The Nvidia RTX 3080 shoes are the kind of thing that you immediately write off as a conceptual fancy: mere creative license running unchecked, and the teasing of a product that will always cease to be.
These shoes certainly look like a rare breed, but what exactly is going on here? With all the hubbub surrounding Nvidia RTX 30 series GPU supply shortages, it's nice to feast your eyes on something a little bit different, and lose yourself in someone's futuristic idea of PC-powered shoes.
These Nvidia RTX 3080 sneakers aren't just a concept though, existing in the flesh, as real as you or I; that’s right, PC manufacturer NZXT, has partnered up with Artifact Studios to produce this somewhat confusing specimen of footwear. Artifact specializes in ‘virtual and physical next-gen collectible sneakers’, delivering hypnotic fusions of garments and gadgets.
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SNEAKERS MASTER RACE, @NZXT DRIP 💧 pic.twitter.com/OuNrEA6j4RJanuary 20, 2021
You’d be forgiven for assuming that the ultra-rare Nvidia RTX 3080 GPU has wastefully been glued on to a pair of high-tops. A rather lofty feat (or feet) considering the global shortage that T3 has mercilessly reminded its readers of during this period of hardware scarcity: supply chains of the PS5, and Xbox Series X, have all been felled by a wider shortage of graphics cards, reaching as far as the AMD RDNA architecture that the next-gen consoles use.
While there's clearly a supply issue, there's still a veritable selection of gaming kit you can choose to upgrade your rig: head on over to our best graphics cards guide, whereby you can get an easier sense of what you need, carefully curated, and in line with your budget.
To clarify, NZXT and Artifact's sneakers actually make use of a replica RTX 3080. Phew! But, perhaps strangely, the Nvidia RTX 3080 shoes aren’t just a gimmicky fashion piece: inspect the purply glaze of the shoe more closely and you’ll see that it houses an entire PC. If you scoffed at the mere mention of a replica Nvidia RTX 3080, then T3 has got a nifty little Nvidia RTX 3080 stock tracker that’ll alert you to any incoming restocks – it might just give you that all-important edge, amongst the seemingly impossible task of getting one.
Meanwhile, the trainers appear to use something visually similar to the Kraken Z73 liquid cooler; this software interface lets you fine-tune its good looks through CAM’s user-friendly software. Personalize, tailor, and make them your own, through animated GIFs: complete customization to let you dress-up the kicks, if they weren’t already a loud enough statement.
Presumably, such shoes would require constant cooling: the build-up of heat from the machine, but also body heat from feet! The wired backing on the shoe looks well-placed to avoid any interaction with the laces – certainly not to be confused when lacing-up.
No promise yet on the general wear and tear of these bizarre trainers, notwithstanding the slick, but rather bulky looks. Also, there's no confirmation on any form of release date, but you can use this sign-up button for Artifact's mailing list to stay on top of any updates.
Source: PC Gamer
