[IC] GMK 95NEON - based on the AirMax 95

[edwyn]

               

** Thank you for all the response!  Finalized kits based on IC form feedback
Like the set and interested in getting it? Help get it to GB and a lower price by filling in the IC (vendors use this as a signal for potential
GB demand and if they should price it lower in anticipation of hitting a higher MOQ / lower unit cost)

IC Form

GMK 95NEON: Representing streetwear and pop culture with keyboards
Geekhack Community, I'm Edwyn and GMK 95NEON is my first keyset. This set is inspired by one of my favorite sneakers in its
original (and best?) colorway: Nike Air Max 95 in Neon. After the success of the shoe, the Neon colorway, also known as volt,
is now one of the most popular colorways in sports and I want to bring it to the keyboard community.

Just like when it was created in the 90s, the Neon colorway evokes a sense of the future and speed, something that I feel matches
with the keyboard niche. It was a challenge to faithfully replicate the shoe into a keycap set as the NEON colorway itself has gone
through many tweaks of its own during its 25+ year lifetime and capturing the grey gradient was also not easy.

I hope my my rendition does the shoe justice and delights fellow sneakerheads and 90s kids.

Want to get real time updates on this set or upcoming sets I am working on? (another sneaker set is in the works!) Join my discord!

Discord       


* GMK 95NEON Inspiration
The Nike Air Max 95 in the original and now iconic NEON color way

Made immortal in hiphop by Jay-Z

This colorway was so popular that after its original 1995 appearance, it reappeared in 1997, 1998, 1999, 2003, 2006, 2008, 2010,
2012, 2015 and 2020


* GMK 95NEON Colors

Choosing colors was the biggest challenge for this set as I had specific colors in mind but needed to balance that with potential
color matching issues with GMK. The volt color was the biggest challenge as this color has been tweaked by Nike as the model evolved.

Although to be most faithful it would have been to choose a pure neon yellow but I decided to go with a greenish yellow instead
as that was the feel of the promotional images of the shoe and would also be further away from other sets that have use neon yellow before
such as GMK Toxic and GMK Grand Prix. To achieve this color I had to use the pantone color set as RAL just did not have any color near
in it, in neither RAL classic nor RAL design.

With the volt color selected I tried to use as much of the GMK colors as possible to
simplify future color matching.  The dark and the light grey are from GMK but I had to use RAL classic to find a suitable medium
grey to complete the gradient.

Volt: Pantone 375C
Light Grey: GMK 2B
Dark Grey: GMK N9
Medium Grey: RAL 7011

* GMK 95NEON Kits

Shoe (US$139.99 CannonKey reference price)

The base kit should cover most people's needs and I thought it would be most beneficial for everyone to do it this way

Logos (US$40.99 CannonKey reference price) 

Keys to bring your set to the MAX

Laces (US$27.99 CannonKey reference price) 

To cover any spacebar needs you might have or want a volt spacebar **updated to lower cost**

* GMK 95NEON Renders

M60a by Rama Works                                                                                                                              

M60a by Rama Works                                                                                                                              

Paragon by Artemis                                                                                                                              

Paragon by Artemis                                                                                                                              

* GMK 95NEON Desk Mats

Just Gradient                                                                                                                              

Kiss My Keebs **updated to have text still visible with keyboard on**                                                                                                                              

Neon Splash                                                                                                                              

* GMK 95NEON Vendors
No one likes paying huge shipping costs and taxes for a set, so wanted to make sure I could find vendors in as many regions as possible so that any one that wanted
to get my set could get it at the lowest price possible anywhere in the world. If I'm missing any region please let me know!
                                                                                                                                           
    ├── US: CannonKeys                   ├── CA: Keyspresso                  ├── SEA: ILUMKB
    ├── EU: Mykeyboard.eu              ├── OCE: DailyClack                   ├── CN: Zfrontier
    ├── KR: SWAGKEYS                   ├── UK: Prototypist                  ├── LATAM: Fancy Customs
    ├── JP: Yushakobo              ├── UKR: Funkeys                   ├── PH: Zionstudios


* GMK 95NEON Collaborations   
First collab with RAMA
RAMA 95 in Grey PVD Brass with Pantone 375C Enamel Fill                                                                                                                              

RAMA 95 in Grey PVD Brass with Pantone 375C Enamel Fill                                                                                                                              

RAMA X in Grey PVD Brass with Pantone 375C Enamel Fill                                                                                                                              

RAMA X in Grey PVD Brass with Pantone 375C Enamel Fill                                                                                                                              

Second collab with ZUZU Cables
Gradient wire with Pantone matched cerakote aviator                                                                                                                              

Striped gradient wire with splashed Pantone matched cerakote aviator                                                                                                                              

* GMK 95NEON Pricing        
TBA

* GMK 95NEON To Do

More renders
Novelties
Finalize kits
Deskmats
Annouce Vendors
Get Quotes from GMK
Announce Collaborations
Collab Designs



* GMK 95NEON Thank You

Credits:
General keycap questions: Thanks to Oggi for answering alot of my super noob questions and correcting wrong noob
assumptions I had
Renders: Oggi
Keycap business questions: Thanks to pwade, swishy for helping me navigate vendors and tolerating my uncommon questions
Special Thanks: MiTo for offering his help to a newbie like me and agreeing to disagree with me on alot of issues!
He might be blunt but once you get to know him he is really thoughtful and very willing to help



Add This to Your Signature to Help Support GMK 95NEON!

Code: [Select]

[url=https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=111270.0][img width=320 height=120]https://i.imgur.com/izKpERR.gif[/img][/url]

* Contact
http://concepidea.com
/u/edwyn on Reddit
wyn#6723 on Discord
Join my new discord server for updates on GMK 95NEON, other keycap sets I am working on and other design/art projects I am working on (art/toy is next)
http://discord.conceptidea.com/


Changelog   
03/10/21
Added Rama collaboration
03/06/21
Added vendors
02/24/21
finalized kits / Deskmats
02/20/21
Novelties
02/18/21
new renders
02/16/21
First publish

[MIGHTY CHICKEN]

Feet novelties please

[OtherAndrew]

terminal dolch

[pngu]

Will this run on StockX?

[edwyn]

Feet novelties please

Not sure about feet but I think I'll have the next best thing: shoe novelty

[nvh2092]

Feet novelties please

Not sure about feet but I think I'll have the next best thing: shoe novelty

Green toenail fungus novelties would be great.

[edwyn]

Will this run on StockX?

That totally could be possible. Listed as a collectible. That would be a huge milestone for keycaps to go mainstream.

Make it happen!

[edwyn]

Feet novelties please

Feet novelties with uncut dirty nail would be great.

Think you guys are in the wrong place. /r/feet is next door

[kuro0renji]

I'm in!

[totalemon]

waves dolch, I'm in

[Tom Sparrow]

It looks really good! I like the colors.
However I am not a fan of the gradient as in my opinion there are a few inconsistencies.

1. Why is the up arrow in a different color? If you have it on a 65% or something it looks kinda odd, that it does not match the shift right next to it. I think arrows should be all the same color.

2. I would make num-enter N9 too, because it is in the same row as shift and bottom row and all of those mods are N9.

I would also like to see a 1.5U super and one more 1u alt.

GLWIC

[thatkidarkib]

this is VERY reminiscent of Genji from Overwatch, making this an instabuy for me even if i'm not a sneakerhead! Looking forward to this, hope it goes through!

[edwyn]

Thanks for the feedback.
1. the arrow should be the same color. r4 should be the same color for the gradient
2. will take this.

Very appreciate the feedback

It looks really good! I like the colors.
However I am not a fan of the gradient as in my opinion there are a few inconsistencies.

1. Why is the up arrow in a different color? If you have it on a 65% or something it looks kinda odd, that it does not match the shift right next to it. I think arrows should be all the same color.

2. I would make num-enter N9 too, because it is in the same row as shift and bottom row and all of those mods are N9.

I would also like to see a 1.5U super and one more 1u alt.

GLWIC

[tngpq]

I’ll buy 4 sets. Just run it now.

[Tom Sparrow]

I know everyone wants to run a GMK set, myself included. However I think this set would fit a KAT set more.
With KAT you could make the whole keycap set gradient from top to bottom and this would fit the theme so well! In my opinion a gradient in the a mods with a GMK set is kinda odd and does not work as well as you think.

There is nothing wrong doing KAT, I think this would be perfect.

[edwyn]

Thanks for the encouragement! Working on vendors right now. Most want to see what kind of traction you get on IC before committing, so remember to fill it in!

If you like sneakers, I have another set in the works!

I’ll buy 4 sets. Just run it now.

[edwyn]

Nothing wrong with them at all. I'm actually pitching ZF on another set too to be done on KAT in the future

I know everyone wants to run a GMK set, myself included. However I think this set would fit a KAT set more.
With KAT you could make the whole keycap set gradient from top to bottom and this would fit the theme so well! In my opinion a gradient in the a mods with a GMK set is kinda odd and does not work as well as you think.

There is nothing wrong doing KAT, I think this would be perfect.

[tngpq]

Thanks for the encouragement! Working on vendors right now. Most want to see what kind of traction you get on IC before committing, so remember to fill it in!

If you like sneakers, I have another set in the works!

I’ll buy 4 sets. Just run it now.

Sweet. Looking forward to your next project. Upas should re-run the yeezy themed IC too.

[kapowaz]

This is great! Even has ISO-UK in the base kit!

[treeleaf64]

It is the lime but a good version of it and i liek it very much even though I still like lime more i think  thisi s a good concept

[ThereminGoat]

Will this run on StockX?

That totally could be possible. Listed as a collectible. That would be a huge milestone for keycaps to go mainstream.

Make it happen!

If people already don't like how the aftermarket works now, the prevalence of botting, and seemingly impossible-to-win FCFS style sales, this would only exacerbate issues exponentially.

[davisthegreat]

sneaker head here, love this my only worry is the contrast on the alphas

[PizzaForce]

Not a sneaker head, love the colors of the set and would buy but think it would be best if the mods didn't have the color shift. I get it's supposed to be the sole but the reduction down to 3 colors would probably help with pricing and a 3rd grey can only be so spicy.

[MrBIGEURO]

I'd hit it.

[tngpq]

Not a sneaker head, love the colors of the set and would buy but think it would be best if the mods didn't have the color shift. I get it's supposed to be the sole but the reduction down to 3 colors would probably help with pricing and a 3rd grey can only be so spicy.

The Neon 95 is known for the gradient grey side panels. So that's essentially taking away the identity of this set.

[Ram]

This layout for the IC is... familiar,
in all seriousness tho its no problem that u copied the Arch IC, I recommend removing the #s in the title since those were there because of the command line theme.

[edwyn]

Hey I'm a fan of your blog!

Just want to let you know the comment was a joke about stockX. I also collect art and stockX is a nightmare with how they handle the pieces (fakes or wrong items).

My own take on bots/scalpers and the mk community are:

1. if they participate in unlimited GBs like keycaps its for the benefit of everybody. More keycaps brought equals a) higher MOQs met which lead to vendors being more aggressive in forecasts and pricing lower b) more supply out in the aftermarket pushing the prices down

2. for limited fcfs items like keyboards, I agree this is a risk.  However in the current situation I don't feel its particularly attractive to scalpers outside of the niche as the use/return on capital for speculating on keyboard suck.  For a scalper its about return on investment and keyboards have a way too long trade cycle (1+ year of wait after deploying capital) until they can make a profit.  There are alot more niches that give them a better return.  Plus you need to be pretty into this niche to be convinced on taking the risk that people still will pay for keyboards at a huge mark up after a year.

Will this run on StockX?

That totally could be possible. Listed as a collectible. That would be a huge milestone for keycaps to go mainstream.

Make it happen!

If people already don't like how the aftermarket works now, the prevalence of botting, and seemingly impossible-to-win FCFS style sales, this would only exacerbate issues exponentially.

[Cubic // esc lab]

Interesting.

[elisyan]

These colors remind me of the 918 spyder press car with its acid green accents. For that alone I'm totally in if these colors are final.

[edwyn]

Definitely got inspired by the best!

Was using the # as a bullet point but changed it to * now

Thanks for everything

This layout for the IC is... familiar,
in all seriousness tho its no problem that u copied the Arch IC, I recommend removing the #s in the title since those were there because of the command line theme.

[edwyn]

Glad you like the green. Don't worry not moving on the green color. I had to get a Pantone color set just to make sure I could get this green I wanted.  Complicates the process but the green is the soul and worth it

These colors remind me of the 918 spyder press car with its acid green accents. For that alone I'm totally in if these colors are final.

[bthezebra]

The green pops, I like it.

[patcoll]

When I saw that the grays are doing a gradient thing, I went from really interested to not so much. I see, conceptually, why you'd want to do this. However, personally I think you could accomplish the same visual pop with only 2B and N9. Good luck with IC!

[Buburoo]

Actually sick set. My inner 14 year old scally self is loving this.
Please keep UK-ISO in base.

[aleeex]

Not a fan of the gradient grays for mods - using the darkest one for mods seems like the best move

[edwyn]

Appreciate the feedback. I'll take it into account and see how the rest of the feedback I get on the IC to determine the path forward

Not a fan of the gradient grays for mods - using the darkest one for mods seems like the best move

When I saw that the grays are doing a gradient thing, I went from really interested to not so much. I see, conceptually, why you'd want to do this. However, personally I think you could accomplish the same visual pop with only 2B and N9. Good luck with IC!

[factoryofidols]

IC form filled, would love to see this as a full gradient set to better match the inspiration

[LaserCrafter]

looks like a dolch set, with neon green accents. regardless, glwic

[LiTurk]

not going to lie this is fire

[Tree_]

Now do Infrared and Persian then release it as a whole set.

[edwyn]

Now do Infrared and Persian then release it as a whole set.

Definitely won't be able to do 3 color combos in one set  don't think any vendor will take me that way. Infrared is in my todo-list. Persian I had to look up - is this a really popular colorway?  never seen/heard of it before.

not going to lie this is fire

Too kind!

Remember to
1) Please fill in the IC form if you are interested in copping as its used to determine the price of the set when GB takes place. More interest = more aggressive pricing! https://forms.gle/X9NYZXSvaUxJd2V29
2) join my discord for updates and other shoe related sets! http://discord.conceptidea.com/

[Ninefox]

Damn this looks so sexy, great Job !
I hoper there will be a North Kit with ISO support..

[Tree_]

Now do Infrared and Persian then release it as a whole set.

Definitely won't be able to do 3 color combos in one set  don't think any vendor will take me that way. Infrared is in my todo-list. Persian I had to look up - is this a really popular colorway?  never seen/heard of it before.

not going to lie this is fire

Too kind!

Remember to
1) Please fill in the IC form if you are interested in copping as its used to determine the price of the set when GB takes place. More interest = more aggressive pricing! https://forms.gle/X9NYZXSvaUxJd2V29
2) join my discord for updates and other shoe related sets! http://discord.conceptidea.com/

I suppose it is popular among older heads or people who collect Air Maxes in general, the Air Max BW isn't quite as popular as 1's or 90's. For me it's more to do with it being one of the "OG Colourways" like Infrared for 90's and Neon for 95's:

[Ulliam]

you got me

[tngpq]

Now do Infrared and Persian then release it as a whole set.

Definitely won't be able to do 3 color combos in one set  don't think any vendor will take me that way. Infrared is in my todo-list. Persian I had to look up - is this a really popular colorway?  never seen/heard of it before.

not going to lie this is fire

Too kind!

Remember to
1) Please fill in the IC form if you are interested in copping as its used to determine the price of the set when GB takes place. More interest = more aggressive pricing! https://forms.gle/X9NYZXSvaUxJd2V29
2) join my discord for updates and other shoe related sets! http://discord.conceptidea.com/

I suppose it is popular among older heads or people who collect Air Maxes in general, the Air Max BW isn't quite as popular as 1's or 90's. For me it's more to do with it being one of the "OG Colourways" like Infrared for 90's and Neon for 95's:

Show Image

If the inspiration is for OG colorways, I suggest the Scream Green Huarache. It has a more popping color combo.

[Tree_]

Now do Infrared and Persian then release it as a whole set.

Definitely won't be able to do 3 color combos in one set  don't think any vendor will take me that way. Infrared is in my todo-list. Persian I had to look up - is this a really popular colorway?  never seen/heard of it before.

not going to lie this is fire

Too kind!

Remember to
1) Please fill in the IC form if you are interested in copping as its used to determine the price of the set when GB takes place. More interest = more aggressive pricing! https://forms.gle/X9NYZXSvaUxJd2V29
2) join my discord for updates and other shoe related sets! http://discord.conceptidea.com/

I suppose it is popular among older heads or people who collect Air Maxes in general, the Air Max BW isn't quite as popular as 1's or 90's. For me it's more to do with it being one of the "OG Colourways" like Infrared for 90's and Neon for 95's:

Show Image

If the inspiration is for OG colorways, I suggest the Scream Green Huarache. It has a more popping color combo.

Show Image

Was thinking more strictly in terms of Air Max. If we're just going off popular Nike colorways, you would go with Bred or Chicago.

Probably derailing a bit too much - Neon looks real nice OP.

[tngpq]

Now do Infrared and Persian then release it as a whole set.

Definitely won't be able to do 3 color combos in one set  don't think any vendor will take me that way. Infrared is in my todo-list. Persian I had to look up - is this a really popular colorway?  never seen/heard of it before.

not going to lie this is fire

Too kind!

Remember to
1) Please fill in the IC form if you are interested in copping as its used to determine the price of the set when GB takes place. More interest = more aggressive pricing! https://forms.gle/X9NYZXSvaUxJd2V29
2) join my discord for updates and other shoe related sets! http://discord.conceptidea.com/

I suppose it is popular among older heads or people who collect Air Maxes in general, the Air Max BW isn't quite as popular as 1's or 90's. For me it's more to do with it being one of the "OG Colourways" like Infrared for 90's and Neon for 95's:

Show Image

If the inspiration is for OG colorways, I suggest the Scream Green Huarache. It has a more popping color combo.

Show Image

Was thinking more strictly in terms of Air Max. If we're just going off popular Nike colorways, you would go with Bred or Chicago.

Probably derailing a bit too much - Neon looks real nice OP.

Sure I see that. But black/red, black/red/white from Bred and Chicago are just too common and bland on a keyset IMO.

Neon was the perfect choice as a sneaker inspiration.

[edwyn]

Actually sick set. My inner 14 year old scally self is loving this.
Please keep UK-ISO in base.

Its gonna be there. If there is anything else you want please fill in the IC. Need to finalize the kits to get a quote from GMK

Damn this looks so sexy, great Job !
I hoper there will be a North Kit with ISO support..

anything you want please fill in the IC so I know there is demand for it. Need to finalize the kits to get a quote from GMK

Now do Infrared and Persian then release it as a whole set.

Join the discord if you haven't will be putting out a lot more sneaker based sets! http://discord.conceptidea.com

[Rx003]

I like this I might consider totally getting the retro vibe, good luck with this and I wish you all the best for the IC!

[hottrout]

I can feel myself getting sucked into this one.  I think the alphas need to be a little darker to show off the green.

[Xanira]

i like the set but the colors... i get that the different tones of grey have a purpose but i think going with 3 color and not using both ral and pantone would be much easier, cheaper and not potentially introduce color matching issues for gmk.

[edwyn]

i like the set but the colors... i get that the different tones of grey have a purpose but i think going with 3 color and not using both ral and pantone would be much easier, cheaper and not potentially introduce color matching issues for gmk.

Thanks for the comment. The reason for the additional color (I know it complicates the process) is because both RAL Classic and Design both don't have a color that is in the vicinity of the Pantone 375C volt color I picked.  As you can imagine the pop of the volt color encapsulates the spirit of this set and thus without it there would be no NEON in GMK 95NEON. 

[Pomato]

100% cuz, Genji.

[lush_bunny]

[I need healing]

I've always liked neutral colors with neon accents, glwic!

[Lsandra]

Usually just lurk but love this set and the desk mats. Kiss my keebs!

[hottrout]

UK ISO in the base kit is a deal maker for me.  Love it a lot but I still think you should consider darker alphas, they are a little light for the green, IMHO of course.

[edwyn]

Vendors announced


No one likes paying huge shipping costs and taxes for a set, so wanted to make sure I could find vendors in as many regions as possible so that any one that wanted to get my set could get
it at the lowest price possible anywhere in the world. If I'm missing any region please let me know!

UK ISO in the base kit is a deal maker for me.  Love it a lot but I still think you should consider darker alphas, they are a little light for the green, IMHO of course.

The light grey and green could be an issue but will have to wait for samples to really know.  The light grey key is also reflecting a lot of light in that picture and isn't as light in real life.

[internet-nico]

Colors are perfect but I wish the legends were solid dark grey or black

[hottrout]

Love the RAMA and nice work adding prototypist.

[edwyn]

RAMA collaboration announced!

Love the RAMA and nice work adding prototypist.

Thanks! Made sure to  have full ISO support in the base kit

Colors are perfect but I wish the legends were solid dark grey or black

Do you mean you want the mods to be sold dark grey instead of gradient?

[internet-nico]

Colors are perfect but I wish the legends were solid dark grey or black

Do you mean you want the mods to be sold dark grey instead of gradient?
[/quote]

Thanks for the reply! Nope the cap colors/gradients are cool. I was pointing more towards the neon color for the legends/text. I may be old fashioned, but I think matching the legends across the board would make it more solid and timeless.

Here are some dirty mockups just to be clear: (with light-grey or dark-grey legends)



Anyway great idea, good luck on the IC

[edwyn]

Thank you for the comments and the mockups. I see the value having matching legends but I think for most people (me included) its too little Neon for set that's called Neon if you know what I mean.

Colors are perfect but I wish the legends were solid dark grey or black

Do you mean you want the mods to be sold dark grey instead of gradient?

Thanks for the reply! Nope the cap colors/gradients are cool. I was pointing more towards the neon color for the legends/text. I may be old fashioned, but I think matching the legends across the board would make it more solid and timeless.

Here are some dirty mockups just to be clear: (with light-grey or dark-grey legends)



Anyway great idea, good luck on the IC
[/quote]

[xippa]

the freshman set

[edwyn]

Update:

Based on feedback I have added an second Rama in the same pantone matched color but in the signature Rama X instead of 95

[Nukz]

The RAMA X looks like Dixie's logo?

[edwyn]

I think this is Rama's own design?  There are quite a few sets that use this X as their Rama artisan (like vaporwave). I didn't even need to give them the design file. I just asked for their X design in my color

The RAMA X looks like Dixie's logo?

[chowder266]

The RAMA X looks like Dixie's logo?

omnitype (dixie mech) changed their logo already as they just recently gone through rebranding

[bthezebra]

The RAMA X looks like Dixie's logo?

The RAMA X came before the Dixie's (now Omnitype) X

Also the RAMA X is rounded vs the flat edges on Dixie's (now Omnitype) X

No one would have exclusive rights to letter "X" or the cross symbol

[edwyn]

Matching cables was the #1 requests collaboration at 60%.  I am thrilled to announce a cable collab with ZUZU cables.  We will be offering 2 designs with both including a Pantone matched cerakote aviator connector.  Prototypes added

[edwyn]

GB date announced: Monday April 5th.

Thanks again for everyone's support!

[HoffmanMyster]

Cleaned up the recent mess in this thread. And umm, maybe the both of you can stop creating alt accounts to argue with each other? Your dupe accounts have been banned and your actual accounts warned.

[Allsurrender]

This IS my main account I don’t have a dupe, I usually just lurk around.
But thank you Mod for supporting a Xinjiang genocide supporter, I guess?

[HoffmanMyster]

This IS my main account I don’t have a dupe, I usually just lurk around.
But thank you Mod for supporting a Xinjiang genocide supporter, I guess?

I wasn't even talking about you. The OP and another user were having a back and forth, both using their alts. You responded to them, hence why your post was also removed (no sense keeping a response to a deleted post around). You were never accused of creating an alt account, nor was your account banned or warned.

I also have expressed no support for Xinjiang nor genocide. I'm not sure where you got that from...

Anyway, this is all still off topic from the thread at hand, but I'd be happy to continue this conversation via PM if you'd like.

[Kokaloo]

 

oops

[HoodrowThrillson]

Show Image

oops

Kono will run it!

[paperassgasket]

well that was fast.
new record for shortest keyset GB period?

[nu_types]

Show Image

oops

Kono will run it!

I died

[kuro0renji]

Too bad, I really like the colors

[cspirou]

Honestly want to know what the copyright issues are? The fashion industry has basically zero IP protections except for trademark (hence why they plaster their logos everywhere). Is it the novelties? Does the OP make it seem like this set is endorsed by Nike?

[nuldabz]

Honestly want to know what the copyright issues are? The fashion industry has basically zero IP protections except for trademark (hence why they plaster their logos everywhere). Is it the novelties? Does the OP make it seem like this set is endorsed by Nike?

It's not that the set presents copyright issues, it's that the designer supposedly posted on zFrontier or some public forum that his intent with this set was to infringe on copyright. That public remark is a statement of intent to infringe on intellectual property, and even if the set does not explicitly have any infringing material.

Most vendors take a pretty strict stance on intellectual property and the respect it is owed, so these remarks are not something that vendors want to associate themselves with for both legal and ethical reasons.

[Kokaloo]

Most vendors take a pretty strict stance on intellectual property and the respect it is owed, so these remarks are not something that vendors want to associate themselves with for both legal and ethical reasons.

 

[iinko_mk]

looks like **** hit the fan

[Lenders]

I'm no tm expert, but from https://www.thefashionlaw.com/air-max-a-footwear-revolution-and-a-multi-billion-dollar-design/

In addition to the name, Nike has federally registered trade dress protection for the appearance of the Air Max 95. For the uninitiated, trade dress is a type of trademark law that extends to the distinctive “total image of a product,” and it “may include features such as size, shape, color or color combinations, texture, graphics or even particular sales techniques.

I'm pretty sure one of Nike's lawyers could basically ruin you just by raising an eyebrow if they wanted to. Maybe not putting GMK in this ankward position could be a smart move...

[cspirou]

I'm no tm expert, but from https://www.thefashionlaw.com/air-max-a-footwear-revolution-and-a-multi-billion-dollar-design/

In addition to the name, Nike has federally registered trade dress protection for the appearance of the Air Max 95. For the uninitiated, trade dress is a type of trademark law that extends to the distinctive “total image of a product,” and it “may include features such as size, shape, color or color combinations, texture, graphics or even particular sales techniques.

I'm pretty sure one of Nike's lawyers could basically ruin you just by raising an eyebrow if they wanted to. Maybe not putting GMK in this ankward position could be a smart move...

Reading a bit more it doesn't seem like trade dress applies to this. It's for preventing someone from tricking a customer into buying an item when they think they are buying the original article. So it would apply to shoes that appear to be Nike's but aren't. This would not apply to keycaps.

But I do agree that lawyers would still find a way to ruin your day even if they don't have any legal standing.

[Krule]

I wonder what the next step is going to be. I was going online to purchase and was hit with a 404 error. Had to hit up Cannon's Instagram to see what was going on. I understand the problem with selling it while the designers intentions are hazy with intent, but I guess I'm not sure of the trouble Cannon can receive by selling it. I just want this set...

[TheMetalDog]

I wonder what the next step is going to be. I was going online to purchase and was hit with a 404 error. Had to hit up Cannon's Instagram to see what was going on. I understand the problem with selling it while the designers intentions are hazy with intent, but I guess I'm not sure of the trouble Cannon can receive by selling it. I just want this set...

I would imagine one of two things will happen. 1. Designer retools to avoid similarities (unlikely) or 2. This gets cancelled (likely).

[Cubic // esc lab]

To be very honest, I was very very surprised this even got to the GB phase.

In the get-go, it used infringing assets from Nike. The 95 & Air are all hard trademarked assets (https://www.gerbenlaw.com/trademarks/footwear/nike/#75975988), this isn't a matter of "gray area" from an East Asian animation studio. Nike can lift an eyebrow and the vendors, designers, and manufacturer (GMK/Rama/etc) all will get cease and desists.

More surprisingly is GMK accepting it considering their most recent stance, *especially* it being Nike.

Super unfortunate that this is happening, but honestly can't say I am in any way surprised.

[yanwrld]

To be very honest, I was very very surprised this even got to the GB phase.

In the get-go, it used infringing assets from Nike. The 95 & Air are all hard trademarked assets (https://www.gerbenlaw.com/trademarks/footwear/nike/#75975988), this isn't a matter of "gray area" from an East Asian animation studio. Nike can lift an eyebrow and the vendors, designers, and manufacturer (GMK/Rama/etc) all will get cease and desists.

More surprisingly is GMK accepting it considering their most recent stance, *especially* it being Nike.

Super unfortunate that this is happening, but honestly can't say I am in any way surprised.

Looking at what you've linked, I can't find a trademark for 95 and MAX specifically like the novelties. Most of nike's trademarks are under the goods and services classes for clothing and shoes etc. (my interpretation, not a lawyer) so this would not hold up in court very well. Recently, omnitype filed for 8008 under class 09 which contains computers and the like so it would extend to keyboards and keycaps, which would be the correct trademarks for something like this, a keycap set. All of nike's class 09 trademarks are for the nike logo and some other tech related things. Anyways, I agree with you. Nike's lawyers could stop this project real quick. Not worth it to fight a big corporation in court. I was concerned when I first saw this set because imo it relies too heavily on the inspiration and I would not be surprised if it infringed on IP (not hard to prove if it did). Just my take on the situation.

[Nuap]

To be very honest, I was very very surprised this even got to the GB phase.

In the get-go, it used infringing assets from Nike. The 95 & Air are all hard trademarked assets (https://www.gerbenlaw.com/trademarks/footwear/nike/#75975988), this isn't a matter of "gray area" from an East Asian animation studio. Nike can lift an eyebrow and the vendors, designers, and manufacturer (GMK/Rama/etc) all will get cease and desists.

More surprisingly is GMK accepting it considering their most recent stance, *especially* it being Nike.

Super unfortunate that this is happening, but honestly can't say I am in any way surprised.

Looking at what you've linked, I can't find a trademark for 95 and MAX specifically like the novelties. Most of nike's trademarks are under the goods and services classes for clothing and shoes etc. (my interpretation, not a lawyer) so this would not hold up in court very well. Recently, omnitype filed for 8008 under class 09 which contains computers and the like so it would extend to keyboards and keycaps, which would be the correct trademarks for something like this, a keycap set. All of nike's class 09 trademarks are for the nike logo and some other tech related things. Anyways, I agree with you. Nike's lawyers could stop this project real quick. Not worth it to fight a big corporation in court. I was concerned when I first saw this set because imo it relies too heavily on the inspiration and I would not be surprised if it infringed on IP (not hard to prove if it did). Just my take on the situation.

CK didn't drop the set because they perceive IP issues, they dropped the set because they designer said on ZFrontier that they want to violate Nike's copyright.

[LemonJR]

Just as extra info, zfrontier has yet to put up this set for sale, and the group buy post has been removed by mods, so this is very likely to get cancelled.

[P103]

This set deserves to get cancelled, why the fk would you make it political? So that it would sell in China, exploit the whole XinJiang Cotton boycott to make a profit? This is so dumb, you're either mocking the people in China or agreeing that some human lives are worth less than cotton, why dig that hole.

[tngpq]

The screen capture from a discord discussion including the OP should have been kept here. It will become self explanatory to folks who are wondering what exactly happened with this set. I was a big supporter at the beginning but not any more after the OP's act in public. Disrespectful to say the least. I genuinely question how OP can identify him/herself as a sneakehead.

[adamjohari]

Too bad, was looking forward to this. All the work flushed down the drain cause Mod wasn't careful. Oh well.

[yanwrld]

To be very honest, I was very very surprised this even got to the GB phase.

In the get-go, it used infringing assets from Nike. The 95 & Air are all hard trademarked assets (https://www.gerbenlaw.com/trademarks/footwear/nike/#75975988), this isn't a matter of "gray area" from an East Asian animation studio. Nike can lift an eyebrow and the vendors, designers, and manufacturer (GMK/Rama/etc) all will get cease and desists.

More surprisingly is GMK accepting it considering their most recent stance, *especially* it being Nike.

Super unfortunate that this is happening, but honestly can't say I am in any way surprised.

Looking at what you've linked, I can't find a trademark for 95 and MAX specifically like the novelties. Most of nike's trademarks are under the goods and services classes for clothing and shoes etc. (my interpretation, not a lawyer) so this would not hold up in court very well. Recently, omnitype filed for 8008 under class 09 which contains computers and the like so it would extend to keyboards and keycaps, which would be the correct trademarks for something like this, a keycap set. All of nike's class 09 trademarks are for the nike logo and some other tech related things. Anyways, I agree with you. Nike's lawyers could stop this project real quick. Not worth it to fight a big corporation in court. I was concerned when I first saw this set because imo it relies too heavily on the inspiration and I would not be surprised if it infringed on IP (not hard to prove if it did). Just my take on the situation.

CK didn't drop the set because they perceive IP issues, they dropped the set because they designer said on ZFrontier that they want to violate Nike's copyright.

I understand the situation here, point is that this set is more likely to violate a trademark than a copyright. Furthermore, intellectual property includes both copyright and trademark. The designer's comments on zf were made as a joke in poor taste, but the discord drama serves as bait and made far too many assumptions out of a single sentence. I think that the comment was gross and insensitive, and that people should not support the project, but everyone should decide for themselves.

Point is: Set more likely to infringe a trademark than a copyright. They are not interchangeable.

My take of the copyright/ trademark situation:

More

The designer's comment on zf directly translates to "together infringe nike rights retaliation". The copyright part is only an assumption. I think that intellectual property fits better, since it also includes trademarks and patents etc. The designer added in a discord screenshot that they do not infringe upon any of nike's copyrights since the novelties don't contain anything that is trademarked by nike. As others have stated, nike does have a federally registered trade dress for the air max 95, or at least an article says so. However official that may sound, the novelties are not being advertised as the entire shoe, and the silhouette is too broad to be recognized as specifically the air max 95. The number "95" could possibly argued as a more legitimate case. Hard to prove that anyone will be mislead by this keyset for a pair of shoes. As with trademarks, they only extend as far as the category of products that they are filed under. Nike has the trademark for the air max shoes, but countless other air max trademarks exist for other categories. Nike could do serious damage in court, with or without a solid case. This is a lose situation if you aren't nike.

[herpderpenberg]

My take of the copyright/ trademark situation:

More

The designer's comment on zf directly translates to "together infringe nike rights retaliation". The copyright part is only an assumption. I think that intellectual property fits better, since it also includes trademarks and patents etc. The designer added in a discord screenshot that they do not infringe upon any of nike's copyrights since the novelties don't contain anything that is trademarked by nike. As others have stated, nike does have a federally registered trade dress for the air max 95, or at least an article says so. However official that may sound, the novelties are not being advertised as the entire shoe, and the silhouette is too broad to be recognized as specifically the air max 95. The number "95" could possibly argued as a more legitimate case. Hard to prove that anyone will be mislead by this keyset for a pair of shoes. As with trademarks, they only extend as far as the category of products that they are filed under. Nike has the trademark for the air max shoes, but countless other air max trademarks exist for other categories. Nike could do serious damage in court, with or without a solid case. This is a lose situation if you aren't nike.

That's my take.  I feel that people make the comment "you're going to get sued" and they said a sort of "**** Nike" by saying they'll infringe their copyright and more in jest than being serious.  The set has nothing that looks like it would get a C&D, so it looked more like a joke or empty threat.  Sucks that these days you can get cancelled by making an off the cuff Discord comment.  But I think CK just wanted to avoid the **** show that could come from this set having a semi-political agenda behind it.

I never would have bought the set anyway.  It's hard enough explaining keyboard hobby, let alone understanding sneakerheads mentality.

[edwyn]

Apologise for the late response. Wanted some time to think before I comment, as rash knee jerk commenting got me in this situation in the first place.

Want to also apologise to all the people that wanted to get the set and all my vendors, especially Cannon. Cannon has been very supportive from the beginning, put in a lot of work to get it to GB and was even willing to transfer all their work to another  potential lead vendor after deciding to pulling out.

Cannon made the right decision as  my rash comments put all the vendors and I in possible legal exposure. No matter how small the actual exposure was, it was just not worth it and I am grateful Cannon made the right call.

I understand everyone will have their own opinion on the matter and I respect their right to their own opinion.  I acknowledge I made rash and inappropriate comments trying to change the narrative away from my set and the Nike/cotton controversy through making comments on infringing on Nike when in reality I was not infringing on their IP.  (ref: https://www.gerbenlaw.com/trademarks/footwear/nike/#75975988 thanks esc lab for posting this for anyone that wants to understand what nike's IP generally covers and why my design intentionally stays away from swoosh, nike and air) It was never my intention to infringe on Nike's IP and I made sure I didn't when I designed it. Thus I also owe Nike an apology for trying to deflect attention to them.

I apologise again to the people that wanted my set but my rash and narrow minded focus on hoping to save my creation "baby" from all the undue (nike/cotton) hate it was getting instead ironically led to its ultimate demise and them not being able to get it.

My primary objective now is to come up with a set to cater to people that have reached out to me through reddit and my discord in the past 24 hours telling me they still hope to get my set. For this to happen I have decided to abandon 95neon as it has too much legal baggage attached for it to succeed and I must go back to the drawing board.

My new set will have less association with air max 95 and not infringe on any of Nike's IP

I understand that for many people this might not be the set that they will want and from this whole debacle I have definitely learnt you can't change people's opinion. So instead of worrying about people who don't want my set, I'm going to instead put my focus on serving the people that want it as there is no way to please everyone (also learnt this the hard way this time).

I hope my new set will meet my design's supporters and the respective standard of each vendor I originally worked with so that we can get to a new GB.

Finally, regardless of whether it changes anything I believe I should apologise to anyone that I have caused distress to in anyway from this debacle as I wasted their time being distressed.

If anyone has any questions or issues please contact me directly. Learnt my lesson that its not possible to talk to many people at once on sensitive subjects.

[Cubic // esc lab]

Apologise for the late response. Wanted some time to think before I comment, as rash knee jerk commenting got me in this situation in the first place.

Want to also apologise to all the people that wanted to get the set and all my vendors, especially Cannon. Cannon has been very supportive from the beginning, put in a lot of work to get it to GB and was even willing to transfer all their work to another  potential lead vendor after deciding to pulling out.

Cannon made the right decision as  my rash comments put all the vendors and I in possible legal exposure. No matter how small the actual exposure was, it was just not worth it and I am grateful Cannon made the right call.

I understand everyone will have their own opinion on the matter and I respect their right to their own opinion.  I acknowledge I made rash and inappropriate comments trying to change the narrative away from my set and the Nike/cotton controversy through making comments on infringing on Nike when in reality I was not infringing on their IP.  (ref: https://www.gerbenlaw.com/trademarks/footwear/nike/#75975988 thanks esc lab for posting this for anyone that wants to understand what nike's IP generally covers and why my design intentionally stays away from swoosh, nike and air) It was never my intention to infringe on Nike's IP and I made sure I didn't when I designed it. Thus I also owe Nike an apology for trying to deflect attention to them.

I apologise again to the people that wanted my set but my rash and narrow minded focus on hoping to save my creation "baby" from all the undue (nike/cotton) hate it was getting instead ironically led to its ultimate demise and them not being able to get it.

My primary objective now is to come up with a set to cater to people that have reached out to me through reddit and my discord in the past 24 hours telling me they still hope to get my set. For this to happen I have decided to abandon 95neon as it has too much legal baggage attached for it to succeed and I must go back to the drawing board.

My new set will have less association with air max 95 and not infringe on any of Nike's IP

I understand that for many people this might not be the set that they will want and from this whole debacle I have definitely learnt you can't change people's opinion. So instead of worrying about people who don't want my set, I'm going to instead put my focus on serving the people that want it as there is no way to please everyone (also learnt this the hard way this time).

I hope my new set will meet my design's supporters and the respective standard of each vendor I originally worked with so that we can get to a new GB.

Finally, regardless of whether it changes anything I believe I should apologise to anyone that I have caused distress to in anyway from this debacle as I wasted their time being distressed.

If anyone has any questions or issues please contact me directly. Learnt my lesson that its not possible to talk to many people at once on sensitive subjects.

I think everyone's opinions here are exhausted and beaten to the ground so I won't comment on the controversy specifically any further.

I think you are right in avoiding anything that could legally or even possibly get you into IP trouble. I'm not a patent or IP lawyer so my opinion definitely isn't the word of law at all, but I shared that doc of the trademarks mostly as a reference for OP to check. In the end, if you are ever concerned about infringing on IP, talking to an IP lawyer even for an hour is the best bet. I think me saying "infringing on IP" was a bit too direct, but I did see that the 95 and what not were directly lifted from Nike's assets. Maybe not directly illegal, but it does make me go hmmm.

You do have to shell out your own money for an IP lawyer, and that's the nature of working on any projects that come close to someone's protected assets.

It's unfortunate it had come to this that you are no longer moving forward with the project because while there is quite a lot of controversy around it + IP issues, it does seem like you put quite a significant amount of effort and time on it.

I suppose this is the case of an expensive lesson? We all make mistakes, so it's respectable that you admitted to it and are taking responsibility for it. We can all learn a bit from that, myself included.

Good luck with your future projects!

[FireStarzz]

I never comment on geekhack but i can assure u im not an alt.

I'm a fellow Hongkonger and Wyn probably have crossed too many lines for both mainland chinese and hongkongese for this. If i have to guess, Wyn probably is not very local to HK and probably have studied or lived in overseas for a very long time (like myself) and is generally just not very sensitive to political matters in HK and China (again just a guess).

With the recent Cotton drama in China, so many massive brands are boycotted, including Nike, and Wyn probably wanted to save his set in ZF (because many nike stuff and sponsors are immediately dropped in China, if u watch sports/esports u can see even wearing Nike logo jerseys are covered) and thus made many controversial and Pro-CCP comments ''to retaliate nike''. It wouldnt be a problem if this set is only sold in china, but these comments were noticed by many HKers and this pissed them off A LOT. I think many were pissed  that Wyn didn't even bother choosing HK vendor like Kibou or Thickthock at the first place when he had 3 SEA Vendors when he lives in HK. Thus, this spreads like fire and CK pulled out. AFAIK ZF also pulled out too because i couldn't find the set there as well, even the IC is gone.

I love the set, I love the design, if Wyn kept quiet on this matter it probably wouldnt be a problem at all, but as Wyn said sth trying to save the set in China probably cost the whole group buy. There are many anti-CCP ppl in the West and his comments probably also pissed off many Americans when he tried to lick the chineses boots to save the set.

As someone outside of the drama and never participated in any related conversation on discord, i hope u will be able to run other sets in the future with no problem and really try to avoid political stands unless u are comfortable to be associated with it. Good luck Wyn!

[menuhin]

To be very honest, I was very very surprised this even got to the GB phase.

In the get-go, it used infringing assets from Nike. The 95 & Air are all hard trademarked assets (https://www.gerbenlaw.com/trademarks/footwear/nike/#75975988), this isn't a matter of "gray area" from an East Asian animation studio. Nike can lift an eyebrow and the vendors, designers, and manufacturer (GMK/Rama/etc) all will get cease and desists.

More surprisingly is GMK accepting it considering their most recent stance, *especially* it being Nike.

Super unfortunate that this is happening, but honestly can't say I am in any way surprised.

I know it's cancelled already. Here's just a technical question about copyright/trademarks:

Is it possible for anyone to sell some product named "95 & Air"? Or just "95" or "Air"?
Is it only prohibited in the US? (or all other lands that the US has a good grip on their government)

[Nuap]

To be very honest, I was very very surprised this even got to the GB phase.

In the get-go, it used infringing assets from Nike. The 95 & Air are all hard trademarked assets (https://www.gerbenlaw.com/trademarks/footwear/nike/#75975988), this isn't a matter of "gray area" from an East Asian animation studio. Nike can lift an eyebrow and the vendors, designers, and manufacturer (GMK/Rama/etc) all will get cease and desists.

More surprisingly is GMK accepting it considering their most recent stance, *especially* it being Nike.

Super unfortunate that this is happening, but honestly can't say I am in any way surprised.

I know it's cancelled already. Here's just a technical question about copyright/trademarks:

Is it possible for anyone to sell some product named "95 & Air"? Or just "95" or "Air"?
Is it only prohibited in the US? (or all other lands that the US has a good grip on their government)

That's a question for a lawyer.

[Cubic // esc lab]

To be very honest, I was very very surprised this even got to the GB phase.

In the get-go, it used infringing assets from Nike. The 95 & Air are all hard trademarked assets (https://www.gerbenlaw.com/trademarks/footwear/nike/#75975988), this isn't a matter of "gray area" from an East Asian animation studio. Nike can lift an eyebrow and the vendors, designers, and manufacturer (GMK/Rama/etc) all will get cease and desists.

More surprisingly is GMK accepting it considering their most recent stance, *especially* it being Nike.

Super unfortunate that this is happening, but honestly can't say I am in any way surprised.

I know it's cancelled already. Here's just a technical question about copyright/trademarks:

Is it possible for anyone to sell some product named "95 & Air"? Or just "95" or "Air"?
Is it only prohibited in the US? (or all other lands that the US has a good grip on their government)

I am not a lawyer so I cannot in any capacity say I am qualified to give you that answer.

The only worthwhile thing I can say whenever someone has any ounce of concern for IP or trademark is - "talk to an IP lawyer".

[DukeEsquire]

Important point of consideration is that GMK requires vendors to indemnify them (i.e.: cover GMK's legal costs) in the event a 3rd party makes a IP claim against GMK.

In other words, even if Nike takes GMK to court and loses, Cannon and the other vendors still need to foot GMK's legal fees.

That's why if a kit even sniffs of IP infringement, no vendor in their right mind would touch the kit with a 10 foot pole.

So, talking back and forth about whether or not something is IP infringement is a red herring. The real talking point is you don't want to go around shining a spotlight on yourself for something that even has a hint of IP infringement because if GMK gets taken to court, then the vendors are completely screwed as they can't afford it.

[2ero9ram]

我喜欢配色方案，但我不太喜欢新潮.支持你，希望能早日打开GB：拇指：

[TrevorHarkness]

I appreciate the attention to detail and the effort to make it stand out from other sets using neon yellow. The collaboration with RAMA for the keycap looks impressive, and the desk mats add a nice touch. It's great to see you've considered the global community by partnering with vendors from various regions. Overall, it's an exciting project, and I'm looking forward to joining your Discord to stay updated on this set and your upcoming work.

[JasonFrazier]

Sorry for bumping the thread, but I wanted to jump in and say that this GMK 95NEON set looks fantastic! I love the inspiration behind it, drawing from the iconic Nike Air Max 95 in the NEON colorway. It captures the essence of those iconic sneakers so well.

[dvorcol]

I appreciate the attention to detail and the effort to make it stand out from other sets using neon yellow. The collaboration with RAMA for the keycap looks impressive, and the desk mats add a nice touch. It's great to see you've considered the global community by partnering with vendors from various regions. Overall, it's an exciting project, and I'm looking forward to joining your Discord to stay updated on this set and your upcoming work.

Sorry for bumping the thread, but I wanted to jump in and say that this GMK 95NEON set looks fantastic! I love the inspiration behind it, drawing from the iconic Nike Air Max 95 in the NEON colorway. It captures the essence of those iconic sneakers so well.

FYI, due to potential IP issues this concept evolved into GMK Max Neon - https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=112308.0

[Dmitri]

Update?

[dvorcol]

Update?

FYI, due to potential IP issues this concept evolved into GMK Max Neon - https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=112308.0