Decathlon has decided to take its first step into the world of blockchain through non-fungible tokens (NFTs). Indeed, it has just launched a new pair of sneakers “Kipsta Barrio” on which holders can find an NFT offering exclusive benefits.
Decathlon and Tezos (XTZ) collaborate on NFTs
French company Decathlon is teaming up with blockchain company Tezos (XTZ) for its new “Kipsta Barrio” sneaker collection, trainers for street football designed in collaboration with champions of the sport, including the “S3 Crew” collective.
Decathlon is taking its first step into the world of blockchain and non-fungible tokens (NFTs) with these pairs of shoes, produced in a limited edition of 2008, on which holders can find a unique NFT to be scratched off via a “Golden Ticket”.
Golden Ticket
The collaboration between the two entities was made possible by Nomadic Labs, a research and development centre specialising in the deployment of Tezos, which helps companies use it for their business needs.
The new trainers were created in honour of Séan Garnier, two-time world freestyle football champion, three-time French champion and official Red Bull athlete. Indeed, the pair was launched as a tribute to his 2008 Red Bull Street Style World Championship title
” Inspired by the Street Players, the BARRIO’s are a condensation of the Street Football heritage. Filled with details influenced by the greats, they serve the beautiful game and the experience of living in the urban world. “
Buyers will be able to purchase pairs developed by the sport’s greatest athletes while purchasing an exclusive NFT that provides access to multiple “personalized and exclusive experiences with the world champion. “
Tezos, the partner of choice for athletes
According to Decathlon, the choice of Tezos was not made by chance. In fact, the French company decided to join forces “in line with the company’s commitments to biodiversity and climate ambition”.
Indeed, the Tezos blockchain works through the consensus of proof-of-stake (PoS), a method that uses much less energy than the traditional proof-of-work (PoW) on which Bitcoin (BTC) operates.
The latter is often criticised for its environmental impact in terms of carbon footprint and energy consumption.
The Tezos blockchain, on the other hand, offers an average energy footprint equivalent to the annual consumption of 17 people.
In the past, many sports teams have partnered with the Tezos blockchain, such as Manchester United or McLaren, but also in the esport world, as evidenced by its partnership with the Ubisoft studio or its recent collaboration with the Misfits Gaming Group team.
In any case, for Decathlon, this first step in the world of blockchain is a first step towards other futures, as Valentin Auvinet, NFT leader for the company, explained:
“We hope this collaboration with Séan Garnier will lead to many more and we look forward to the public embracing this new pair.”
