Sanrio and its related IPs are iconic in pop culture. Many fashion brands, entertainment studios, food brands and other companies have collaborated with Sanrio in the past. While going down a rabbit hole of collaborations, I discovered these eight collabs that surprised me.
Monopoly X Hello Kitty and Friends
We are starting our list off with a more obvious collaboration. After all, Monopoly has practically collaborated with every sports team and TV show known to man. The Hello Kitty collaboration, while seeming more of the same, somehow still stands out amongst the other Monopoly collaborations.
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Not only is every piece of the game customized, but the playstyle is also slightly different. Instead of placing houses, you’re placing stars as you get to play and work with your favorite Sanrio characters.
Sanrio X Doc Martens
Doc Martens and Hello Kitty seem like a match made in hell, with their aesthetics clashing so much. But these two manage to pull it off. Let’s head back to 2010 for this collab when Hypebeast reported at the time of the release. Doc Martens, famous for their durable black/military-styled boots that are fashionable yet functional, came out with a Sanrio collab to celebrate their 50th anniversary. There were several styles of shoes available, with some featuring bows.
However, that wouldn’t be the last time Hello Kitty works with Doc Martens. There is a more recent launch that won the hearts of fans. Released in 2021, These boots featured a vibrant red ribbon in place of laces and friendly faces of Sanrio characters printed on the shoes. This time, the shoes were to celebrate Doc Martens’ 60th anniversary, as Hello Kitty’s official Twitter confirmed.
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Hello Kitty and Friends X Attack on Titan
Nothing makes me think of cute little animals like the hyper-violent anime Attack on Titan. Actually, most other things make me think of cute animals. Not in a million years would I have guessed that the titan killing scouts would be printed on socks next to Hello Kitty and friends, but here we are.
I guess when it comes to cuteness, Sanrio thinks nothing is off-limits. Sanrio made tons of merch in this collab featuring characters from both franchises. From socks to scrunchies, you can now where Eren with his Hello Kitty counterpart, Pochacco.
Nike Air Presto X Hello Kitty
This is one of the newer, also sold out, collaborations. Nike makes this one work by carrying these Hello Kitty shoes in child and adult sizes. You don’t have to be a kid to love Sanrio characters, but they are also very adorable on babies. So, if you’re going to get Nike for your kiddo, you might as well get the Hello Kitty one!
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These shoes are a light baby blue, matching the carefree vibe of Sanrio. At the bottom of the shoes are small details that take these shoes to the next level. There are five dots that are white, black, yellow, black and white. When you look at them, it is clear as day to any Sanrio fan that the dots represent Hello Kitty’s face. Super simplistic and just adorable.
Reebok X Gudetama and Hello Kitty
SneakerNews reported on the initial release of these shoes back In 2019. Unlike other fashion times, these shoes weren’t obviously Sanrio at first glance. You’d think they were any other awesome sneaker until you looked closer and noticed the smaller details.
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The Hello Kitty shoes were a vibrant red with white and black to balance it out. Small details like a bow, Kitty’s face on the back and the words “Hello Kitty” are printed on the label. The Gudetama shoes were similar in color scheme but switched the red with a Yolky orange. Both shoes make genuinely good statement pieces for your outfit.
Gudetama x Top Ramen
Of all the Sanrio characters to work with Top Ramen, Gudetama is probably the most obvious choice. After all, nothing goes better with ramen than a slightly runny egg.
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In addition to some videos Nissin made during the collaboration, the limited edition ramen featured Gudetama printed on the package. Other merch, such as T-shirts and plushies, was also produced due to this collaboration. Sadly, if you check Nissin’s store today, you won’t find any traces of it.
Tetris X Hello Kitty
Like many great Hello Kitty collaborations, the Tetris X Hello Kitty game is no longer available to play. However, when it was available, it was a regular Tetris game with Sanrio characters around the traditional game. The game was to celebrate the 35th Tetris anniversary and the 45th anniversary of Sanrio.
Hello Kitty and Friends X Jujutsu Kaisen
If you haven’t seen Jujutsu Kaisen before, it is an anime about a world where curses are physical beings that sorcerors can exorcise. One of the sorcerors has a terrible curse inside him that is essentially the enemy of humanity without spoiling much. And guess what? That same evil curse bakes pies with Hello Kitty in this adorable/weird collaboration.
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Like the Attack on Titan collab, Sanrio had a character from Hello Kitty and Friends partner with a character from Jujutsu Kaisen. Somehow, this serious anime about curses and deaths is just a bit cuter when the characters are next to familiar faces.
Did any of these Sanrio collaborations surprise you? Is there a wild one we missed? Let us know in the comments below!
This article was originally published in May 2023.
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