Heartbeats 4 Sneakers will see five of the last decade’s most sought-after sneakers awarded to true sneaker lovers, who enter using their heartbeat.
Global payments and shopping service Klarna has joined forces with sneaker experts, Highsnobiety, for a world first competition that uses heart-rate technology to reward true sneakerheads over bots.
The global sneaker market is thriving, but sneaker shopping for this avid community often leaves a bad taste in the mouth, particularly when it comes to online sneaker drops.
Launching on Thursday July 2, Heartbeats 4 Sneakers will see five of the last decade’s most sought-after sneakers awarded to true sneaker lovers, who enter using their heartbeat.
This is the first drop of its kind, empowering real sneaker fans to get what they love and ensuring only those with a heartbeat (aka humans) can enter for their chance to win one of the iconic pairs.
Sneaker bots have long been the bane of the sneakerhead community because they increase the chance of success in a raffle by creating numerous accounts, and when purchasing, they can checkout items in as little as 0.2 seconds.
Both reasons mean really passionate sneaker fans have far less chance of getting a pair of limited-edition sneakers when they are released.
It is estimated that close to 100% of traffic on hyped sneaker releases come from bots, with many pairs being resold at several times their retail value.
The problem has become so significant, sneaker fans will even invest from $500 to over $7,000 in a bot to increase their chance of winning the latest sneakers.
In the Heartbeats 4 Sneakers smoooth competition, only those who can prove their passion for sneakers will be able to enter for a chance to win.
Employing new technology, a sneakerhead’s heartbeat will be detected by putting their fingertip on the camera lens of a smartphone or desktop.
Only those with a heart that beats for sneakers will be able to enter.
“At Klarna, we believe everyone should get what they love in life and in shopping," Klarna chief marketing officer David Sandstrom says.
"That’s why we’ve created Heartbeats 4 Sneakers especially for the sneaker community. Finally, a sneaker comp where your chance to win is based on your love for sneakers, not your access to bots or special intel, ensuring only those who truly love sneakers end up the rightful owners.”
Curated by sneaker experts, Highsnobiety, the drop offers sneakerheads the chance to get their hands on some of the most iconic and sought-after sneakers from the last decade:
1. Adidas Originals Yeezy Boost 750 OG (2015)
2. Acronym x Nike Presto Mid (2016)
3. Virgil Abloh x Nike Air Jordan 1 Chicago (2017)
4. Sean Wotherspoon x Nike Air Max 97/1 (2017)
5. Daniel Arsham x Adidas Futurecraft 4D (2018)
"These five sneakers have been chosen based on the impact they had when they dropped and their lasting influence on sneaker culture since then," Highsnobiety sportswear editor and sneaker expert Fabian Gorsler says.
"This gives sneakerheads the chance to get their hands on some of the most celebrated and sought-after collaborations of the past few years, without the added, unfair competition of bots."
The Heartbeats 4 Sneakers campaign epitomises Klarna’s commitment to providing a ‘smoooth’ shopping and paying experience, empowering shoppers everywhere to get what they love, today.
The collection will drop on July 2, 2020.
