Dior, the renowned French luxury fashion house, has announced its foray into blockchain.
The brand is introducing a new men’s footwear line that incorporates a unique, encrypted online authentication system and corresponding “digital twin” Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs). This innovative approach is set to revolutionize the luxury fashion industry, offering its customers a new level of authenticity and exclusivity. The B33 sneaker, a part of Dior’s Men’s Fall 2023 collection, is the first product to feature this technology.
Designed by Dior Menswear artistic director Kim Jones, the sneaker combines mohair with Dior’s signature Oblique pattern, creating a unique blend of style and innovation.
The B33 sneaker reframes the timeless tennis shoe with a modern silhouette. It features a new brushed-knit mohair material with an ultra-soft touch and layered pop colors. Enhanced by brown suede inserts, it is distinguished by a padded tongue revealing the embossed Dior signature and a set of wide orange mohair laces with matte brown-finish brass eyelets. The cream-colored rubber sole with the Dior Oblique motif is embellished with a Dior 30 Avenue Montaigne signature at the back. The sneaker will lend a modern touch to all casual looks.
The first style of the B33 sneaker will be released online exclusively on July 6 in a limited run of only 470 pairs. Each pair will be linked to a digital twin, a corresponding NFT of the shoes minted on the Ethereum blockchain. This digital twin serves as a unique identifier, providing an additional layer of authenticity to each pair of sneakers. Each of these exclusive pairs will retail for $1,350 (£1100 in the UK).
Following the release of these exclusive NFT-matched sneakers, Dior plans to launch six more styles of the B33. These styles will also feature an NFC chip placed under the sole of the right foot but won’t come with a digital twin NFT.
The NFC chip will be associated with an encrypted key that leads to a secure online platform. This platform will offer digital certificates of authenticity for each shoe owner, as well as other dedicated services that Dior has yet to reveal.
Featured Image Credit: Photo / illustration by glorife via Pixabay
