After a year of web3 projects from Nike and Adidas, Puma is ultimately set foot in the metaverse. The sportswear brand has announced Black Station, its first Web3 website experience, which will feature exclusive NFTs alongside digital collectibles redeemable for limited-edition tangible sneakers.
“Twenty years ago, Black Station was Puma’s home for our most innovative fashion designs,” Puma Brand Director Adam Petrick said in a press release. “Given the boundaries we are pushing from a product design and digital perspective, we felt it fitting to bring back Black Station as a new portal for digital exploration of fashion, sports performance, our heritage classics and innovation.”
As a pristine, ever-evolving 3D canvas, Black Station is set to become a dynamic destination to visit, connecting consumers with various web3 activations emerging over the next year.
What is there to gain — The experience kicks off when visitors enter a hyper-realistic digital lobby with three distinct portals. The first two portals reveal two exclusive sneakers dubbed Nitro NFRNO and Nitro Fastroid, which are each related to the recent NFT Nitropass mint. Anyone who has created a Nitropass can receive two NFTs – one tied to a physical pair of sneakers and another that unlocks a personalized experience tied to the chosen shoe. To claim the tangible version of the Nitro NFRNO or Nitro Fastroid, users must burn (relinquish ownership of) their product-related NFT.
For the digital design of the sneakers, Puma encouraged its in-house designers to push the boundaries of creativity. “Our design team took a lot of liberties when designing these shoe styles. We told them the sky was the limit,” said Heiko Desens, Global Creative Director and Head of Innovation. , we were able to harness their creativity without the typical constraints and limitations of our shoe production process.”
The Nitro NFRNO and Nitro Fastroid recontextualize iconic Puma design elements. The Fastroid takes on a technical performance silhouette with exaggerated volumes of Nitro foam in gradient hues, while the NFRNO blends features from Puma’s latest and most archived styles for a more artistic approach.
First come, first served – A limited amount of NFT and their matching sneakers are available via Black Station website, although Puma is expected to launch more phygital (both physical and digital) products soon. The brand’s third and final portal is set to open during NYFW and will serve as the entrance to Puma’s NYFW digital metaverse fashion show, where visitors can interact with its latest collection.