Attire large Puma and leisure company Roc Nation—based by rapper Jay-Z as a follow-up to his legendary hip-hop label, Roc-A-Fella Information—have teamed up for a brand new sneaker assortment that’s tied to NFTs and pays homage to the evolution of the mixtape.
The RS-XL Mixtape sneaker assortment has been designed by Alexander-John and Emory Jones whereas the digital expertise has been led by Reputable, a startup bridging the hole between bodily merchandise and digital experiences by means of its proprietary “LGT Tag” know-how.
The gathering options three completely different mixtape-inspired sneaker kinds, named Cassette Tape, Disc, and Playlist respectively. Every pair of sneakers incorporates a distinctive blockchain-backed LGT Tag hidden below the tongue of the left shoe—a near-field communication (NFC) chip that may be scanned with a smartphone to unlock an unique digital content material.
Every NFC chip can be tied to an NFT minted by Reputable through the Avalanche blockchain. The NFT-linked LGT Tags may authenticate bodily merchandise, together with sneakers and different attire.
Consumers may also get entry to weekly mixtape drops, a 14-track playlist that includes unreleased music from upcoming artists on Roc Nation, and “unfettered entry to life behind the scenes as a Roc Nation artist.” The label is presently residence to the likes of DJ Khaled, Alicia Keys, Fever 333 and Rihanna.
A brand new documentary on the historical past of hip-hop may also be made accessible to house owners. Puma mentioned that the drop is tied to this yr’s broader celebration of fifty years of hip-hop.
The Mixtape assortment went reside earlier right this moment, with the sneakers available for purchase on-line or in-store through Puma, Foot Locker, and Champs North American shops for $130 per pair.
In an announcement, Reputable founder and CEO Calvin Chan mentioned that the collaboration spotlights the startup’s perception that it doesn’t “want to say blockchain in any respect” in its merchandise. “That perception has been wholly manifested on this partnership with Puma and Roc Nation,” he added.
“This collaboration is the primary time in historical past that manufacturers of this caliber are leveraging next-generation know-how to do extra than simply promote a product,” Chan continued. “Collectively, we’re serving to inform a narrative, elevate creators’ voices, and have fun a motion that has captivated the world for half a century.”
In June, Puma launched a sneaker-based collaboration with NBA star LaMelo Ball and the NFT mission Gutter Cat Gang. Offered through an NFT accessible by means of the OpenSea market, house owners may then redeem the token for the bodily pair of sneakers.
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