Bleach is back in a big way, and anime fans are loving it. Back in 2004, the world watched as Studio Pierrot brought Ichigo Kurosaki to life on screen, and his reign grew fast. After Bleach ended, fans waited years for the anime to return, and it has done just that with Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War. And now, ASICS is teaming up with Bleach for a sick sneaker collection.
Yup, you read that right. Bleach fans will be able to wear their fandom soon enough. The anime will drop two pairs of sneakers with ASICS this year, and they will be perfect for the holiday season. Just, don’t try to flash step in them!
Videos by ComicBook.com
BLEACH LAUNCHES SNEAKER COLLECTION WITH ASICS
As you can see below, Bleach x ASICS are coming together in honor of the anime’s 20th anniversary. This holiday season, Bleach fans will be able to cop the sneakers onlne and in select Foot Lock or Champs locations. Both shoes are sized in mens, and they run fans between $145 to $165 USD.
“The limited-edition sneaker collection features classic ASICS silhouettes including the GT-2160 and GEL-NYC and is complete with specialized packaging to commemorate 20 years of Bleach,” ASICS shared in a new statement. “The collection celebrates the 20th anniversary of the original Bleach animated series. Part 3 of the new series, Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War – The Conflict, also premiered in early October. The new series features updated character visuals and animation that surpasses the previous Bleach anime series.”
So far, these two sneakers are the only ones planned for the Bleach x ASICS collection. If the collab goes over well, you can bet fans will be begging for another crossover. After all, Uryu deserves his own pair of sneakers, and the same goes for Rukia. Even Kon would make for a solid pair of kicks!
WHAT’S NEXT FOR BLEACH?
It is hard to believe that Bleach is 20 years old, but man – Ichigo has aged very well. The Soul Reaper is still considered a top-tier hero by the anime fandom. Bleach was a foundational anime for fans across the globe in the early ’00s, and now they are adults who want to share Ichigo with a new generation. Studio Pierrot has helped further that mission with Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War, and the anime is far from over.
Not long ago, the anime returned with its third season, and it popped off quickly with Ichigo vs Yhwach. All eyes are on this comeback as Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War has crossed the halfway mark, and things are about to get real. Beyond the anime, Bleach is also thriving in print even though Tite Kubo wrapped the manga in 2016. A couple years back, Kubo revisited Bleach with a new manga chapters that teed an entire sequel to the series. So if we are lucky, the manga may return once Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War has run its course.
Now for those who aren’t caught up with Bleach, don’t fret. The anime is easy enough to find. Both Bleach and Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War are streaming on Disney+ as well as Hulu. As for Kubo’s manga, you can find the complete series on Viz Media’s Shonen Jump app. No word has been given on whether Bleach will carry on with a sequel manga, but fans are hopeful. Plenty of hit manga have gone this route from Naruto to Fairy Tail, so there is certainly precedence for such a comeback.
What do you make of this latest Bleach collection? Give me a shout at @meganwpeters with your take! You can also let us know what you think over on X (Twitter) and Instagram.