The blind box concept has been expanding outside the toy department, and these two sportswear giants are leaping into action with their new sizzling releases.
Perhaps it’s the surprise factor and that “yes” moment when you finally get what you’ve had your eye on. Maybe it’s how each piece in the collection equally sparks joy. Whatever the reason, we can all agree that blind boxes are so addictive.
Just take a look at everyone’s favorite bag charm, Pop Mart’s mischievous and “ugly-cute” Labubu. The plush key rings, sold in mystery boxes, has been taking the world by storm since 2024. And it’s not just another hype—Labubu was key to Pop Mart CEO Wang Ning’s surge to China’s top 10 richest billionaires in 2025.
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With Labubu plush charms reaching peak hype, it’s no wonder that the blind box concept has expanded outside the toy department. Most recently, it has resurfaced in sneakers, with the upcoming releases of sportswear giants Nike and Puma.
Similar to Pop Mart’s designer toys, mystery sneaker boxes are sold in sealed boxes, and you wouldn’t really know what you’re receiving until you open it. Nike is incorporating this “surprise” concept through its popular Dunk Low pack, which is set to drop in Fall 2025.
Dubbed “Panda-monium,” the upcoming collection picks up elements from the Dunk Low’s most infamous colorway—the Panda. Launched way back in 1985, the black-and-white kicks have become a staple for sneakerheads who want something that’s simple yet hits the spot every time.
According to Sole Retriever, the Panda-monium capsule includes a pair in the Panda’s iconic black-and-white colorway, as well as two others featuring a more creative take on the cute creature. Both of these pairs use bouclé-style textiles on the overlays, with one pair coming in a mixture of green curry, bright yellow, and burnt red. It has a green textile base and a red Swoosh and heel tab. The other is similar to a standard “Panda,” with a white upper jazzed up with black overlays, lace set, and sockliner.
Bringing more playfulness to the iconic shoe are the padded panda hangtags tied to the laces. We see the same panda on the reverse of the tongue alongside the text “EST. 1985.”
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Both pairs sure are covetable, but here’s the catch: you won’t know which one you’ll get until you’ve actually purchased them. Each pair comes packed in a black bag with just a picture of the two colorways on the outside. And prepare to spend as much as seven times as a Labubu, as the shoe is set to retail at USD135 or around P7,700.
Also jumping into the growing blind box hype is Puma, with its collaboration with Marvel Studios and streetwear brand Advisory Board Crystals on a new line of kicks inspired by The Fantasitc Four: First Steps. Launched in time for the film’s premiere this July, the comic book-inspired collab draws from seven characters in the Fantastic Four universe: Mister Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Human Torch, The Thing, Silver Surfer, Galactus, and Doctor Doom.
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WWD reported that Puma has been keeping each pair’s design a top secret, which makes total sense. As with anything sold in blind boxes, the Fantastic Four x Puma collab sneakers will keep you guessing until you’ve scored your own pair. You won’t know which character you’re getting, as each pair is shipped in a branded box and sealed in an anti-static bag— a nod to the franchise’s futuristic, sci-fi theme.
Apparently, there’s only one way to get your hands on a pair now—through a reseller. Prior to the collection’s drop last July 27, Advisory Board Crystals launched a campaign wherein customers who want to cop the shoes must purchase a raffle entry worth USD200 on its website. The raffle closed on July 26 (US time), and each pair will be shipped to its lucky owner randomly.
This isn’t the first time that sportswear brands have released sneakers via blind boxes, but it certainly grew in popularlity in the heat of the Labubu craze. Among the latest was Nike’s collaboration with The Wizard of Oz on a set of limited-edition SB Dunk Low kicks, which was released in “blind bags.”
The blind box concept, meanwhile, traces its roots back to Japan in the late eighties, with the rise of Bandai’s gashapon toys, which are placed in plastic capsules and dispensed through vending machines. Pop Mart reinvented this concept with its first blind box series, Molly, in 2016. The toy maker’s profit ultimately grew last year, with its blind box figurines making USD1.8 billion in sales from its 530 stores and 2,490 roboshops (vending machines) worldwide.
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