Nike Donkey Kong Country Air Max 1
Image: Nintendo Life

The worlds of gaming and footwear crossover more than you might expect. The snazzy Pokémon x Crocs collection took our breath away last year, Bull Airs released a range of console-inspired sneakers and even Converse has got involved in the past too. But all of them pale in comparison to what Nike has been cooking up: a pair of Air Max 1s inspired by Donkey Kong Country.

This news comes from footwear site Sneaker News, which reports that the 'Big Head Origins' design is expected to launch at some point in the Spring/Summer period of this year — though nothing has been confirmed as of yet.

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And damn, it is quite the design. Entering into Nike's .SWOOSH 'Low Poly' range, the sneakers have a cream mesh main body, with brown swede mudguards and a yellow midsole. A red 'low poly' Swoosh logo adorns the side, and even the 'Air Max 1' detailing on the tongue has had its resolution dropped a little to really nail the retro feel.

But the real DK goodness comes in the insole's secrets. As showcased by Sneaker News, the insole is printed with a low-resolution mud texture, two golden 'DS' coins (a Dot Swoosh play on the usual 'DK' coins) and a couple of polygonal bananas for good measure — you know, just in case you still had any doubts about which character the design is based on.

Nike is yet to formally list the new design itself, though fashion website Hypebeast estimates that the sweet sneakers will retail at $150 on launch — which would put them in line with the highly sought-after 'Low Poly' .SWOOSH pair from last year.

We'll be keeping an eye out for more details on these shoes over the coming months, much to the distaste of our poor wallets...

What do you make of these DK-inspired kicks? Swing down to the comments and let us know.

[source sneakernews.com]