Long before Gowalla (long before iPhones, in fact), we were rocking bags, cases and other gear from Incase. Their motto is “A better experience through good design,” and that fits in perfectly with principles we’ve been embracing since we pushed our first pixel. Incase (if you’ve been living on the island from LOST) is the exceptional maker of fine goods for carrying, protecting, transporting and displaying pretty much anything cool you own, from your laptop and iPod, to your DSLR and skateboard. You can find their goods everywhere, but your local Apple Store is the best place to start. We’ve been rocking their iPod and iPhone cases, using their backpacks and sling bags, drooling over their Paul Rodriguez skateboarding gear, and have been quite pleased with each Incase product that we’ve purchased over the years.

So we are very happy to announce an endeavor we’ve been working on with the cool kids at Incase, a Gowalla/Incase collaboration! Starting today, you will be able to collect Incase virtual items, modeled after actual Incase gear, when you check-in on Gowalla at Apple Stores around the world! We’ll be dropping the first item today, an Incase Slider Case, modeled after one of the several nifty iPhone covers they have in their lineup. There will be six Incase-branded virtual items in all: Collect all six, and you’ll receive the Incase Pin of Glory!

We are really excited about this collaboration, and so is Incase. So much so that they’ve decided to make it extra fun as we kick things off: This week at various Apple Stores around the world, a number of lucky people who check in at an Apple Store and get the virtual Incase Slider are also going to receive an *actual* Incase Slider, courtesy of Incase! Winners will be randomly selected based on Gowalla check-ins at official Apple Stores, and we’ll announce them on Twitter daily. So don’t delay: get out to your Apple Store, grab our first Incase item, and have a chance to win the real-world version.