Inside the vault of pop culture moments made for perfect reaction images, one will surely find the .GIF of Homer Simpson slowly backing into a bush. Thankfully, adidas has ensured that this moment will live forever by way of a special Simpsons-themed Stan Smith sneaker.
Like the previous-seen Marge Simpson Superstars, the "Homer Simpson" Stan Smith shoes are a fuzzy ode to the iconic Homer meme. Utilizing green fleece and embroidery, adidas recreates the moment of Homer escaping into the bush, as seen on the shoe's heel.
At the same time, a gilded "Homer Simpson" gets debossed on the upper, while a drawing of The Simpsons figure replaces Stan Smith's headshot on the tongue. Essentially, adidas turns the Stan Smith into the "Homer Simpsons" for this collab.
According to sneaker leakers, Homer's signature adidas Stan Smiths are set to release on August 18, 2023.
The famed Homer .GIF derives from The Simpsons episode "Homer Loves Flanders," which features a reversal of characterization: Homer normally loathes his neighborino, Ned Flanders, but grows to love his God-fearing nemesis (to Flanders' chagrin).
The scene where Homer backs into the bushes comes after Flanders rejects Homer's offer to hang out. Funnily enough, most people forget that Homer begins the scene by entering from the bushes.
Still, it's no wonder that the meme of Homer slowly disappearing into the shrubs has wound up as a timeless signifier of "Staying out of it."
The Homer bush meme has spawned other versions, including Homer backing into pizza, weed, and even space — essentially, whatever users deemed as comfortable places to escape awkward situations.
Now, Homer Simpson's relatable meme backs into another comfy backdrop: a collaborative adidas Stan Smith sneaker.
Now, the Simpsons and adidas go way back, having issued Squishee and even Krusty Burger-themed shoe collabs in honor of the hit animated series, which is currently scheduled to run until 2025 thanks to constant Disney+ demand.
The Simpsons are also no stranger to the fashion world, footwear included, of course. Virgil Abloh admired Bart Simpson's childish nature, while Balenciaga made the fictional family models for its Summer 2022 collection.
While Homer's reaction to the house's prices was itself priceless, it's still hard to forget the Simpsons-ized Kim Kardashian and Anna Wintour in the front row.
With Marge, Flanders, and Homer Simpson under adidas' belt, I wonder if the brand will eventually cook up a pack featuring the whole fam. I think a Forum reimagining Lisa Simpson's coffee reaction or Bart's chalk board gags would go kinda hard.
