News: Asics Brings Its Sneaker Magic to the 3D World via NFT Auction

Some tried to call it a brief cryptocurrency-fueled fad, but it looks like NFTs are here to stay.

Now, one of the biggest sneaker companies on the planet, Japan's Asics, is getting into the game with its own set of NFTs, and there's a virtual object component included.

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The auction is called the Asics Sunset Red NFT collection and it features nine different sneaker NFT that will go on auction beginning Thursday, July 15.

Rather than go through more traditional auction house routes, Asics is staying close to the crypto community by releasing the NFTs through the widely popular OpenSea platform.

"We are excited to drop the world's first digital shoe release from a major sporting goods company, this is only the beginning," said Joe Pace, the head of business development for ASICS Running Apps, in a statement. "In coming together with some of the most creative and forward-thinking digital artists in the world through our new Artist-in-Residence program, our long-term vision is to push the boundaries of digital goods to inspire physical activity."

The company has also pledged to use the proceeds from the auction to fund its Asics Digital Goods Artist-in-Residence program, which is designed to foster up-and-coming sneaker designers.

Although the NFT drop isn't being distributed directly through augmented reality apps or holographic displays, as with a few previous high-profile releases, the auction does come with exclusive 3D assets. Winning bidders of the auction will also receive 3D models, complete with virtual textures, of the shoes they acquire.

Those models, according to Asics, will be able to be used in unassociated applications, animations, and any AR implementations the owners decide to use them in.

The NFT auction starts at 12 p.m. ET and will officially close on July 19.