In November 2022 we wrote about Nike’s new Web3 platform .Swoosh that would be used to buy, sell, and trade virtual Nike pieces, like apparel and shoes for games and immersive experiences. At the time, the first collection was said to be dropped in January 2023, but it hasn’t been until mid-April that we heard some news. Well, it’s happening! As a tribute to its iconic Nike Air Force 1 (AF1) sneakers, Nike released a collection of virtual AF1 NFTs to .Swoosh community members on April 18.
Old sole, new story.
— .SWOOSH (@dotSWOOSH) April 17, 2023
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
Now with more than 330,000 members, the platform will offer the users two types of digital “boxes”: The Classic Remix box contains a custom AF1 with a nostalgic twist or a classic AF1 from the years 1982 to 2006. The New Wave Box features a classic archive from 2007 or later or a custom, futuristic AF1. The four winners of Swoosh's "Your Force 1" contest contributed to the AF1s that are dispersed over both boxes.
On April 18, Nike began airdropping AF1 posters — the unlock to buying an OF1 box — on Swoosh.Nike to randomly selected .Swoosh members; on May 8, this group will be given first access to the OF1 sale. General access opens on May 10 to the entire .Swoosh community to purchase an OF1 virtual creation.
All virtual sneaker boxes will cost $19.82, a nod to the year of the Air Force 1’s debut. Nike will not accept payments for the NFTs in cryptocurrency. Also, there is also no set limit on the number of Our Force 1 (OF1) NFTs available for minting.
Nike said that in the near future the OF1 boxes will unlock additional utilities and benefits for holders, including access to exclusive physical products and experiences.
It’s not the first NFT dive for the sneaker giant: at the end of 2021 they acquired RTFKT, the NFT sneaker studio, and in April 2022 they released the first NFT sneakers called CryptoKicks based on a Dunk Low sneaker. Even now these NFTs are relatively expensive on the secondary market.
This current launch seems to be about community involvement, not revenue. So, Nike just did it. Again. Would you like to get an OF1 box for yourself? Share in the comments, and we continue to observe.
