AI Designed Sneakers Sold for $12.923

Artifact Studios and Metagrail sold their collectible sneakers, which were designed by an AI, through an auction for 22 ETH or $12.923. The winning bid was done by WhaleShark, adding another collectible their impressive collection. Alongside the physical shoe they will get an exclusive avatar for in The Sandbox.

The team has named the shoes ‘The X Evolutions’. The RTFKT team created the sneakers and an AI is adding the design. This artificial intelligence kept painting as long as bids were coming in.

On the auction page the team also said that there will be ‘more simulations in the future’. Whether WhaleShark will get multiple non-fungible tokens for different virtual worlds, or one digital assets that’s usable across different worlds… remains a bit unclear. 

Physical or virtual fashion

The lines between physical and virtual fashion are slowly becoming more vague. Nowadays people buy clothes online without going to a store. At the same time the online presence of an individual is becoming more important. Therefore it’s safe to assume that online representation will also become more important. That’s an opportunity for fashion brands to sell digital versions of their clothing using blockchain technology, providing value through rarity, ownership and authenticity.

This week we’ve seen Bandai Namco investing three million dollars in a company that makes digital avatars. Not that long ago we wrote about Gucci looking at digital platforms for their fashion items. The representation of an individual in a virtual world is becoming important, as the virtual world is becoming a stage where image and reputation matter. No wonder Somnium Space is minting avatars on the blockchain, and Cryptovoxels reactivated their wearables program.

No matter whether you’re talking about physical or virtual sneakers, both will be important to some extend. These digital representations are an extensions of the self, and users will want to treat them that way.