Just because you pay rent and have adult responsibilities like a nine to five job doesn't mean you can't embrace what you loved as a kid. Especially when it's Hello Kitty. Your favorite white cat just got an adult upgrade, thanks to the Melissa x Hello Kitty shoe collab that dropped on March 11.
Melissa is a sportswear shoe brand that started in 1979. The shoe brand one of the first pioneers of jelly shoes, releasing the Aranha sandal in the '80s.
Melissa was also one of the first shoe brands to make collaborations, starting the trend for the industry. In 1983, Melissa made its first collab with icon Jean-Paul Gaultier, known for his legendary corsets and Madonna's iconic boob cones. The brand has also gone on to collaborate with the late Karl Lagerfeld, Vivienne Westwood, and world renowned architect Zaha Hadid. And now Melissa can add "Hello Kitty" to that list.
Melissa has joined ranks with the Sanrio character to create its latest collection. The line will have shoes for both children and adults, meaning everyone can get their Hello Kitty fix.
Melissa is known for its creative innovation with plastic, and the shoes are all made out of the cruelty-free and 100 percent recyclable material. The plastic is made from the brand's trademark material called Melflex. It is a PVC material that's flexible, comfortable, and durable.
In this new collection, you get to choose between three shoe styles: sneakers, sandals, and ballet flats. The sneakers come in a series of different colors, but one the cutest are made from a white plastic with a blue platform sole. They're smooth and chunky, almost giving off a cartoon-like vibe. The Hello Kitty accents come through on the top of the shoe, where the laces are red. When you tie the laces into a bow, they mimic Hello Kitty's iconic red hair accessory. Right underneath the laces is a fist-sized Hello Kitty trinket, decorating the tops of the shoes in a bold, can't-miss way.
If the white sneakers don't call out to you, then there are different color schemes you can sample. The same shoe also comes in a baby pink and black pick, an all red choice, or a black and white pair.
The sandal is a little less literal than the sneaker when it comes to Hello Kitty branding. But people won't be able to mistake that it's a Sanrio- inspired shoe when they see you wearing the slides on the bus or at brunch. Made from a shiny red plastic, the sandal is in the form of a pool slide.
The band that goes around the foot is in the shape of an exaggerated, oblong Hello Kitty bow. It's the perfect quirky accent to any summer outfit. But that's not the only slipper in the collection. You can also choose slides with Hello Kitty's head on them.
The ballet flats follow the same theme. You can choose between a flat that has Hello Kitty's face or her iconic red bow, and them come in black, white, red, or pink color schemes.
The Hello Kitty x Melissa collection is already available online as well at select Melissa stores world-wide. If you're a Hello Kitty fan and have been looking for ways to rep your childhood fashion-forward ways, then look no further.
