Nike’s .SWOOSH imprint began as an earnest attempt to participate in the conversation around the metaverse and blockchain, famously kicking off during the NFT craze which saw Nike acquiring the now-defunct company RTFKT, known for their CG-sneakers (no AI) that toed the line between the fantastical and the collectible. Famously, there were several collaborations with early NFT-adopter Takashi Murakami with digital tokens that could be redeemed for IRL sneakers.
.SWOOSH even released shoes and had drops that were originally tied to the blockchain, like the promising Our Force 1 release that heralded a combination of retros for the heads with new colorways from digital creators and beyond. But after the excitement around blockchain technology died down—and the logistical nightmare of tying physical product to digital scarcity started to become a bit more evident, the powers that be shifted gears and evolved the novelty line into something else entirely.