Nike and RTFKT Made Just 40 Pairs of This Air Force 1 ‘What The’ Sneaker
Earlier this year, Nike and RTFKT created 10 pairs of Air Force 1 Lows as NFTs that could be redeemed for their physical counterparts. Now, the two metaverse partners have announced a special reward for the people who redeemed all 10 colorways from the collection.
RTFKT announced on its Instagram page Monday that just 40 people were gifted a special “What The” edition of the Air Force 1 Low. Across mismatched sneakers, the pair makes use of details from all 10 of the AF1s that were made available in April — including two designed by Takashi Murakami — for a chaotic mix of color and prints.
Nike has used the “What The” nickname for a series of mash-up sneakers dating back to 2007, when its skateboarding division began the trend with the SB Dunk Low. That shoe is now one of the more valuable on the resale market, with several sales on StockX commanding $10,000 or more this year and reaching as high as $20,000 in 2021.
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RTFKT made its name with digital sneakers during the early boon of NFTs in 2020 and was acquired by Nike at the tail end of 2021. This month has also seen RTFKT and its parent company release three versions of their Dunk Genesis sneakers exclusively for holders of the corresponding NFT that was put up for minting in April 2022.
NFTs have recently, and in many cases gleefully, been declared dead — but by tying digital tokens to limited-edition sneakers, Nike and RTFKT could be among the few proprietors to see through a path forward. That will only work, however, as long as people want the sneakers that accompany the NFTs.
About the Author:
Ian Servantes is a Senior Trending News Editor for Footwear News specializing in sneaker coverage. He’s previously reported on streetwear and sneakers at Input and Highsnobiety after beginning his career on the pop culture beat. He subscribes to the idea that “ball is life” and doesn’t fuss over his kicks getting dirty.
