Terms of Use
Rules of fair play, virtual economy conditions, and service terms for Sole Showdown.
Coins / Booster Packs / Premium
Coins are free in-game points earned only through gameplay in the Arena. Coins and cards are non-transferable, non-redeemable, and have no cash or resale value. Booster Packs contain six randomized digital collectible cards and open only with earned Coins. Coins are not cryptocurrency. Coins and packs are not sold. There is no cash-out, wagering, or trading.
Premium is planned and unavailable for purchase. No payment provider or Merchant of Record is currently active. Every valid gameplay choice has equal Elo weight; Premium does not buy ranking placement or increased vote weight.
1. Acceptance of Terms
Welcome to Sole Showdown. These Terms of Use ('Terms') govern your access to and use of the website, applications, and online game services operated by Michael Schubert, operating under the trading name Golden Hour Labs ('we', 'us', or 'operator').
By accessing Sole Showdown, creating an account, or playing matchups, you agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree, please do not use the service.
2. Description of the Service
Sole Showdown is a browser-based casual sneaker game built around randomized head-to-head Arena matchups, Elo-based rankings, earned Coins, Booster Packs, and a persistent digital card collection. Players make gameplay choices between two sneakers in randomized Arena matchups. Each valid gameplay choice contributes to the Elo ranking system and rewards earned Coins that can be used to progress through the game's collectible card system.
3. User Accounts & Security
Certain features of Sole Showdown (including voting in the Arena, earning Coins, opening booster packs, and saving card collections) require creating an account authenticated through our third-party authentication partner, Clerk.
You are solely responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your login credentials and for all activities occurring under your account.
Creating multiple accounts, automated account generation, or sharing accounts to exploit game mechanics is strictly prohibited.
4. Rules of Fair Play & Prohibited Conduct
To maintain a fair, authentic community ranking for all sneaker enthusiasts, you agree not to engage in any of the following prohibited activities:
Prohibited Actions
• Automated Vote Manipulation: Using bots, scripts, automated clickers, browser extensions, or automated tools to cast votes or open packs.
• Direct API Exploitation: Calling or manipulating internal server endpoints (/api/vote, /api/arena/matchup, /api/shop/open-pack, /api/leaderboard) outside the official client user interface.
• Artificial Elo Manipulation: Colluding, exploiting matchup issuance algorithms, or artificially inflating/deflating sneaker Elo ratings.
• Limit Circumvention: Bypassing daily vote allowances, exploiting concurrency races, or evading rate-limiting protections.
• System Security Attacks: Probing, scanning, reverse-engineering, decompiling, or attempting to compromise application security or infrastructure.
5. Virtual Coins & Digital Cards (Virtual Economy)
Sole Showdown features virtual Coins and digital collectible cards as in-game entertainment mechanics.
Zero Monetary & Cash Value
Virtual Coins and digital cards are purely fictional in-game items created for entertainment purposes. They have ZERO monetary, cash, or real-world financial value.
Virtual items do NOT constitute real currency, legal tender, cryptocurrency, non-fungible tokens (NFTs), securities, investments, financial instruments, or property.
Non-Redeemable & Non-Transferable
Virtual Coins cannot be redeemed, refunded, or exchanged for real-world money, goods, or services from Golden Hour Labs or any third party.
Virtual items are non-transferable and may not be sold, bartered, or traded outside the game.
No Paid Functionality Claimed
Currently, virtual Coins are earned exclusively through gameplay participation (voting in Arena matchups). Sole Showdown does not currently offer real-money purchases for Coins or cards.
6. Booster Packs & Rarity Mechanics
Users can spend virtual Coins in the in-game Shop to open booster packs containing digital sneaker cards.
Pack rewards are generated based on server-side probabilistic rarity tiers (Common, Uncommon, Rare, Epic, Legendary) using deterministic drop rules and idempotency protections to ensure fairness.
Golden Hour Labs reserves the right to adjust virtual item drop rates, coin rewards, and shop pricing to balance gameplay.
7. Intellectual Property & Trademarks
The Sole Showdown application, source code, visual UI layout, brand identity, and original digital assets are the exclusive intellectual property of Michael Schubert / Golden Hour Labs.
Third-Party Footwear Trademarks
Footwear brand names, model trademarks, logos, and silhouettes displayed on Sole Showdown (including Nike, Air Jordan, adidas, Vans, Converse, Puma, New Balance, and others) belong to their respective owners.
Their inclusion on Sole Showdown is solely for descriptive identification in gameplay matchups and Elo-based rankings and does not imply sponsorship, partnership, or endorsement by the trademark owners.
Photographic Media & Attribution
Details regarding photographic sources, verified creator attribution, and rights inquiries are set forth in our Media Sources & Image Credits policy.
8. Service Modifications & Availability
Sole Showdown is provided on an 'as is' and 'as available' basis. Golden Hour Labs reserves the right to update, modify, suspend, or discontinue any feature, virtual game mechanic, or the service entirely at any time.
We do not guarantee that the service will be permanently uninterrupted, secure, or bug-free.
9. Limitation of Liability
To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, Michael Schubert and Golden Hour Labs shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising out of or related to your use of or inability to use Sole Showdown.
Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits liability for gross negligence, willful misconduct, death or personal injury resulting from negligence, or any liability that cannot be legally excluded under mandatory consumer protection laws.
10. Governing Law & Dispute Resolution
These Terms and any disputes arising out of or relating to Sole Showdown shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of India, without regard to its conflict of law provisions.
For any questions, concerns, or disputes, users are encouraged to first reach out directly to contact@goldenhourlabs.tech for amicable resolution.