Stop the Bots - Klarna and Highsnobiety Wants Passion to Win for Sneakerheads

Launching today, Heartbeats 4 sneakers will see five of the last decade's most sought-after sneakers raffled off to true sneaker lovers, who enter using their heartbeat. This is the first drop of its kind, empowering real sneaker fans to get what they love and ensuring only those with a heartbeat (aka humans) can enter for their chance to win one of the iconic pairs.

Sneaker bots have long been the bane of the sneakerhead community and have two functions: to increase the chance of success in a raffle by creating numerous accounts, and when purchasing, checkout items in as little as 0.2 seconds (1). Both prevent fans with any chance of getting a pair of limited edition sneakers when they are released.

It is estimated that close to 100% of traffic on hyped sneaker releases come from bots (2), with many of these sneakers then appearing for resale at several times their retail value. The problem has become so significant, sneaker fans will even invest between £300 - £4000 (GBP) in a bot to increase their chance of winning the latest sneakers (3).

In the Heartbeats 4 Sneakers' smoooth raffle only those who can prove their passion for sneakers will be able to enter for a chance to win. Employing new technology a sneakerhead's heart-rate will be measured by putting their finger tip on the camera lens of a smartphone or desktop entering only those who have a heart that beats for sneakers.

Curated by sneaker experts, Highsnobiety, the drop offers sneakerheads the chance to get their hands on some of the most iconic and sought after sneakers from the last decade: 

David Sandström, CMO at Klarna, commented: "At Klarna, we believe everyone should get what they love in life and in shopping. That's why we've created Heartbeats 4 sneakers especially for the sneaker community. Finally a sneaker raffle where your chance to win is purely based on your love for sneakers, not your access to bots or special intel, ensuring only those who truly love sneakers end up the rightful owners." 

Fabian Gorsler, Highsnobiety Sportswear Editor and sneaker expert, commented: "These five sneakers have been chosen based on the impact they had when they dropped and their lasting influence on sneaker culture since then. This raffle gives sneakerheads the chance to get their hands on some of the most celebrated and sought-after collaborations of the past few years, without the added, unfair competition of bots."

The Heartbeats 4 Sneakers' campaign epitomises Klarna's commitment to provide every shopper with a `smoooth' shopping and paying experience, empowering shoppers everywhere to get what they love, today.

The collection will drop on July 2nd 2020, Sneaker lovers across the globe* should head to heartbeats4sneakers.com to enter. 

* Austria, Australia, Belgium, Finland, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, United Kingdom and United States

(1) https://www.highsnobiety.com/p/sneaker-bots-2019/ 
(2) https://www.cnet.com/news/these-bot-shoppers-are-every-sneakerheads-nightmare/
(3) https://www.highsnobiety.com/p/sneaker-bots-2019/ 

Press imagery:
Imagery can be Downloaded HERE 

Notes to editors:

*Must be 18+ at the time of entry. AUS/AUT/DE/NL/NO/SE/UK/US residents only. The competition opens on 2/7/2020 and closes on 6/7/2020. Prize selection will take place no later than 30/7/2020. T&Cs apply. 

**To celebrate the launch of the Heartbeat 4 sneakers campaign Klarna invites you to join them for an exclusive evening of back-to-back world class sets with leading international tech, garage and house DJs and a packed schedule of sneaker focused broadcasts from industry leaders in fashion and the sneaker community. Live for one night only from 6pm - 12am on July 2nd 2020, join us on sneakerbeats.tv 

About Klarna 

We make shopping smoooth. With Klarna consumers can buy now and pay later, so they can get what they need today. Klarna's offering to consumers and retailers include payments, social shopping, and personal finances. Klarna has enabled over 85 million consumers to pay with ease and convenience. Over 200,000 merchants, including H&M, IKEA, Expedia Group, Samsung, ASOS, Peloton, Abercrombie & Fitch, Nike and AliExpress have enabled Klarna's innovative shopping experience online and in-store. Klarna is the most highly valued fintech in Europe with a valuation of $5.5bn and one of the largest private fintechs globally. Klarna was founded in 2005, has over 3,000 employees and is active in 17 countries.For more information, visit klarna.com.

About Highsnobiety

Highsnobiety is a brand dedicated to today's generation of style-conscious individuals. Our scope encompasses everything from fashion, to sneakers, to design, music, and entertainment. In a world where being culture-obsessed has become the rule (not the exception), our mission is to turn curious outsiders into cultivated insiders.When the first iteration of our site went online in 2005, it read like a collection of love letters to obscure streetwear, rare kicks, and critically-acclaimed designers-always in search of a profound feeling of excitement that follows discovering new thingsIn the years that followed, our horizons expanded and our team grew; as did our ambition. The foundations laid by our founder and CEO David Fischer-from the days before Supreme and Virgil Abloh ever met Louis Vuitton-has continued to grow into a global business with offices in Los Angeles, London, Hong Kong, Tokyo, New York, and our headquarters in Berlin.

Our work spans digital and print media, cutting-edge events, a full-fledged creative agency, and a truly unique online shopping platform. Our youthful enthusiasm in the pursuit of the new has never faltered. Beyond fleeting trends, we stand for what's now, and what's next.

For more information, visit highsnobiety.com

For more information, please contact: [email protected]

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