Last week, we reported on Nike's acquisition of RTFKT — a move that signals the Swoosh's faith in the rapidly expanding NFT and "metaverse" market. Its main competitor, German sportswear giant adidas, has already dove headfirst into the burgeoning space, launching collaborations with well-known entities like Bored Ape Yacht Club. According to reports, it looks like that bet is paying off for everyone involved. The Three Stripes' recent "Into the Metaverse" — which featured Bored Ape Yacht Club, NFT collector gmoney and crypto-media group Punks — raked in 5,924 ETH (about $23 million) across both an "Early Access" and open public periods, back on December 17. With 30,000 new NFTs minted, the whole event is a clear boon no matter how you slice it: adidas gains a relevant foothold among a new demographic in a new technology, while also legitimizing the work of NFT artists and entities like Bored Ape Yacht Club with a more conventionally corporate seal of approval. Long story short, expect more NFT drops to happen in the future, especially those with the blessing of a globally relevant brand. Like them or not, NFTs aren't going anywhere. For those of us who aren't interested in NFTs, we've got a few more products we want to shine a light on. From Snow Peak's craft beer-ready portable barrel to Crown Royal's new 18-year blended whiskey and LG's first-ever gaming laptop, this is Today in Gear.
Today in Gear is our daily roundup of all the latest product announcements, drops and news. Want your question featured in our weekly "Ask an Expert" column? Send your most pressing product questions to tig@gearpatrol.com.
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Bring the party with you wherever you go with Snow Peak's nearly 5L Shimo Barrel.
Snow Peak
We love Snow Peak for its modern design aesthetic, Japanese sensibilities and the intelligent utility embedded into all of its products. The brand's Shimo Barrel — set to drop in 2022 — is an elegant way to bring the party with you wherever you go. Designed to hold 160oz (4.7L) of liquid (like, say, craft beer), the Shimo Barrel is vacuum-insulated, like other products in the Shimo line, and features a design that allows it to be laid down on its side and/or used with one hand — all for easy pouring potential.
Haven kicks off its first-ever in-house footwear line with military-inspired boot.
Haven
Well-curated menswear shop Haven has launched its first-ever in-house footwear line, kicking things off with the Catalyst boot. Inspired by Canadian military combat boots, the Italian-made Catalyst has a durable Kudu suede upper, a side-zip YKK zipper for easy on-off and is set upon a Vibram New Winkler sole with a Zeppa NG5 midsole for comfort.
After slowly entering the gaming tech market with the UltraGear series, LG's offerings have now expanded to include a full-on gaming laptop, known as the 17G90Q. While previous UltraGear releases have generally been focused on gaming monitors or a speaker, the new laptop is proof that LG's investment in gaming is serious. The laptop features an 11th generation Intel processor, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Max-Q graphics card and a dual SSD build. In fact, it's already won the CES 2022 Innovation Award.
Crown Royal adds 18-year blended whiskey (just in time for holiday gifting season).
Courtesy
The oldest whiskey in Crown Royal's lineup, this 18-year-old blended whiskey picks up where the 2019 discontinued Crown Royal XR left off. A blend of three of the brand's finest spirits, the whiskey opens with a vanilla note on the nose with a velvety oak, caramel and spice palate. If you're in need of a bottle to gift this holiday season, this should definitely be on your radar.
Hublot drops limited-edition Aerofusion watch to honor 75 years of Aspen Snowmass resort.
Hublot
As the official timekeepers (and resort partners) of the Aspen Snowmass community since 2019, Hublot clocks are dotted all around the ski hub. In honor of Aspen Snowmass' 75th anniversary, Hublot released an exclusive watch for the partnership. Blending in aesthetic influences from Aspen's wintry surroundings, the watch has a skeletonized dial with titanium detailing (including the Aspen Snowmass leaf logo on the second hand), housed in a 45mm black ceramic case with a polished white bezel.
