Adidas has partnered with the Solana-based fitness app Stepn to launch an exclusive NFT sneaker collection, signaling the sports giant's further dive into the Web3 space.

Adidas Steps Into Web3 with Stepn Collaboration, Launches Exclusive NFT Sneaker Collection

Adidas, the sports footwear and apparel company, has partnered with Stepn, a Solana-based fitness app, the latter said on Monday, as per Newsjani.

The collaboration will begin with a batch of 1,000 NFTs known as the Stepn x Adidas Genesis Sneaker Collection. According to a news release, it is based on some of the "most iconic running silhouettes."

“This Genesis collection is the first in a series of co-branded activities between Stepn and Adidas during a year-long partnership that will see other NFT drops and physical and wearable items on the roadmap,” Stepn said in his statement.

The NFT collection will launch later this week, on April 17, through Stepn's sister non-fungible token platform, Mooar.

Adidas has already formed cryptocurrency-related web3 agreements with Coinbase, Bored Ape Yacht Club, and Bugatti.

Stepn is a Web3 revenue-generating service that pays users in cryptocurrencies for walking or running. It claims to have 5 million registered members and has previously teamed up with a shoemaker. In 2022, Stepn collaborated with Asics.

“The fact that such a physical and digital – or ‘phygital’ – partnership between the most widely used lifestyle app and a global brand like Adidas is now a reality indicates the direction lifestyle rewards are heading,” said Shiti Manghani, CEO of Stepn, in the company’s press release.

Last week, Stepn dropped bonus points worth $30 million worth of GMT tokens.

Adidas Celebrates Decade of Spezial with Exclusive Event and Limited-Edition Releases

Meanwhile, Adidas' Samba and Gazelle styles have become prominent in recent years. Still, its close cousin, the Spezial (SPZL), will receive a long-overdue tribute at a new anniversary event in Blackburn, England.

DECADE, curated by brand consultant and longtime adidas collaborator Gary Aspden, will feature the complete SPZL sneaker archive, unseen design sketches and inspirations dating back to the original shoe in the 1970s, and a focus on apparel collaborations within the SPZL imprint over the last ten years, Hypebeast reported.

To the untrained eye, the SPZL and the Samba appear identical. However, for the footwear aficionado, the shoe's narrower toe box, thinner and more flexible gumsole, and variety of color options have made this adi sneaker a timeless silhouette that can be worn in almost every situation.

The event will also include special workshops, such as a five-day educational program by bespoke shoemaker Blunt Shank; a Q&A with Gary Aspden and film director Nick Griffiths at the Darwen Library Theatre; and performances by Shaun Ryders Black Grape with a DJ set from Mani of The Stone Roses on May 17 and Stereo MC's the next day at Level 1.

The party will be accompanied by a unique SPZL DECADE book and a joint SPZL x Nightsafe sneaker—limited to 100 pairs. All revenues will benefit Nightsafe's objective of aiding homeless adolescents. DECADE will be on display in Darwen, Lancashire, from May 17 to 26.

Photo: Jan Zinnbauer/Unsplash