Today saw the eagerly anticipated first drop of the connected Dior Men’s B33 sneakers. This first phase, involves a limited a numbered edition of 470 pairs that fuse mohair with the Dior Oblique toile, emblematic of the maison.
Further models, in mohair, Dior Oblique toile and Dior Tears denim will become available on July 13.
While all the B33 sneakers feature an “encrypted digital key” — an near field communication chip placed in the sole of each right foot — which can be scanned via smartphone to access “a personal, secure platform offering dedicated services,” this first limited edition drop also comes with a Digital Twin Collectible secured on the Ethereum blockchain.
Forbes can reveal that these 470 pairs of limited edition Dior B33 sneakers with the Digital Twin Collectible will feature an additional utility in the form of early access to an exclusive drop from Kim Jones’ Dior Men’s fall ‘24 collection.
Within the “personal, secure platform,” holders can access the shoes’ on-chain certificate of authenticity alongside information on the different stages of the manufacturing process and preview announcements for future Dior sneaker launches.
Reading between the lines, aforementioned platform has the potential to form the genesis of a token gated Web3 fidelity program for Dior, similar to those operated by Lacoste and adidas.
The certificates of authenticity are linked to a provenance token based on technology from Aura Blockchain Consortium, of which Dior parent, LVMH Group is a founding member alongside Prada Group and Cartier (part of the Richemont Group).
Via Aura Consortium, LVMH has already created products with on-chain certificates of authenticity for Lora Piano and Louis Vuitton high jewelry.
Forbes can reveal that the certificates of authenticity are also Apple and Android wallet compatible meaning that they can be saved on a holder’s smartphone in similar manner to a regular credit card, ticket or Web2 loyalty card.
This facility represents an important bridge between Web2 and Web3 in that it helps to accustom people to the latter technology via a mechanism with which they are already familiar.
The manner in which the sneakers’ blockchain based attributes have been communicated is notable for the absence of terms like “nonfungible token” or “Web3” — likely due to potentially unfavorable associations with cryptocurrency due to market volatility.
Web3 investor Megan Kaspar, who also served as one of Louis Vuitton’s unofficial ambassadors for it’s VIA Treasure Trunks launch commented last week via Twitter that “the approach for brands to integrate Web3 into their products quietly is trending.”
Such an approach makes eminent sense for Dior which is traditionally more of a “quiet luxury” house than its Louis Vuitton counterpart.
As Web3 entrepreneur gmoney recently told Decrypt.co: “I think every brand should take a unique approach that speaks to them. It’s about being authentic to their heritage and their brand, taking their time, and being really thoughtful about how they are going about it.”
Gmoney who launched his own blockchain native luxury fashion brand 9dcc in 2022 attended Kim Jones’ Dior Men’s fall ‘24 show in Paris last month.
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