I've always been a lover of bright green. It's the colour of budding trees in spring, and goes oh-so-well with black. I was that wannabe emo kid who, the second they came into some money, ran straight to the nearest alternative clothing store to bag myself some green and black, striped skinny jeans.
Although I've been through a few phases since then, finally settling on a slightly less gaudy, metalhead aesthetic, the repressed emo kid inside me jumped at the opportunity to check out Razer's newest sustainable collaboration with shoemakers Cariuma—Sneki Snek sneakers.
The hightops I received are made from organic cotton canvas, natural rubber, and recycled plastic, and feature the Sneki mascot on the side. Despite the green flair, they're surprisingly subtle compared to many of Razer's past design choices—the company does seem to be tending toward less showy wares now, anyway. I mean, just look at those sleek little Razer Blade laptops.
And although my friend from Zimbabwe understandably shunned the snake theme since his pet dog got eaten by one, at least I have something to talk about with my non-traumatised Razer fan friends.
From a distance, they just look like high-quality sneakers with some green detailing. Up close, and to the uninitiated, it kinda looks like I've just ironed a lil' chibi snake onto my super expensive kicks, like some reptile-obsessed trust-fund kid with no comprehension of their value.
That's not to say they aren't super stylish, otherwise. And man are they comfy. They also didn't feel restrictive straight out of the box, partly thanks to the use of some recycled cardboard insets, which my hamster appreciated.
The Sneki Snek Sneakers' thick, well padded, brilliant white soles literally underlined my whole getup. While I'd usually go for black soles, these gave me a weird kind of confidence walking around the city backstreets. I feel like that guile might even have later translated into my gaming prowess, too—like I could take on any enemy while rockin' these swanky mambas.
I also got to test them out in the rain. There I was expecting the canvas to soak through immediately but they were able to withstand at least light rain. It was pretty windy when I was out and about, too, which also let me test the sneakers' grip—I didn't blow away, so take from that what you will.
While my initial thought was "Damn, these are going to turn some heads," it turned out they didn't. Like at all. I mean, for almost $100 dollars I at least expected the nerds hanging around outside the local Game store to notice. Maybe they did, but were too shy to say anything.
My feet stayed dry in the rain, and I didn't feel restricted, or even get a single blister.
Still, the main thing is that I felt like a queen. My feet stayed dry in the rain, and I didn't feel restricted, or even get a single blister.
Oh, and I got some spare bright green laces with them, for when I regress back into my full-on emo stage.
Cariuma's impressive, sustainable craftsmanship, combined with Razer's punchy colorway and adorable mascot design are perfect for Razer fans who enjoy the role of stylish, walking advertisement. And how could you possibly feel like a dork walking around in these when you just saved 10 whole trees, and bagged yourself some planet-saving kicks?
