Microsoft's original Xbox console turns 20 this year. The device that gave the world Halo and Fable is getting its first commemorative sneaker to mark the occasion and the pair is, of course, a bright shade of green. The hue has formed a major part of the Xbox brand over the last two decades, across both its console hardware and software developments.
Microsoft's James Monosmith, Senior Sales and Marketing Manager at Xbox Consumer Products, announced the company's partnership with Adidas that resulted in the green-colored Xbox 20th Forum Tech Adidas Originals in a blog post on Xbox.com. And, Monosmith says, this isn't the last the world will see of the team-up.
The company released a trailer to accompany the Adidas announcement, shot, cut, and edited to look like it was teleported from a 2001-era skate video. The trailer shows its new Xbox 20th Forum Tech Adidas Originals in action, interspersed with footage of fans playing the original Halo: Combat Evolved. The video's styling is so retro that it's easy to overlook that all of the skaters in the trailer are using Microsoft's new kicks.
This is part of Xbox's new "Always Played In. Never Played Out" program, which will look back over the styles and trends in sports, gaming, and lifestyle that characterized the last two decades. It's reasonable to expect that it's not just the skate-punks receiving a retrospective.
It seems that "...over the next few months [Microsoft will] continue to mark our 20th anniversary by launching additional sneakers inspired by past and present Xbox console generations, including the first-ever sneaker available for purchase by our fans later this year."
For now, though, Xbox fans have the Adidas Forum Tech to look forward to, which "...balances nostalgia while embracing modern technology and is symbolic of how we look at our own Xbox history." The green shade is specifically intended to call to mind 2001's special edition of Halo: Combat Evolved but is also reminiscent of Xbox's dashboards over the years.
As to when the Xbox 20th Forum Tech Adidas Originals will hit shelves, Microsoft has yet to announce a date but a logical one does present itself. The original Xbox first launched on the North American market on Nov. 15, 2001, with other global markets following shortly after in early 2002. It's possible that Microsoft is looking to release the sneakers on the actual day of the Xbox's anniversary. Availability of the limited-edition, nostalgia-fuelled sneakers will be announced on Xbox's social media platforms in the coming weeks.
Source: Xbox.com
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