On Oct. 3, sneaker resale marketplace GOAT unveiled an augmented-reality-powered innovation designed to give sneakerheads a closer look at coveted kicks.
The GOAT app’s new Try On feature, which allows users to test some of resale’s most sought-after sneakers from the comfort of their smartphone, will include sneakers from both Nike and Air Jordan, including a number of previously unreleased samples. Try On will give some aspirational consumers their first “in-person” glimpse of certain hard-to-cop releases, specifically from the Nike Dunk and Air Force 1 product lines.
According to Daishin Sugano, co-founder and chief procurement officer for the Goat Group, the Try On release marks the next step in the marketplace’s pursuit of technology-based innovation for the sneaker resale world.
“Product innovation has always been an integral part of our business and after early success with our previous AR launches, we knew Try-On was something we had to offer our community,” Sugano explained. “We’re committed to sneaker culture and hope our new feature will elevate the experience of discovery for our community.”
GOAT’s userbase of more than 20 million sneakerheads can virtually interact with several Nike Dunk silhouettes, including the Deftones, FLOM, Wu-Tang and Iron Maiden models, with Air Force 1 AR silhouettes including the Stash, Black Album, Head Automatica and Stash x Futura models. Travis Scott’s Air Jordan 4 “Purple” silhouette leads off the unreleased sample collection, which also includes the Air Jordan 3 “Fragment”, Air Jordan 4 “Undefeated” and Air Yeezy 1 “Glow in the Dark Tour” models.
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Features like Try On give consumers a chance to test the textures, materials and overall look of a sneaker before committing hundreds of dollars for a purchase, GOAT said.
GOAT experimented with an AR function as a part of a Black Friday 2018 contest in which sneakerheads could win one of more than 1,000 prizes by earning points after visiting important locations in sports and sneaker history—such as locations tied to legendary athletes Michael Jordan and Wayne Gretzky.
At the time Sugano said the program was designed “to bridge the gap between the online and offline worlds with our most immersive and global experience yet.”
Although GOAT said that this feature will be an “industry-first” for the sneaker resale market, other brands and marketplaces have also attempted to use AR to inspire and engage, including Herschel, Levi’s and even Gucci, which unveiled a similar AR feature for its app in June.
In the lead up to the most recent New York Fashion Week, GOAT also teamed up with Bergdorf Goodman to give aspirational sneakerheads another look at some of the most expensive and hard-to-find sneakers, including the Nike Mag, which regularly sells on sneaker marketplaces for tens of thousands of dollars. There are less than 2,000 pairs in existence.