KANSAS CITY — The phrase “you are what you eat” has been around for centuries, serving as a mantra for those who claim that people’s health and wellness directly correspond to the food they eat. Now, the phrase has taken on a whole new meaning.

Consumers are increasingly identifying with the foods they enjoy and the diets they follow. They consider it a part of their personality to be displayed, the way people use fashion to express themselves. So consumer packaged goods manufacturers are combining the two.

“The passion and obsession that some people have for cereal is actually fairly similar to the passion and obsession that we see in the sneaker head community for sneakers,” said Taylor Gessell, a marketing communications assistant manager in partnerships at General Mills, Inc., Minneapolis. “There is a fandom culture around both, so this was a great opportunity to bring two extremely passionate groups together.”

To capitalize on this love of sneakers and cereal, General Mills partnered with Nike and Boston Celtics player Kyrie Irving to launch the Nike Kyrie 4 “Cereal Pack,” which includes shoes inspired by Lucky Charms, Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Kix cereal. Each pair of shoes features the cereal logo on the tongue and the General Mills “G” logo on the back, along with colors and design elements tied to the shapes and texture of the cereal. The inside of each shoe also features fabric printed with images of the cereals.

The Kyrie 4 Lucky Charms shoe is mostly red, reflecting the color of the cereal box, with marshmallow shapes arranged on the sides. The sole of the shoe features bright colors, including blue, yellow, green and pink, evoking the rainbow palette of Lucky Charms marshmallows.

The Kyrie 4 Cinnamon Toast Crunch shoe also resembles its cereal namesake’s box, featuring metallic gold and white color blocking. Flecks of color similar to those in the cereal logo spatter the sole and the Nike “swoosh” logo of the sneakers. The shoes sport cinnamon-inspired swirls on the sides.

The Kyrie 4 Kix shoe features a “bold Amarillo and blue color blocking,” General Mills said, a nod to the look of the Kix cereal box. The design on the side of the shoe creates the illusion that the Kix cereal “puff” is emerging from each side.

“The three designs are unreal,” Ms. Gessell said. “There are details of our brands sewn into every inch of the shoes. From the cinnamon swirl, to the iconic marshmallows, Nike has totally nailed the essence of each cereal brand.”

Kellogg Co., Battle Creek, Mich., is bringing its Froot Loops brand into the fashion world so “Froot Loops fans can show off their love of the cereal from head to toe,” Kellogg said. The company partnered with AWAYTOMARS, a co-created fashion brand, to develop sneakers, shirts, hoodies and more that boast designs inspired by Froot Loops cereal.

“So many of us have memories associated with colorful bites of Froot Loops, and through the power of our co-creation community, we quickly expanded our designs beyond the cereal’s bright red box,” said Alfredo Orobio, founder of AWAYTOMARS. “Together, we found a way to infuse the fun, playful spirit of Froot Loops and tie the capsule to the full AWAYTOMARS Spring/Summer ‘19 collection.”

The lineup includes a color-blocked bomber jacket that looks like Froot Loops’ mascot Toucan Sam, sneakers covered in colorful Wild Berry Froot Loops shapes and a beanie hat with Froot Loops shapes across the front.

“The unisex, limited-edition collection shows that when it comes to fashion, inspiration can pour in from anywhere — even a bowl of cereal,” Kellogg said. “The collection’s 10 pieces were sparked by the fun spirit, colorful aesthetic and fruity taste of the iconic Froot Loops, new Wild Berry Froot Loops and everyone’s favorite wingman, Toucan Sam.”