On 22 April RTFKT Studio unlocked the Nike Dunk Genesis: a virtual version of the sportswear behemoth’s iconic Nike Dunk as imagined by RTFKT for the year 2052.
The sneaker, which is made of digital screens, powered by DRM OS and which can equip NFT based skins vials to change its looks, was virtually packaged in a special digital box gifted to loyal RTFKT customers who were invited to try and ‘crack the cryptic code to reveal what was inside’ by challenging the RTFKT community on the Discord and Twitter channels to solve a set of right quests needed to unlock the box.
Part of the joint Nike and RTFKT ‘CryptoKicks’ project to lead the way towards the sneakers of the future, the kicks and skins launch was promoted through a digital-first campaign backed by PR which formed part of the evolving ‘RTFKT Ecosystem’ created in harness with collaborators and creators linked to the Metaverse.
The launch offers consumers the ability to evolve their original sneaker by purchasing DNA vials which, when combined with a pair of digital sneakers, changes the Nike Dunk Genesis with fresh ‘design expressions’ from a set of eight new wave artists and creators. Technically, each time a consumer ‘evolves’ a pair of sneakers they are burning an original NFT and creating an entirely new one.
The Dunk Genesis is just the first digital sneaker silhouette to launch under the CrypoKicks concept and additional new silhouettes – rumoured to be from the iconic Air Max range – are expected in the coming months.
The core idea behind CryptoKicks is to offer a greater sense of personality and ownership in the digital fashion space by mashing together sneaker designs to create one unique pair of kick: and the mechanic behind evolving designs via DNA vials idea brings to virtual life the concept of scarcity, being a genuine original and thus enhancing value.
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It was back in 2019 that Nike originally filed its first patent for CryptoKicks and then followed up by acquiring the digital fashion and 3D creation studio RTFKT: moves which sparked plenty of sneakerhead buzz and rumour.
The virtual pivot and rush to digital driven by the pandemic further accelerated Web3 (and avatar, crypto and NFT) interest and hype around the future of entertainment, fashion and sport.
Other collaborations quickly followed – such as fierce competitor Adidas’ partnership with Bored Ape Yacht Club – as early-mover brands rolled out early concepts and ideas of what the metaverse might look like in terms of fashion and sneaker culture.
This latest initiative sees RTFKT and Nike explore fresh ways of redefining collectible sneaker drops in the world of Web3 (a term for an, as yet, not fully realised iteration of the World Wide Web based on blockchain technology which incorporates concepts such as decentralization and token-based economics).
What’s next? Well, it seems likely that new delivery, wearability and ownership mechanisms and platforms will be introduced in the near future, merging digital fashion and gaming will become a trend and the most popular digital sneakers seem to certain to be released in physical in-real-life (IRL) form.
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