STEPN Partners with Japanese Sportswear Brand ASICS to Launch New UI NFT Collection‍

Move-to-earn App STEPN has announced its collaboration with the Japanese sportswear brand ASICS and the release of a Solana-styled shoe. The GT-2000 11 IRL shoe comes with a variety of bonuses, including token-gated activities. Additionally, STEPN will include those customers in an airdrop for a unique ASICS x STEPN NFT shoe.

The collection has been specifically created for daily exercise in order to fulfill ASICS' Web3 commitment to develop world-class experiences that get the global Web3 community moving. The GT-2000 11 performance running shoe comes in two unique styles: "light mode" and "dark mode," and is appropriate for runners of all skill levels. The minimalistic Solana design, which draws inspiration from user interfaces (UI) on phone and computer displays, stands for a healthy balance between screen time and exercise.

A pair can be purchased for $200 USDC (Solana Pay), a stablecoin pegged to the US dollar. There is currently no restriction on how many pairs a person may purchase of the sneakers, making them available to everybody in the world. The limited-run procedure is being praised by ASICS, who claim it will increase production efficiency for the shoes.

"The launch of the ASICS x Solana UI Collection is a major step forward for ASICS Web3 commerce. We're proud to leverage Solana Pay and partner with STEPN to help us scale our mission to inspire the global Web3 community to create healthy habits with our products. Building on learnings and successes from our Sunrise Red and Genesis STEPN collections, we're excited to continue delivering world-class Web3 experiences, " said Joe Pace, Director of Web3 and Digital Goods at ASICS.

The launching of ASICS's IRL Solana-inspired footwear and its partnership with STEPN are both significant developments for the Web3 industry. And it demonstrates that some businesses continue to innovate despite the current challenging bear market.

‍"As a first mover in this space, ASICS is leading the industry by showing how customers and brands can come together around tokengated experiences that provide ongoing e-benefits to both sides," said Josh Fried, Head of Payments Business Development at Solana Labs. "Furthermore, by using USDC payments on Solana Pay, ASICS is breaking down geographic barriers to facilitate transactions around the world and showing just how much more can be done with Web3 commerce." 

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