Multinational footwear giant Nike has just taken a big step into the metaverse.
On Friday, collectibles and fashion startup RTFKT announced on Twitter that the company had been acquired by Nike. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
RTFKT is now a part of the NIKE, Inc. family. 🌐👁🗨 pic.twitter.com/5egNk9d8wA
— RTFKT Studios (@RTFKTstudios) December 13, 2021
The acquisition seems to be perfect. One of RTFKT’s flagship products is a hybrid NFT / physical shoe collectible, inspired by the legendary CryptoPunks NFT collection, and the project gained attention in March when a digital shoe collaboration with prolific token artist FEWOCiOUS sold $ 3.1 million in metaverse kicks.
Nike, meanwhile, studied blockchain technology back in 2019, went as far as patenting tokenized shoes.
“This acquisition is another step that is accelerating Nike’s digital transformation and enabling us to serve athletes and creators at the intersection of sports, creativity, games and culture,” Nike President John Donahue wrote in a blog post. “We are putting together a very talented team of creators with an authentic and interconnected brand. We plan to invest in the RTFKT brand, serve and develop their innovative and creative community, and expand Nike’s digital presence and capabilities. ”
Gm. New kicks with my zombie on them, from @RTFKTstudios 👀🥰 pic.twitter.com/S96Wceewrk
— KΞVIN R◎SE (@kevinrose) December 13, 2021
Metaverse fashion is also a fast growing sector. NFT’s rival streetwear project, Cryptokickers, signed the first-ever digital shoe deal with former National Basketball Association star Wilson Chandler in April.
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