Besides his teeth, glowing rings, and ability to move at Flash-like speeds, Sonic the Hedgehog’s other notable trait are the shoes that help him travel at such speeds. And given that we’re talking about Sonic sequels these days, it’s worth pointing out that in 2001 Sonic Adventure 2Following Sonic Adventure which marked the 10th anniversary of the series, Sonic was supposed to have his normal shoes. But months before the game was released, Soap Shoes reached out to its creators and asked if they wanted to feature their infamous grind shoes on Sonic’s hedgehog feet.
The collaboration took place so late in the development of the game that in the first photos of Sonic Adventure 2, Sonic is still wearing his normal red and white shoes. “In the opening cinematic of Sonic Adventure 2Sonic’s normal shoes are seen as he jumps from the helicopter,” reports the Sonic News Network 2. “However, in Sonic’s next shot, he is wearing the 2G Hi-Speed shoes.”
These 2G Hi-Speeds were based on a custom version of Soap’s Scorcher/Nitro shoe. They featured more foot-like proportions than Sonic’s typical red and white boots. The outsoles were yellow, red and gray, very detailed and had a red underfoot recess, and of course they were practically abrasion resistant. The shoes were so detailed that some fans preferred the old ones, if only because they were easier to draw.
Nonetheless, the collaboration between a still-thriving shoe company and Sonic was a perfect match. The freestyle grind had reached such epic proportions in 2001 that the the wall street journal published an article warning parents of the dangers of Soap shoes. And what better video game character to sport chunky shoes than a blue hedgehog famous for his ability to run and his acrobatics?
Did the collaboration work? If Reddit is any indication, nearly a decade later, Sonic fans can’t help but wish they could get their hands on high 2G speeds again. “When I was a kid I thought they were so cool we bought several pairs,” an editor recently wrote on the Sonic the Hedgehog subreddit. “Every time I see these shoes on the real Adventure 2 on full scene animation it looks like he’s wearing high heels, the shoes are huge!” another added. “And that’s fucking awesome!” Plus, I love that these shoes actually existed!”
Unfortunately, Soap disappeared in 2008, and the Soap advertisements that appeared in Sonic Adventure 2 were removed from the game. But the high 2G speeds remained in later re-releases of Sound Adventures 2. They also appeared in Sonic pinball party as well as Sonic forces.
Unfortunately for fans of the 2G Hi-Speeds, there is little to no hope for a re-release. Again, the soap is gone. But also, if this latest Sonic movie is any indication, the illustrators went in a different direction. These days, at least according to his current incarnation and the news that Sonic has teamed up with Fila to release his latest movie shoes, Sonic is less of a skateboarder and much more of the latest victim of the chunky sneaker takeover. .
