There’s no doubt the Roland TR-808 drum machine is among the most influential electronic instruments ever created. A staple of recorded music from Marvin Gaye to Kanye West, even if you weren’t aware of this piece of machinery, you’ve heard it’s heavy, heavy sound.
In what could be the most fucking cool shit I’ve ever seen, a new sneaker design which incorporates the iconic black, red, orange and yellow 808 design has been unveiled. Not only that, but apparently the sneakers also function as a drum machine. Swish.
Can’t afford a TR-808 drum machine? You might never be able to grab Adidas’ new sneaker either, but you can totally look at it and drool.
The shoes, mocked up by Neely & Daughters, feature volume and tempo control and come programmed with six pre-loaded beats.
While these sneakers never made it past the design stage, enough public demand could certainly sway Adidas and Roland’s stance on the matter.
Last month, Roland founder and father of the 808 Rhythm Composer Ikutaro Kakehashi passed away at age 87.
