If you misread the first word of the title you are probably hungry and should grab a Snickers. Sneakers and Snickers – two words with similar pronunciation, and logically the second one would be the more suitable companion to a gamer who can’t stop his online game in order to eat and instead would satisfy his need for food with this best-selling candy bar. But what if we told you that there are sneakers which would make any gamer consider going home to get his shinebox. The Goodfellas’s fans would immediately think that’s a bad idea because they already know what happened to Billy Batts after making such a joke. But once we introduce you to this new sneaker company, with the products and jaw-dropping deals that they offer, then you’ll know that it’s worth your attention and consideration, especially if you like gaming. Yes, we’re talking about a company called RTFKT (pronounced Artifact), developer of custom sneakers designed for video game lovers and enthusiasts.  

Credit: Billy Batts

Founders and creators

Does the name Steven Vasilev ring a bell? His last name sounds like a Russian villain from some Marvel movie, but this is actually the president and Co-Founder of RTFKT. Raised in London of Russian and Bulgarian heritage, he is a born serial entrepreneur who started his first drop-shipping business at the age of thirteen. Ever since then he has set up 4 successful companies and raised seed capital from Angel and VC investors including Galaxy Digital and GFR Fund. It was him alongside with a collection of gamers and fashion creators who founded the RTFKT London based studio in 2020. His work on digital platforms has won the praise of significant influencers, including footballer Ronaldinho and fashion designer and entrepreneur Virgil Abloh.
The other name worth mentioning is the head of design Chris Lee – one of the best skin designers in the game, using the best technology, who is responsible for the next-gen sneakers never seen before. Lee uses only the best materials and artisan techniques. Chris Lee created iconic video game skins in mega-hit games like CS:GO and Fortnite. He designed the showcase sneaker for top esports team Fnatic, not to mention many other intriguing projects in which he was involved. 

Credit: Steven Vasilev Instagram

What is the RTFKT company really about?

To put it short, we are talking about a fashion brand that is inspired by two topics- streetwear fashion and gaming. RTFKT is the world’s first Augmented Realty e-commerce sneakerhead brand, combining the passion of sneaker collecting with designs and distribution influenced by skin drops in video games. This company offers limited edition custom sneakers providing customers to be wearing their shoes both in real life and on their online avatars.
What if I told you that this revolutionary company actually makes transactions with their sneakers through cryptocurrency trading. Does that sound unbelieveable? Well believe it.
with the WAX (Worldwide Asset eXchange) deal supporting their platform, these shoes are blockchain based and when people purchase them they can trade them immediately. So the question is: Will there be the physical or digital shoe enabled for trading? And the answer is both! The sneakers are basically the new trading currency as well. How does that work? The shoes are sold online. Once the customer buys the digital sneakers and as soon as they are received, he has the option to trade it or he can exchange a digital shoe for a real physical one. This is what the CEO and Co-Founder of RTFKT has to say about it:
“All of our limited edition custom sneakers will be minted on the WAX Blockchain. Every physical shoe we sell will also come with a unique digital copy stored on the WAX Blockchain. People will be able to instantly trade the digital copy. No more waiting for the shoes to be shipped to you. You get the digital version of the shoe straight away. Trade them, sell them, or gift them immediately. Take delivery of the physical shoe later. It’s a crazy new brand concept.” 

Credit: Steven Vasilev Instagram

How popular and influential this company actually is?

If over 120k followers on Instagram is no indication of how influential and popular this is, then what if we tell you that celebrities like Kanye West and Elon Musk endorsed this futuristic brand of shoes as well? Probably their first choice is still Nike or Adidas, but obviously, they could not resist this new brand with its stylish look which reminds you something straight out of Si-Fi movie and Billie Eilish would agree too.
But then the question is: Is there a game enthusiast who can resist this brand who creates shoes in every shape and form connected with games and consoles, looking as cool as an iron foot of a Transformer Robot? And the answer is obvious. They are rapidly becoming popular even though they are relatively new on the market, it’s only a matter of time until we start seeing and recognizing gamers on the streets judged by their futuristic PlayStation or X-box style shoes.

Credit: Steven Vasilev Instagram