K-Swiss' Immortals Kompass lifestyle shoe features the use of the organization's black-and-teal color schemeImmortals
K-Swiss will target esports players and fans with a new line of footwear developed with Immortals, the California-based esports organization with teams in six games. It is believed to be the first marketing partnership between a shoemaker brand and an esports team, though many experts have said the space is ripe for footwear because of the overlap between the gaming and youth fashion worlds. K-Swiss in December will launch the Immortals Kompass, a lifestyle shoe that uses the Immortals black-and-teal color scheme, with a suggested retail price of $110. K-Swiss is also developing a high-performance shoe for gamers and will be conducting research and design inside the Immortals’ training facility. K-Swiss President Barney Waters said gaming and fashion are both top contenders for his target demographic’s discretionary income, and he sees esports as a way to make gains among young buyers while larger apparel and shoe brands remain heavily invested in slower-growth traditional sports. “For esports teams and the players, they’re sneakerheads, they’re style guys, they like product,” Waters said. “Part of the culture of gaming is the style and streetwear. For an esports team, for them to have a sneaker is obvious.” The lifestyle play is clear, but performance needs of gamers, who sit while they compete, is less obvious. Waters says they will emphasize comfort, breathability and weight, as well as the fact that players are not as passive as they appear. “A pro gamer is sitting on the edge of their seat and on the balls of their feet, so the perception versus reality for what that person does, and how they operate, is very different,” Waters said. The prospects for incremental distribution are less clear, but Waters said he hoped a first-mover advantage might convince some new retailers to consider a K-Swiss relationship.
VIDEO SERIES COMING: Immortals and K-Swiss will document the R&D work in a video series that will be co-distributed socially by both brands. Immortals has long made a priority of rounding out its lifestyle marketing plan. It recently signed a deal with Mountain Dew to sponsor an original content series developed with Lionsgate, a key investor. Immortals President & COO Ari Segal said the K-Swiss deal is the "first step on a long journey that we believe will result in the design and creation of a targeted, premium lifestyle and performance apparel” for esports.
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