Kalle Lassen - Adbusters founder - is on a mission to dismantle Nike's brand champion status. The magazine will start producing the trainers as soon as 5,000 preorders have been placed. They will be stocked internationally and sold for approximately US$40.

Since Nike has recently taken over Converse, the blackSpot is launched as a socially conscious rival, but looks strangely like its competitor, with a mild case of acne.

Adbusters is calling the project an exercise in counterbranding, but by launching a US$500,000 "Re-think the Cool" marketing campaign and pimping the sneakers around CNN and The New York Times, it looks more like a case of, er, branding to me.

So whether the 'Blackspot' can kick Nike into touch remains to be seen, I just wonder if Naomi Klein has ordered herself a pair yet.

The blackSpot Sneaker
Pre-orders can be placed here
To date they are just shy of the 3,000 mark.

ST