UPDATE: Adidas announced on June 21 via its Discord server that the collaboration with Fewocious "has been put on hold for the time being," following accusations of sexual assault against the artist from a former partner. Fewocious has denied the allegations.
ORIGINAL STORY: Global apparel giant Adidas has teamed up with prominent digital artist Fewocious on a physical sneaker collaboration, with the kicks to be sold via an NFT redemption pass.
Exploring the “art of play,” Fewocious' collaboration with Adidas will span 4,500 editions of an NFT mint pass called “Trefoil Flower,” which will be available for purchase exclusively via the OpenSea marketplace on June 22.
The NFT mint pass will serve as a direct redemption ticket for a pair of custom-designed physical sneakers called Adidas Originals Campus 00s. Mint pass holders can “burn” (or permanently destroy) the NFT in a process that will begin in August, with shipping expected the following month.
Step into The Art of Play with @FEWOCiOUS as we explore the possibilities of a world where art imitates life and life imitates art, blurring the physical and virtual landscape of the Campus 00s.
Coming June 22 👉 https://t.co/ZPnRLB2Mmh pic.twitter.com/QS9TkKy9Hd— adidas Originals (@adidasoriginals) June 13, 2023
Each pair of physical sneakers will be embedded with a NFC tag—a technological device implanted in items such as phones, contactless credit cards, and passports that can be scanned for verification—and linked to a companion NFT.
The Trefoil Flower NFT will be deployed in a three-tier pre-sale followed by a public mint. Holders of Adidas’ existing Alts Decos and Soles NFTs, as well as Fewocious Paint Drops, will be granted early access to minting at a discounted price of 0.2 ETH, or nearly $350 as of this writing.
Holders of all other Adidas Alts, Fewocious NFTs, and others from a defined list—including Bored Ape Yacht Club, Doodles and Rug Radio NFTs—will be able to mint later at 0.25 ETH ($435). The public sale will commence shortly after at the same price.
Decrypt reached out to Fewocious for comment on his creative inspiration for the sneaker drop, but did not hear back by the time of publication.
Major Web3 players
Fewocious, whose real name is Victor Langlois, is a 20-year-old transgender artist whose work depicts a vibrant, playful use of paint in a thematic style that embraces childhood memories.
Since his entrance into the NFT space three years ago, Fewocious has become one of Web3’s most notable creators, registering over $50 million worth of lifetime sales and collaborating with the likes of Nike-owned RTFKT, auction houses Christie’s and Sotheby’s, and the David Bowie estate.
Adidas has been active within the NFT space since purchasing a Bored Ape NFT and using it to create the fictional character Indigo Herz in December 2021.
The apparel brand’s “Into the Metaverse” collection—created in partnership with the Bored Ape Yacht Club, Punks Comic, and pseudonymous NFT influencer gmoney—has facilitated over $150 million worth of NFT trading volume to date, and let holders claim exclusive merchandise. Adidas then pivoted the collection into its recent Alts project.
Fellow apparel brand Puma recently followed the trend with the launch of a physical sneaker initiative with NBA star LaMelo Ball and the NFT project Gutter Cat Gang. Ball’s GutterMelo MB.03 sneaker, dropping in late June, will sell for $175 via an NFT pass.
Editor's note: This article was updated after publication to include the announcement that the collaboration has been paused.