Sneakers in Blind Bags? Nike and Puma Use Pop Mart Tactics; Meanwhile, Pop Mart Plants Its Flag in Germany
Nike’s Dunk Low “Panda‑monium” pack arrives blind‑bagged: you won’t know which confetti‑speckled pair you scored until you tear it open. | SNKRDUNK
⏰ Wed, Jul 30, 2025 @ 10:00 AM PST
🐟 Published from Seattle, WA, USA
🔨 Built by Chase Burns Broderick
Nike is leaning into mystery.
After dabbling with opaque “mystery bags” on the 2022 HUF × Nike SB Dunk Low, the Swoosh is back with “Panda‑monium,” a two‑colorway Dunk Low pack expected to land August 2025, reported SNKRDUNK. Each pair is hidden until you rip the bag open.
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2022 — HUF × Nike SB
The current sneaker blind‑bag era kicked off in November 2022, when Nike and HUF dropped their 20‑year‑anniversary SB Dunk Lows inside sealed blind bags. Buyers tore them open to discover one of three city‑themed colorways, transforming the purchase into a game of chance.
Eight months later—July 2023’s San Diego Comic‑Con weekend—Marvel, Kith, and ASICS leveled up the gimmick with a seven‑colorway GEL‑LYTE III “X‑Men” collection. Each pair came mystery‑packed in a foil‑stamped blind box, plus a PSA‑graded Upper Deck trading card.
2023 — Mavel x Kith x ASICS
Quick Timeline — Sneaker Blind‑Bag Milestones
— Nov 2022: HUF × Nike SB “
— Jul 2023: Kith × ASICS × Marvel “X‑Men”
— Nov 2023: pgLang × Converse Chuck 70
—Jul 2025: Marvel × Advisory Board Crystals × Puma “Fantastic Four”
— Aug 2025 (rumored): Nike “Panda‑monium”
Four months later, Kendrick Lamar’s pgLang brought the mechanic to Converse. The company’s November 2023 Chuck 70 release shipped in blind bags that randomly revealed either a red‑striped or Irish Creme‑striped pair.
2023 — pgLang x Converse
Fast-forward and the comic-con trend continues this summer, with Marvel × Advisory Board Crystals × Puma launching Fantastic Four sneaker packs in ‘double‑blind’ packaging—seven character colorways, each hidden inside different outer sleeve boxes.
2025 — Marvel × Advisory Board Crystals × Puma “Fantastic Four”
Now Nike doubles down on the formula with August 2025’s Dunk Low “Panda‑monium,” hiding two bouclé‑splattered colorways in black blind bags.
Pop Mart Steps into Sneaker Culture with Vans Collab
Blind box titan Pop Mart stepped directly into footwear collaborations recently, partnering with Vans in late 2024. The collab centered around Pop Mart’s beloved character Hirono, resulting in a capsule collection that included iconic Vans silhouettes. Interestingly, this wasn’t a blind-bag release.
2024 — Pop Mart x Vans
Momentum continued when the partners unveiled MEGA Space Molly × Vans in May 2025, a drop that paired a 400 % vinyl Molly figure with Molly-branded footwear and apparel, initially available only in mainland China at launch. I’m watching to see when, and if, Pop Mart begins to use the blind box concept for its fashion tier of SKUs.
Halo, Berlin!
Last weekend, Pop Mart planted its first German flag at Berlin’s ALEXA mall, and the scene looked more Beyoncé concert than toy launch. Hundreds of fans snaked around the building, some camping overnight in folding chairs and ponchos for a shot at the day‑one Labubu drops.
Pop Mart told local press it aims for three Berlin stores by year‑end, naming Europa‑Center as the next address.
