The non-fungible token (NFT) business Legitimate is collaborating with the world’s largest shoe manufacturer PUMA and the entertainment company Roc Nation to launch a sneaker line.The collection, dubbed “Evolution of the Mixtape,” honors the 50th anniversary of hip-hop and gives customers access to exclusive musical content chosen by Roc Nation.The three shoe styles, “Cassette Tape,” “Playlist,” and “Disc,” each have a “LGT Tag” placed in the tongue of the shoe, which is Legitimate’s near-field communication (NFC) chip.Owners can access a digital site with weekly mixtapes, exclusive artist content, and unheard songs from Roc Nation artists by scanning the NFC chip.
According to Calvin Chan, the founder and CEO of Legitimate, working with PUMA and Roc Nation allows fans have more access to the music of their favorite musicians while also telling the narrative of a cultural movement.
“The vision here was to pay homage to and innovate on the concept of a mixtape bringing talent and people together, but also exploring how mixtape and hip hop culture has evolved and grown over time, especially with the inclusion of tech,” said Chan. “PUMA, Roc Nation and Legitimate are working together to innovate on this concept of the mixtape itself by seamlessly connecting the dots between fashion, music and technology.”
He further said that using an NFC chip and rewarding customers for their purchases with new music not only keeps them interested but also fosters brand loyalty.
“‘Phygital’ products allow brands to engage with their customers on a physical and digital level,” said Chan. “This capability and visibility is very important for brands, and ultimately, extremely valuable for consumers as they derive more value from their purchases and brand loyalty.”
Although the metaverse’s vision has been shaped in part by digitally native clothing, the transition from Web2 to Web3 can be facilitated by physically linked goods.The luxury men’s brand Dior just unveiled sneakers with an inbuilt NFC chip and blockchain ownership verification.In March, Web3 streetwear company Cult and Rain unveiled its second line of digital wearables, which included real hoodies embedded with NFC chips to track their origin