ASICS, a Japanese sportswear company, said today that the ASICS X SOLANA UI Collection is coming out. The new line of kicks includes custom-made, limited-edition GT-2000 11 running shoes that give owners a chance to win a limited-edition ASICS x STEPN GT-2000 NFT.
“We see a place for us to help in Web3 and bring products that inspire people to be physically active,” ASICS Director of Web3 & Digital Goods Joe Pace told Decrypt in an interview. “For us, it’s just a different way of telling stories about our products and getting specific communities excited about them.”
Pace says that ASICS made the GT-2000 running shoes for the Web3 community, but that anyone in the world could use them to keep a healthy balance with physical activity.
ASICS says that you can order the GT-2000 11 shoes in advance for only five days, from November 4 to 8. The shoes will cost $200 and can be bought with USDC through Solana Pay. They come in two custom designs: “light mode” and “dark mode.” The Solana-inspired designs represent the balance between using computers and phones and being active.
Customers will get an ASICS Badge NFT when they buy their shoes. This digital collectible will let you get rewards and experiences from ASICS in the future.
ASICS was started in September 1949 in Kobe, Japan. The name comes from the Latin phrase “A Sound Mind in a Sound Body.” In July 2021, ASICS released its first NFT collection, called Sunrise Red.
Pace says that while digital fashion tends toward high-end products, ASICS chose to stay true to its founder’s vision and keep making what they are known for: running shoes.
“We’ve purposely chosen to stay true to ourselves with this project and do what we are known for,” he said. “Which is making amazing running shoes, and running shoes that you would be excited to wear literally every day.”
Pace says that ASICS chose to work with Solana to make a product for the general public that is fast, scalable, and has low transaction costs.
“We want to be building our program on a blockchain that we know can scale globally from day one and beyond,” he said. “Raj [Gokal] and Anatoly [Yakovenko] have built an incredible culture at Solana that’s welcoming, kind, and open. The people who work for them are the same way.”
FindSatoshi Lab, a company that makes apps, released STEPN in 2021. It is a smartphone app that lets people earn money by walking, jogging, or running. STEPN is built on Solana, which is a competitor to Ethereum. When people with NFT sneakers walk, jog, or run, they get in-game tokens that they can use to make new sneakers.
NFT is a blockchain token that represents ownership of unique digital or physical items, such as digital artwork, video game items, or membership in exclusive groups such as the Bored Ape Yacht Club, which has become a worldwide sensation.
Solana is a popular alternative to the much bigger Ethereum network because it is fast and cheap. According to CoinGecko, it is the 10th largest blockchain by market capitalization. Now that Ethereum’s long-awaited switch to a proof-of-stake consensus algorithm has happened earlier this year, the two blockchains are even more in competition with each other.
“People build on Solana, and it is builder-friendly,” Pace said. “So if we can keep that builder community healthy by going for walks and runs, it all comes back full circle. The healthier and more active they are, the better programs and apps they can build on Solana.”
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