Footwear brand K-Swiss has announced today an interesting new partnership with Los Angeles based esports organisation, Immortals, to launch the first signature shoe for a professional gaming team.
K-Swiss is a heritage American tennis brand which has been around since 1966. This is the company’s first entrance into the world of esports, and whilst it may on the surface appear a strange one, we’d like to point to this article which details ‘esports’ hidden obsession with sneakers’.
“Like any professional athlete, esports competitors look for any advantage they can use against their opponents,” said Noah Whinston, CEO, Immortals. “By wearing a uniquely designed shoe specifically created for our esports players with their input, they know that they have an immediate advantage — both physically and psychologically.”
This, which it is important to note is ‘the first offering in the partnership’, is based on Kompass which is K-Swiss’ latest style aimed at ensuring comfort, especially focused on alleviating weight on the heel, offering full support, being lightweight, breathable and all the while still being aesthetically pleasing. It will launch in December with the price estimated to be around $110 (£78). They will be available for both men and women; and the two styles will ‘display accents of Immortals’ signature colors, cyan and black, as well as its bold logo depicting a warrior’s helmet’.
Barney Waters, K-Swiss’ Brand President commented: “Esports is the new frontier of sports and entertainment, and this is another way for K-Swiss to contribute to culture in a progressive and modern way.”
This is far from a one stop marketing ploy too. K-Swiss will ve paying visits to Immortals’ LA-based training facility over the next few months, wherein designers will ‘consider a professional gamer’s technical performance needs, such as the rising temperature in a shoe and movement of feet during a match’. All in good time, the performance style will make its debut in early 2019.
Immortals and K-Swiss intend to document the entire process from design to development, including meetings and testing, to dinners with Immortals’ players. This will be pushed across both organisations’ social media channels.
Ari Segal, President and COO, Immortals said: “The announcement of this partnership between K-Swiss and Immortals is the first step on a long journey that we believe will result in the design and creation of targeted, premium lifestyle and performance apparel for esports players and fans around the globe.”
Esports Insider says: This is very cool news and it sounds like a long lasting partnership is on the cards for K-Swiss and Immortals. No doubt Immortals fans and sneakerheads alike will be keen to get their hands on the first drop of these. K-Swiss and adidas announcing big esports plays on the same day. Who’s next? Everybody, please form an orderly queue.
