Will.i.am and Honeywell make bet on fashionable high-tech face masks

As society emerges from the coronavirus pandemic, Will.i.am is betting people will keep using that protective gear such as facial coverings.

The rapper and entrepreneur announced Tuesday he teamed up with Honeywell to bring two versions of a high-tech face mask called the Xupermask. The mask combines protection, design and usability into one product, according to Will.i.am.

The founding member of the Black Eyed Peas suggested the masks, which go on sale Wednesday, would be valuable to consumers much like a pair of Air Jordan shoes is to sneakerheads.

“We’ve long past looked at shoes as protective gear, but they’re just cultural items that we go out and buy,” Will.i.am told CNBC’s Jim…