K-Swiss Drops First-Ever eSports Performance Sneaker
The “ONE-TAP” was designed in partnership with the Immortals Gaming Club.
As eSports becomes a further legitimized sport, complete with big name sportswear partnerships, athletes begin to seek out specific garments suitable for their needs, including Champion-made team jerseys. Now, K-Swiss has dreamed up the first-ever eSports-specific shoe in partnership with Counter Strike and Overwatch experts Immortals Gaming Club (IGC).
The “MIBR ONE-TAP” was crafted in response to IGC’s specific needs, observed during several sessions in which K-Swiss designers shadowed the team members in action. Three factors rose to the forefront of the design process: Comfort, versatility and temperature control. Thus, the lightweight ONE-TAP sports a breathable mesh upper with elasticated closure that allows the wearer to “crush” the heel so as to wear it like a slipper. A cushioned EVA sole and “Flow Cool” TPU venting unit encourage “bi-directional airflow” in warmer temps, while an included wool-lined insole is suitable for colder environments, covering the air vents to warm the foot.
IGC’s team colors inspired the black and silver makeup, while the Brazilian crest on the foldable heel is a nod to the Made in Brazil (MIBR) brand owned by IGC. “The ONE-TAP is the output of months of collaboration and prototyping and a genuine bottom-up approach to understand our players in and out of the game, and to design a product that would feel truly bespoke and original,” said Ari Segal, CEO of IGC, in a statement. “We’re thrilled to finally be able to bring the ONE-TAP to market and look forward to delivering the first and best esports and gaming performance footwear product in the world to all players, starting with our MIBR brand.”
Limited numbers of the MIBR ONE-TAP drop today on K-Swiss’ website for $125 USD.
In other gaming news, Overwatch recently introduced strict anti-cheat functionality.
