Fashion NFTs
As NFTs gain mainstream adoption they crossover into areas not usually associated with crypto. That includes not only things that were already digital before crypto came along (such as gaming), but ‘real-life’ physical items too.
The fashion industry is now incorporating NFTs, and the two worlds seem like a good match for each other.
Sports and streetwear companies in particular appear to have a good understanding of what NFTs are all about, respectfully slotting their brands into the crypto world without appearing too much like they’re jumping on a bandwagon. Here are the top 5 fashion NFTs (in no particular order) to keep your eye on!
1. Adidas
The sports/fashion megabrand Adidas dropped its initial NFTs, Into the Metaverse, back last December, selling out rapidly but attracting criticism due to one buyer cleverly manipulating the minting system in their favor.
These are utility NFTs. There are 30,000 identical tokens, and if you own one, you get access to various benefits throughout 2022, including both physical merchandise and, according to the roadmap, virtual experiences (which is a little vague).
Adidas is partnered with BAYC, gmoney, and PUNKS Comic, so you’re getting some big NFT names for your money. Everyone’s always looking to get in on mints, but there’s a lot of value to be had on secondary markets if you time it right. Currently, the Adidas collection has dipped to around 1.1 ETH from a high of over 1.8 ETH a couple of weeks ago.
2. Nike
Also diving into NFTs is Nike. Last year, the sportswear giant acquired RTFKT Studios, the prestigious developers behind the CloneX NFT series, who also specialize in virtual sneakers.
And if you pick up a Flying Formations NFT (a separate project not related to RTFKT) you can redeem it for a special edition pair of Nike Air Max designed by Tinker Hatfield.
Something else to look out for in the future is Nike’s CryptoKicks project. Not much is known for sure about it at the moment, but it seems that it will tie sneaker releases in with an accompanying NFT asset.
3. Puma
Also currently making itself web3 friendly is Puma, which has purchased an ENS domain, is now known as PUMA.eth on Twitter, and is flexing a Cool Cats PFP.
It’s not clear exactly what’s being built, but collaborations with Gutter Cat Gang, Lazy Lions, and CatBlox appear to be in the making. And just to show how easily movers in the NFT space all link up together, Puma is working with world chess champion Magnus Carlsen, who is also working with Lympo, a sports NFT platform, to bring chess to the metaverse through The Sandbox.
By the way, the common connection between Lympo, The Sandbox, and Play Magnus Group (an organization founded by Magnus Carlsen), is Animoca Brands, a heavy investor in web3 development.
4. Karafuru with Hypebeast and Atmos
Picking up a lot of fans, Karafuru is a beautifully garish project that packages up two key current trends: candy-coloured characters, and a manga/anime atmosphere.
And in recent news, Karafuru is now linking up with the fashion world, announcing collaborations with Hypebeast and Atmos coming up in April.
Hypebeast is a very influential fashion and lifestyle site (which has authenticity credentials through having started as a one-man sneaker and streetwear blog), and Atmos is one of the best sneaker shop chains in Japan, originating in Harajuku, at the heart of Tokyo sneaker culture.
5. Sneaker Heads
The mint price, date and supply are all yet to be announced, but Sneaker Heads is shaping up to be a big project, and the images coming out so far are unique.
Not many details are known at the moment, but the project artist is Ali Dawood, and his existing work is outstanding. There are already a lot of people following Sneaker Heads, which, according to one tweet, aims to integrate sneakers with the NFT space.
Even besides those intentions though, attention and community are important commodities in the NFT space, and this project already has those factors.
