The Kicks You Wear, Vol. 355 — Maybe NFTs really are cooked 🤷♂️
RTFKT and Nike did the community dirty with this one
Goooood morning, family! Welcome to the Kicks You Wear. Thank you so much for rocking with me today. I appreciate you for giving me a bit of time today.
Want to take a quick second to wish my wife, Jasmine, a happy birthday today! Love you, boo!!! Hope I haven’t gotten on your nerves too much today already. Lol.
Let’s jump in.
Going mainstream
RTFKT announced last week that 1,000 pairs of its Nike Dunk Genisis will be dropping on the SNKRS app soon. I was pretty shocked to see this.
The backdrop: RTFKT is the NFT studio Nike purchased in December 2021 for an undisclosed amount (some have speculated it was north of $1 billion).
Since then, the studio has done several NFT projects with Nike. Its biggest drop yet is arguably the Nike Dunk Genisis release that started as an NFT drop but was eventually able to be redeemed for a physical pair of sneakers.
Dunk Genisis NFTs were minted back in 2022. In October 2023, RTFKT allowed holders of the Dunk Genisis NFT to “forge” a physical version of the sneaker with their NFT.
Holders could buy up to five pairs of the Dunk Genesis — one “OG” colorway and two pairs each of the “Void” and “Clone X” colorways.
A limited number of pairs were made to order and will be shipped out in June 2024.
Fast forward: Now, apparently, non-holders get to jump in on the fun, too.
On June 13, 1,000 pairs of the “Void” colorway will be available on Nike’s SNKRS app.
Each pair will retail for $222.
Why it matters: This is not typically something we’d see with an NFT drop. The fact, alone, that there’s a physical item redeemable from this process is already a bit strange. But when you add that non-holders of the NFT will get a chance at this, too, it causes me to furrow my brow.
My question: Isn’t this a slap in the face to the NFT holders out there?
They were led to believe that they needed to purchase the NFT and then purchase pairs of these shoes that would be exclusive to their community.
Now, some of those same shoes are being made available to 1,000 lucky people who skipped out on that entire process and will still be able to get a pair while spending less money.
The other side: I understand that only 1,000 pairs are being made available. It’s a relatively small quantity compared to the number of folks who will actually try for these on the SNKRS app. Plus, everyone with these isn’t an NFT holder.
But still: I know if I spent that money, personally, I’d be pretty upset seeing these joints made available to the public in this way. Even if it is such a limited number. This wasn’t the process those folks were sold on.
The big picture: This all makes me question the state of things with Nike and RTFKT. It’s no secret that NFTs aren’t popping like they once were. We don’t need to litigate that here.
But this move feels like Nike and RTFKT would only do to make ends meet and justify the expensive acquisition. Is that where things truly are? I have no idea. This is only speculation. But moving forward, I’ll definitely be keeping a closer eye on the relationship there and how things work moving forward.
Innovation Corner: Reebox’s DMX
Let’s get into Reebok a little bit! I know you’re probably expecting the Pump route here, but lately, I’ve been thinking about the brand’s DMX tech.
If you were like me growing up, you thought that Reebok’s DMX was some collaboration between the rapper DMX and Allen Iverson. Obviously, it was much more complex (and way less cool because nothing is as cool as AI and DMX 😂).
What DMX actually is: DMX (which stands for Dynamic Motion Control) was Reebok’s proprietary cushioning system in the late 1990s and early 2000s, which was supposed to compete with Nike’s Air — you’ll find that a common thread in sneakers during that period.
Reebok used a system of 10 pods that shifted air from the heel to the forefoot of a shoe depending on the wearer's step position.
The air transferred from pod to pod as it was compressed by the foot.
How it works: This trippy commercial gives you a pretty good idea of how the cushioning system functions. The air sways back and forth through the pods as you take each step.
Where you saw it: This was featured prominently in the Reebok DMX Run line, but if you’re like me? You were probably introduced to this via Allen Iverson’s Answer DMX signature shoes.
They weren’t the most comfortable basketball shoes for me back in the day. But they certainly did look cool.
These days: DMX has drastically changed. Reebok doesn’t use pods anymore — it has a DMX foam technology that provides the same function.
There are two layers of foam: a softer one closer to the foot for cushioning and a much more sturdy and stable one closer to the ground.
These days, Reebok almost always uses foam. Even variations of retro DMX shoes use more foam than usual.
That’s probably the best move — the pods just weren’t the most comfortable on my foot. They sure did look cool, though! And that scored a lot of cool points for me and my peers back in our day.
I could wear them all day when I was, say, 12 years old. Twenty years later? Nah. Give me and hour and I’ll be ready to hop back into some slides.
Ant-Man is the man
I don’t know how often I can come on here and tell y’all about how Adidas has been knocking it out of the park with Anthony Edwards’ signature sneaker. Specifically, on the marketing side.
The Adidas marketing team flipped an absolutely brutal L for the Timberwolves into a big win for Edwards and the AE 1.
The timeline:
On Thursday, Edwards and the Wolves were eliminated from the playoffs by the Mavericks in a game where they trailed by 30 points at one point. Not great, Bob.
On Friday, Adidas basketball dropped this:
What you’re watching: Adidas dropped this commercial following the loss with the caption: “This is only the beginning.” In it, Anthony Edwards was responding to what he called receipts: Basically, mean tweets and takes from talking heads on the internet.
That included Carmelo Anthony questioning Edwards being the “face of the league” and Cam’ron saying he’s not a superstar yet, to which Edwards responded “F*** buddy.” I haven’t stopped thinking about that moment since.
This is how you use failure to catapult your athlete even further. It’s an incredible spot. It’s perfectly Anthony Edwards. This creativity is great.
The big picture: The AE 1 is winning the internet. This is the most fun we’ve seen a brand have with a basketball shoe in at least a decade.
Adidas still needs this to translate into its overall sales numbers. With the demand for these out there, that’s coming. It’s only a matter of time. This is the brand’s new bell cow. We’ll see how far the AE line can take it.
Jordan Brand wins the NBA Finals
The Boston Celtics and the Dallas Mavericks will play in the NBA Finals this week. Only one of those teams will emerge as champions. But Jordan Brand has already won the whole shebang.
Arguably the brand’s two biggest signature athletes are clashing in this one.
Luka Doncic is on one end with the Dallas Mavericks, showcasing the Luka 3.
Jayson Tatum is on the other side with his JT 2.
The timing: It couldn’t be a better time to show both off. The Luka 3 debuted ahead of the playoffs and could use a bump. Tatum’s next signature shoe is also on the way — the JT 3 will be here by the start of next season. The Finals is a great chance to get people more familiar with the signature line (and it’s a pretty good one!).
What’s funny is I don’t think either one of them actually has the best signature sneaker on the court.
Kyrie Irving’s Kai 1 with Anta is also seeing the NBA Finals in its debut year, which has to be considered a huge come-up for Anta. It’s a more creative shoe than either Jordan Brand model.
Irving will also be in the spotlight with the history between him and the city of Boston.
All the action starts on June 6. It’ll be a pretty solid sneaker showcase. Can’t wait to tap in.
What’s droppin’, bruh?
Di’Orr Greenwood x Nike SB Dunk High — Tuesday, June 4
Carhartt WIP x Converse Chuck Taylor — Thursday, June 6
Nike Zoom Kobe 4 Protro “Girl Dad” — Friday, June 7
New Balance 990v4 “Hi-Lite” — Friday, June 7
Air Jordan 6 “Reverse Oreo” — Saturday, June 8
Thanks so much for rocking with me, folks! Appreciate you for reading today. Have a fantastic week.
Peace and love. Be easy, be safe, be kind. We out.
-Sykes 💯