Puma launches its first Metaverse experience with NFT shoes. Can it compete against Nike?

On September 7, Puma, one of the world’s leading sports brands, announced the launch of “Black Station,” its first interactive metaverse experience, during New York Fashion Week.

According to the company’s press release, Black Station will become “a dynamic destination to visit,” where Puma users will be able to connect in an immersive and interactive way to enjoy the brand’s NFTs, mainly related to sports equipment.

Puma revives its creative journey

Adam Petrick, PUMA’s Chief Brand Officer, said: “20 years ago Black Station was PUMA’s home.” Black Station allowed PUMA to showcase its most innovative designs, which is why it revived the site to celebrate its commitment to innovation.

“Given the boundaries we’re pushing from a product design and digital standpoint, we saw fit to bring back Black Station as a new portal for digital exploration across fashion, sports performance, our classic heritage and innovation.”

From the moment users enter the site, they can choose a hyper-realistic digital lobby with three different portals to experience exclusive, never-before-seen sneakers. They can also create NitroPass passes to receive NFTs tied to physical products that can be claimed once the Futrograde New York show is over.

Heiko Desens, Puma’s global creative director and chief innovation officer, noted that thanks to the advantages offered by the metaverse, Puma’s team of designers could work without limitations to create original designs as impressive as the actual products.

“Our team of designers took a lot of liberties when envisioning these footwear styles. We told them the sky’s the limit. As a result, we were able to tap into their creativity without the typical constraints and limitations of our shoe manufacturing process.”

Puma wants a piece of the succulent pie we call “The Metaverse”

Despite the technological innovation that the metaverse offers, it should be noted that on a monetary level, Nike, one of Puma’s main competitors, has earned close to $184 million thanks to its NFTs products. This is a clear invitation to a market that has just begun.

According to data provided by Dune Analytics, Nike leads the table of companies that have earned the most from the sale of NFTs, followed by Dolce & Gabbana, which has sold around $23.67 million. Adidas, one of the first to bet on the metaverse, has barely managed to make $10 million in sales due to the problems that arose during the collection launch (which the brand has publicly apologized for).

Early access is not closed, but embossing has been paused while the developers investigate issues with Mutant Ape Yacht Club not being able to emboss.

We will update you as soon as we can.

— adidas Originals (@adidasoriginals) 17 December 2021

The truth is that the metaverse is open to any company that wants to go beyond the real world. Even the big car brands, such as Ford Motors Company, have announced the registration of patents to enter the metaverse with their most successful car collections.