The world of NFTs may be slowing down but there are some places where so-called digital collectibles are still alive and kicking. Emphasis on the ‘kick’ bit of this. Nike’s .SWOOSH platform, announced late last year, is gearing up to perform its very first drop.
Dubbed Our Force 1 or OF1, the first set of digital sneakers from the dedicated digital accessories platform are based on the brand’s Air Force 1 sneakers, which were first released in 1982. These collectibles will become available in two sales — the First Access sale and then a wider general sale. You know, kind of like how limited edition sneakers are sold.
SWOOSH – nothing but net?
Old sole, new story.
The #OurForce1 collection features digital renditions of AF1s past, present and future built for the next generation.
Nike’s first-ever virtual collection is inspired by the AF1 Low, a classic style remixed hundreds of times since it dropped in ‘82. pic.twitter.com/dlq65VNeAb
— .SWOOSH (@dotSWOOSH) April 17, 2023
The tricky bit will be getting into the First Access sale, if you’re a super-dedicated sneakerhead. There’s first the South African problem — .SWOOSH isn’t actually available here. If you’re handy with a VPN, you can probably circumvent that. And then there’s access itself. Members of Nike’s digital community will only get access to the sale if they’re randomly dropped a digital OF1 poster, which acts as sort of a golden ticket for the first sale. There are 106,453 of them so the odds aren’t terrible, at least.
There’s an element of gambling involved in purchasing these digital sneakers, however. They’ll arrive in loot boxes (of a sort) — either “Classic Remix” or “New Wave”, with the contents randomised and invisible until you open the freaking thing. Either will go for about R360, which is pretty affordable as far as branded NFTs go. The price doesn’t mean much until you check it out in American dollars — the $19.82 price point is a nod to the Air Force 1’s original launch.
Of all the implementations for NFTs, this is perhaps one of the more sensible. No mad price points, a dedicated community, and .SWOOSH doesn’t look to be trying to capitalise on the initial massive interest that drove the recent bubble. Whether Nike’s initiative has the legs to continue in the face of waning general interest remains to be seen, but at least the brand is putting some effort into its push.