One of the biggest stars in the NBA right now, Kyle Kuzma, has recently announced his partnership with Space Runners, a company that designs and launches virtually wearable sneaker nonfungible tokens (NFTs).
Space Runners is a unique digital sneaker brand in the NFT space, focusing on NFT footwear, which is easy to interact with beyond the fashion-forward designs. The company is advancing with a vision to unlock the "apparel" category in the NFT world by providing the most immersive digital sneaker experience yet. They bring together fashion-forward designers, fashion houses, top celebrities and crypto communities to create the “Wear2Earn ecosystem.”
As their first batch, Space Runners will be releasing their NBA-themed collection, called “Broken Shoe” in collaboration with basketball superstars to bring some of the iconic pairs from real life to digital. Stored on Solana Blockchain, the NFTs in this batch will be wearable over the browser with the Virtual Reality (AR) feature. The company will also provide social media filters for platforms like Instagram and Snapchat to make NFTs even more accessible. Soon, we can expect to see many influencers posing with Runner NFTs and sharing!
Another compelling feature is that the NFTs will be embedded in virtual spaces like games and metaverses. Each piece has some invisible traits like speed, stability and power, in compliance with the nature of online interaction. Those will be added to the avatars when equipped by the owners.
The Future of Footwear: Metashoes
By combining NFTs with footwear, Space Runners intends to become the future of footwear. They partner with brands and celebrities to ease their entrance to the NFT space, simply by offering them “NFT as a Service“. Companies that have successfully done this include Dolce & Gabbana, Burberry, and Louis Vuitton. Through Space Runners, major companies will be allowed to host huge NFT collections, where each item will be a unique piece of art created in collaboration with artists and celebrities.
Space Runners has received a seed investment with a $30 million initial valuation. When major brands like Adidas join the space, they are likely to change the space forever. They will be able to release unique Space Runners collections that are immortalized on the blockchain.
We know that the famous shoe brand Nike has recently entered the metaverse game. However, with its crypto-native nature, features, investors and partners, Space Runners could be the Nike of the digital world.
About NBA Drop
Space Runners has its eyes on NBA stars for its first collection. Targeting the crypto-savvy fanbase, the Broken Shoe collection consists of 10,000 NFT pieces. The price of 5 SOL mints, which is above the market average, seems fair for the first-ever genesis collection of the digital premium shoe brand.
Announcing that it has agreed with Kyle Kuzma for the collection, Space Runners is expected to include another very important NBA star before the launch.
Future Steps
The deal with NBA star Kyle Zuma is only the beginning. Space Runners has a plan to work with artists and fashion designers, celebrities, and fashion houses. The role of celebrities is crucial to the development of this space, as they will help to establish digital fashion that is accepted by the masses.
For users, Space Runners will provide a multichain marketplace where they can trade NFTs. To achieve this goal, they will collaborate with NFT platforms and other online platforms to create virtual characters for users.
Another major development that is in the works includes an augmented reality interface. It is being developed to allow people to wear their NFT in the VR space. To access this platform, users will need to scan a QR code using their smartphone. They can then use their camera to shoot photos and create videos that they share online with their friends.
The long-term plan is to work with major platforms like Instagram and Snapchat. Through these platforms, users can share their NFTs as filters with other people on social media. By doing so, it could get them trending, increasing demand and raising their value.
Co-founder Deniz Özgür says “The ultimate mission is to build the #WearToEarn ecosystem and become the biggest apparel brand in virtual spaces.” In the upcoming months, Space Runners will achieve this goal by launching a RUN token, which will unlock the decentralized finance (DeFi) tools as well as help the brand to become a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) for the digital fashion community.
Summary
The NFT space is still young, and a lot of its potential is still unutilized. Companies like Space Runners making bold moves are what will define and grow the space. Collaborating with brands and celebrities will bring so much more exposure to them and the NFT space.
In the future, these collaborations will involve many other celebrities and stars from various fields. It will help the NFT space grow while proving quite profitable for early adopters. The community built around Space Runners will undoubtedly play a huge role in helping to shape the future of NFTs and digital art.
Feel free to check out Space Runners Discord Channel and Twitter for more information