Sport and design company Puma has launched Black Station 2, a metaverse platform that bridges the digital and physical worlds. The platform will allow users to buy ‘phygital’ (physical and digital) footwear and act as an expansion to its initial Black Station debut last September during New York Fashion Week.
Puma’s Black Station first launched as an interactive destination where users could view and purchase exclusive digital collectables that can be redeemed for physical Puma sneakers. The new platform will now act as an expanded immersive experience featuring two distinct and explorable worlds that reveal new footwear designs.
Not only will the Puma community be able to explore these worlds, but they will also have the opportunity to access exclusive phygital footwear. The first world, Unkai, takes inspiration from the vibrant city of Shibuya in Japan, bringing its lively colours and energetic elements to the footwear.
The second world, Unter, draws inspiration from Berlin’s club culture, incorporating design elements that mirror the underground atmosphere of the city’s club scene.
Ivan Dashkov, head of Web3 at Puma said, “We’re thrilled to invite our community into these new worlds that provide an unparalleled shopping experience. Puma aims to meet our community where it shops while also exploring new and exciting opportunities within cryptocurrency and the metaverse.”
Redefining online shopping
Puma’s first shoe launch in Black Station 2 will be the Fast-RB, a fusion of the company’s running technologies. The Fast-RB will feature a distinctive setup, combining four strategically positioned Nitro pods and three PWRPlates for an energetic and unique running experience.
Throughout Black Station 2, individuals holding Puma Pass NFTs, formerly known as Nitro Collection, will have the opportunity to acquire a Materialiser NFT (a ‘to-be-produced’ physical item) and/or a Digital Collectible NFT. A total of 4,000 of each NFT type will be made available for purchase throughout the week.
In commemoration of its 75th anniversary, Puma is emphasising its expanding Web3 presence and is aiming to create an ever-present retail shopping experience. This evolving metaverse-based platform will continue to complement Puma’s global e-commerce and physical store formats.
The popular footwear designer is also opening purchase options in Black Station 2 to include credit card usage in addition to the current cryptocurrency payment options. Users can explore Black Station 2 by visiting blackstation.PUMA.com and purchase Puma Pass from OpenSea.
Isa Muhammad is a writer and video game journalist covering many aspects of entertainment media including the film industry. He's steadily writing his way to the sharp end of journalism and enjoys staying informed. If he's not reading, playing video games or catching up on his favourite TV series, then he's probably writing about them.
