How To Unlock Supersonic Speed with Sonic the Hedgehog

The science and imagination behind Sonic’s fast running

Image by Pmmagalhaes, on FAVPNG.

Remember Sonic, that adorable blue hedgehog who defies everything what being a hedgehog is about?

Of course you do. Like me, you played the games, collected rings, and wiped the smirk of Doctor Eggman’s face with your feline sidekick.

Unlike wanting to be a spartan or a samurai, I’ve never met anyone who wanted to be Sonic — and certainly not a hedgehog. And yet, looking back on this ’90s cultural icon, as well as the art and science of running, there’s a surprising amount we can learn from this spiky blue ball about how to run faster.

So, here’s a fast article about being faster with the fastest hedgehog out there.

Let’s put on our training shoes. It’s Sonic time!

#1 ‘Power sneakers’ (Pick your trainers)

“His shoes were inspired by the cover to Michael Jackson’s Bad, which contrasted heavily between white and red — that Santa Claus-type color. I also thought that red went well for a character who can run really fast, when his legs are spinning.” —Naoto Ohshima, creator of Sonic.

Sonic has trainers. He has something on his feet that helps him go really…