Skip to main content

Move over Yeezys, K-Swiss is making performance sneakers for pro gamers

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Forget gamer gloves, gamer sneakers are the next athlete apparel to hit the esports clothing scene, with K-Swiss announcing a brand new partnership with pro-team, Immortals, to launch their own sneaker. This is just the beginning though, K-Swiss is also collaborating with Immortals to design a shoe to combat a problem not often talked about among pro gamers: Their feet get very hot.

“Esports is the new frontier of sports and entertainment, and this is another way for K-Swiss to contribute to culture in a progressive and modern way,” Barney Waters, K-Swiss’ brand president, said in a statement.

Recommended Videos

The K-Swiss Immortals shoe is based on the “Kombass” design and is said to operate more like a sock than a shoe. It features a mesh design with a “TPU cage,” and leverages a brand new “dual density technology,” to provide better cushioning for the wearer’s feet.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

That shoe is expected to go on sale in December with a suggested price tag of $110.

As intriguing as that news is though, what’s potentially even more enticing is that K-Swiss is said to be developing a performance-enhancing shoe for gamers. While feet aren’t the usual limbs associated with professional gaming, according to the K-Swiss release, there is potential for a gamer shoe that may improve the ability for gamers to operate at peak condition. Not by making them more connected, but by helping to cool their feet.

“Like any professional athlete, esports competitors look for any advantage they can use against their opponents,” Noah Whinston, CEO of the Immortals, said in a statement. “By wearing a uniquely designed shoe specifically created for our esports players with their input, they know that they have an immediate advantage — both physically and psychologically.”

K-Swiss designers will be spending time at the Immortals gaming house over the coming months in order to analyze their play styles and behavior closely. Specifically, though, they will be looking at the “performance needs” of those gamers, including, “the rising temperature in a shoe.” Shoe movement during competitive play will also be important, we’re told.

This will represent the beginning of a partnership between Immortals and K-Swiss which will see the design process documented and recorded, as well as other, new performance apparel for esports players and fans designed. Considering how important merchandising is becoming in pro gaming, that is not surprising.

The new performance-orientated sneakers are said to be in the works for an early 2019 debut. The real question now though, is whether this kind of performance-enhancing gear will be allowed in sanctioned competition.

Jon Martindale
Jon Martindale is a freelance evergreen writer and occasional section coordinator, covering how to guides, best-of lists, and…
The best Mario Kart tracks, ranked
mario-kart-world-yoshi-racers-gm

It might come as a bit of a shock if you haven't been paying attention, but Mario Kart is far and away the most popular Nintendo franchise. That's right, not even the mainline Mario games or best Pokémon games sell as many copies as this kart racer. With entries going back to the SNES all the way up to the Switch 2, there have been hundreds of tracks across the franchise now. The best tracks take full advantage of that game's mechanics, feature fun and colorful locales to drive through, and have popping soundtracks to keep the energy high. I've been playing this franchise since it first began and have poured an embarrassing number of hours into each mainline game. To justify that commitment, I'm ranking the 10 best Mario Kart tracks of all time.

#10 Music Park - Mario Kart 7

Read more
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 gets a visual upgrade but stays wonderfully familiar
THPS 3 + 4

The year was 2001, and I was flat on my back in the middle of the street after bailing hard from a failed ollie.

Once I dusted myself off, I decided to try again, but in a safer, more digital aspect. Two decades ago, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 devoured my free time, and now the remake is back and doing the exact same thing. An excellent remake, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 brings two classic titles to a modern audience but adds little to the original experience in a way that leaves the game feeling curiously anachronistic.

Read more
The best PlayStation launch games, ranked
best ps1 games sony ps1

The most important time in a console's life is its launch. This is when a new piece of hardware needs to prove that it is worth investing in, which always comes down to games. Launch titles are rarely the best games on the system, although some of Nintendo's launch games buck that trend, but at least need to show off what the system can do. PlayStation always had a secondary selling point with its consoles, such as doubling as a CD player or DVD player, so it is interesting to speculate how successful those early consoles would've been judged solely on their games. We now have launch titles from the PS1 all the way up to the PS5 (and soon to be PS6) to look back on with fresh eyes to see just how good those first games were.

Air Combat - PlayStation 1

Read more