Dior, a French fashion house, is back in Web3. Their first product will be a set of sneakers called B33, which come with a variety of technical enhancements, including an NFC chip in the right foot and NFT sneakers that act as digital twins. There will only be 470 pairs, and each pair will cost $1,350.
According to the website for the sneaker set, the B33 sneaker plays on the “timeless tennis shoe” and “the volume in a modern silhouette.” The outside is made from turquoise Dior oblique mohair, and the inside has brown suede inserts. There is cream rubber sole and leather lining. Brown cotton laces are provided.
Sneakers Alert.
Introducing ‘B33’ sneakers by Kim Jones, from the #DiorMenFall 2023 collection. Each pair is equipped with an encrypted key granting access to a secure platform and exclusive services. Sign up to be the first to shop them online from July 6.— Dior (@Dior) June 29, 2023
As for the tech, each pair of B33 sneakers will have a near-field communication chip set under the sole of the right foot. When scanned, the NFC chip will transport the owner of the sneakers to a personalized platform that provides a Digital Certificate of Authenticity, along with other services. It will also link to an NFT set of sneakers on the Ethereum blockchain, marking Dior’s re-entrance into Web3.
The sneakers will go on sale July 6th. U.S. residents can sign-up for a reminder, which will notify them when the B33 sale will start. As of now, Dior has not announced the extent of the technology enhancements, including whether the NFT digital twins can be moved to a self-custody wallet, traded, or offer other exclusive rewards.
Rarity Sniper reached out to Dior for comment, but it did not immediately respond in time for publication of this article.
Dior Parent Company Bullish on Web3
While Dior debuting its second initiative in Web3 might be a surprise to some, some (super) astute observers may not have been taken aback at all. The reason is simple: Dior’s parent company, LVMH, seems bullish on the space, with some of its subsidiaries already haven entered the space before Dior.
For instance, Hennessy entered the space in early 2022, released its first pair of NFTs on the platform BlockBar for $226,450. The NFTs came with a wide variety of IRL benefits, such as actual bottles of the cognac, hand-blown Baccarat crystal carrafes, and an ornate chest.
TAG Heuer, the watch brand and another LVMH subsidiary, has created an NFT display for its smartwatch, the Connected Calibre E4. Through a software update, the watch can now authenticate and display non-fungible tokens, which is often considered a ‘flex’ in the NFT community.
Finally, Sephora, a beauty brand, held its annual ‘Sephoria’ event in the metaverse nine months ago. In the four-hour event, users took part in masterclasses, relaxed in virtual lounges, and watched videos from the company’s founders.
LVMH certainly seems intent on having its subsidiaries enter Web3. Rarity Sniper will keep an eye out for any of its other companies making the leap and report back.