeptical but will be seeing the film with an open mind, as I was excited for the Ninja Turtles comeback since it was first announced, way before the information about the film came about.
That leads me to the main topic at hand. Fila recently announced that they have teamed back up with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles for their third collaboration. This time around, choosing to bring back the M-Squad silhouette in a TMNT themed colorway. I remember reading the headline of the press release and before I finished, I was overly excited. Overall, I think they hit the nail on the head once again. While I would’ve dubbed these the ‘Michelangelo’ edition rather than an overall TMNT themed shoe, I get the reasoning behind it. Why call out one turtle, and not the others. No favoritism here (although, Leonardo has always been my favorite). What’s even cooler about them is the fact that, judging by the advertising images, Mikey will actually be wearing these shoes in the film!
So much like the ‘Moon Landing’ Nike Air Max Lunar90, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Fila M-Squad is another must-have and, among the top of my list for the year. Once again, Fila was able to take two of my favorite passions, sneakers and the Ninja Turtles and put them together, the best of both worlds for me. One I can’t wait to continue to enjoy for many years to come and, share with my son. When they release in August, I hope I am one of the lucky people to grab a pair (or two) on release day.
The ‘TMNT’ Fila M-Squad is set to release on August 5, exclusively on fila.com. For more information, check out our official post here: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Fila M-Squad.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Fila M-Squad 'TMNT'
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Fila The Cage Mid 'Shredder'
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Fila FX-100 'TMNT'
Steve Jaconetta is the Release Dates & Archive Editor of Sole Collector and you can follow him on Twitter here.
