Japanese shoe firm taps into NFT with StepN

Japanese shoe company ASICS, has revealed it would send ASICS NFT sneakers, in partnership with stepN and Solana, to consumers when they make a physical purchase. The company made this revelation at the Web Summit 2022.

ASICS is a Japanese running shoe company. The brand name is an acronym for “Anima Sana In Corpore Sano,” which is translated as “sound mind in a sound body.” They are focused on helping people to be healthy through running.

A lot of brands out there and a few shoe brands have tried to enter web3 with an NFT-only product offering, and the market rejected that for the most part. However, ASICS said, its NFT utility is coming in line to solve that. The sneakers will be purchased physically, and customers will get an NFT and a potential airdrop.

According to ASICS, “a lot of NFT plays launched in 2021 didn’t meet the bar. It is either a famous musician that decides to do an NFT drop or a brand says they are going to take an image they’ve created and put it as an NFT.”

For ASICS, it rewards users with an NFT when they buy a physical ASICS product using USDC on Solana pay. When customers buy ten light mode ASICS shoes and ten dark modes, they get ten night mode and ten dark mode NFTs in their wallet.

Specifically, “buyers of GT-2000 11 Dark Mode shoes will automatically receive one (1) Dark Mode ASICS Badge NFT for each one (1) Dark Mode shoe purchase,” ASICS said.

These NFTs can be sold in secondary markets. A 1001 stepN ASICS NFT sneakers can be distributed once the sale closes. ASICS further explained that when users buy a shoe using USDC on Solana pay, the transaction doesn’t end; they get an NFT on their purchase which unlocks the potential for an airdrop in stepN.”

ASICS first integrated with Ethereum, then moved to Binance, and now expanding to Solana. According to ASICS, following the migration to Solana, it can now distribute and deliver globally. “Solana allows us to create amazing stories around our product in a more exciting way,” ASICS said.

The ASICS sneaker is GT-2000 11 model, and the company mentioned that GT-2000 11 was chosen specifically because it is light enough, it is supportive enough, it is cushioned enough, and feels great on the feet for all sexes in any country. The sneakers can be shipped globally to most companies in the world.

“The product is a love story to the Solana community, and it creates a way for the Solana community to use their SOL to get healthy,” ASICS said.