Gustavo Bonzanini has made a name for himself turning everyday shoes into wearable art. His latest project takes the classic Nike Air Max 90s and rebuilds them around the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Released to celebrate the console’s 35th anniversary, these sneakers do more than just nod to the past. They play actual games from that era, right from your feet. Bonzanini calls them AIR SNES, a pair that combines the comfort of a classic running shoe with the thrill of 16-bit adventures.

Bonzanini starts with the Air Max 90’s solid base, and maintains the shoe’s air cushioning for extended use, but the major work occurs up front. The tongue conceals a Raspberry Pi Zero W, a tiny computer little larger than a credit card. A small battery fits beside, providing around 30 minutes of playing. There are no cables to get in the way; the entire item is self-contained and ready to put on without hesitation.

The colors come straight from the Super Nintendo’s gray and purple palette. The upper is soft gray suede that complements the console’s matte shell, with purple accents at the corners and swoosh. Bonzanini adds faint purple stitching along the seams, mirroring the controller’s button arrangement. The heel tab features gold foil embellishments that spell out “AIR SNES” in the original box art typeface. These details anchor the design in nostalgia without dominating the shoe.

Function comes next, and Bonzanini makes it effortless. RetroPie, an emulator designed specifically for Super Nintendo games, runs on the Raspberry Pi. Load Super Mario World or The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past from a microSD card into the tongue. To play, connect the sneakers to a regular SNES controller. Bonzanini modified his with new internals to improve reliability, but the feel remains true to the original. Output connects to any TV using old-school RCA cables, complete with a yellow video connector for that real scan line flicker. The entire contraption boots up in seconds, transforming a calm living room into a portal back to 1990.

These elements demonstrate Bonzanini’s attentiveness to historical intricacies. He goes old school with the video output, with no HDMI and only an adapter that shoots out composite signals, as consoles did back then. The battery sits flat against the footbed, so your stride never feels off balance. Even the laces are custom-woven in purple and gray threads, making them durable enough for everyday runs while being flexible enough for rapid modifications. He tested the pair on city streets and found that they could handle both the concrete and the pixels.

One night, Bonzanini connected the sneakers to his TV and booted up Street Fighter II. The screen was filled with Ryu launching fireballs, all powered by a device linked to his foot. That’s when the idea for the project came to mind: a link between the electronics we use now and those we used as children. He spent weeks soldering connections and programming to ensure the electronics could endure perspiration and stairs. It weighs only a couple ounces more than standard Air Max 90s, so you’ll forget it’s there until game time. Bonzanini has no plans to sell these shoes. They are one-of-a-kind, created at his workshop in Brazil.
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