LAIKA and its Portland, Oregon neighbor Nike have teamed up to create a collectible Kubo XV sneaker themed on the studio’s Kubo and the Two Strings, arriving in theaters through Focus Features on August 19. Designed by Nike’s Tinker Hatfield, 220 pairs of the limited-edition shoes have gone up for auction on eBay, with proceeds going to the just keep livin Foundation.
Ten of the pairs offered at auction — accessible through www.kuboxv.com — are signed by Academy Award winner Matthew McConaughey, who voices the insect samurai Beetle in the film, with another 10 signed by Hatfield. The sale is being managed by Auction Cause, and will run through August 18.
Matthew and Camila McConaughey’s just keep livin Foundation is dedicated to empowering high school students by providing them with the tools to lead active lives and make healthy choices. The foundation implements after-school fitness and wellness programs in 29 inner city high schools and sites. Participating students have a safe space to improve their physical and mental health through exercise, teamwork, gratitude, nutrition and community service, with help from coaches and experts.
Only 1,000 pairs of the Kubo XV were created as the latest line of LAIKA-inspired sneakers from Nike, which has previously delivered special designs for Coraline, The Boxtrolls and ParaNorman. Travis Knight, President & CEO of LAIKA and making his directorial debut with Kubo, is the son of Nike co-founder Phil Knight, an Oregonian business magnate and philanthropist.
