While it might have unwound its Web3-focused team in its recent restructuring, Snapchat is still working on related initiatives; the company has unveiled a partnership with musician J Balvin in what seems to be the first-ever 'Bitmoji Drop' of limited-edition digital Air Jordan 2 Balvin sneakers.
The Drop will let Snap's users snatch for themselves a pair of those sneakers for their Bitmoji character, at least for a short time, and it's yet another move marking further development in Snap's efforts to evolve digital identity.

The digital version of the AJ2 Balvin will unlock exclusively to Snap Jordan enthusiasts ahead of the retail offerings on September 15th. You can only grab the sneaker for a limited time within the app; one can only lock down and save until September 14th at 11:59 p.m. PST. The Snapchatters can cop Drop in the time frame and rock the sneaker on their Bitmoji with great swag, forever.

If you don't claim them within that time frame, though, you'll never get them, with Snap retiring the virtual item to keep things exclusive.

While perhaps not as advanced as some of the digital avatar options that are in development, Snap's Bitmoji characters are extremely popular and might prove a key conduit for Snap into more advanced AR and even metaverse experiences.

Under this, Snap has been working on a few digital clothing partnerships that are set to help a user in creating more customized and personalized Bitmoji depictions and using them in different digital settings.

The plan proper, based on a previously filed patent from Snap, would be constructing Bitmoji fashion store, where users would be able to shop for digital replicas of almost any real-world fashion item, with both Snap and retailers taking a cut.
Perhaps another aspect is exclusive drops, a new wave of digital commerce in the app, and making users more invested in their Bitmoji characters since they represent them as an online avatar.

And if Snap can succeed in integrating metaverse schemas, allowing users to take their Bitmoji character along to other digital realms – such as, for example Meta's VR metaverse - that is the route through which Snap is most likely to enter into the next phase, once and when it happens.
They certainly don't look like the most advanced of the digital character models around, but if Snap can start building on its Bitmoji options, and really enhance that user connection to their characters, they could end up being key tools in that shift.

Which is why "Bitmoji Drops" is an interesting concept-and an interesting testing ground for Snap to measure the potential demand for more exclusive items for Bitmoji characters.

Which, ultimately will result in buying and selling, by Snap or users who, through this product, are actually able to collect the limited-edition items.