The 'Super Mario Wedge Heels' by Kristina Leigh Howard are a geeky girl's dream. These pumps have been custom-painted to look like the landscapes of old school Super Mario levels.
One level has been painted to look like the underground levels of Mario with a black background, blue blocks and blue Goombas. The other shoe is a daytime level with bright blue skies, a mushroom and a bouncing star. Inside the shoes is a floral pattern, which is an interesting but welcomed contrast with the plumbers and giant green pipes.
When Howard isn't making gaming shoes, she is a costume designer and her work is avaible on her website. It's rumored that Howard will be releasing more themed high heel designs soon.
Key Themes Behind This Trend
- Custom-painted Shoes
- Opportunity for disruptive innovation in the customization of shoes by incorporating popular culture themes.
- Geeky Fashion
- Opportunity to tap into the market for fashion items that cater to geek and gaming enthusiasts.
- Themed High Heels
- Opportunity for creating high heel designs inspired by various themes from popular culture.
Where This Applies
- Footwear
- Disruptive innovation potential lies in incorporating popular culture themes into footwear to target niche markets.
- Fashion
- Opportunity for the fashion industry to capitalize on the growing trend of geek and gaming-inspired clothing and accessories.
- Costume Design
- Disruptive innovation potential for costume designers to expand their offerings by incorporating elements of popular culture into their designs.
