Would you buy the Nike CryptoKicks NFT sneakers for $130,000?
Who would’ve ever thought CryptoKicks NFT sneakers would be worth this much? Back in December 2021, Nike purchased virtual sneaker creator RTFKT (pronounced “artifact”). Now, over $11 million has already been spent on the company’s first virtual shoe collection.
Earlier this year, RTFKT released a mystery NFT called “MNLTH,” a metallic cube designed with the RTFKT logo and Nike’s trademark Swoosh. Owners of the NFT have been completing RTFKT’s quests in order to learn more about the contents within those cubes. Three months have passed and it was discovered that each cube holds a pair of virtual sneakers called Nike Cryptokicks that’s based on the iconic Nike Dunk and configurable with “skin vials” that alter the look of the shoes by adding animated patterns and effects.
These Nike CryptoKicks NFT sneakers are part of Nike’s Dunk Genesis Cryptokicks line, which includes 20,000 NFTs. Some of these kicks have an average price of $6,000-$10,000. Skin vials that are less frequent are selling for roughly $40,000. One specific Nike CryptoKicks designed by Takashi Murakami sold for $130,000. Somebody put that in the Guiness Book of Metaverse Records.
CryptoKicks is supposed to be the first of many digital releases from Nike and RTFKT, with reports swirling that more might be released as soon as next month. Although these sneakers aren’t wearable in real life or in digital space (yet), a Snapchat AR filter can be utilized to check out how they would look worn. Even RTFKT have notified bidders on its OpenSea website not to bid on “equipped shoes” and instead focus on acquiring skin vials and the base sneaker since the “blockchain is not fast enough with processing changes” at the time of purchase.
Nike isn’t new to the metaverse. The American footwear and apparel company teamed with Roblox to develop Nikeland, a digital playground within Roblox where players can mingle, play games, and customize their avatars in Swoosh gear. It’s safe to assume that it’s only a matter of time till these CryptoKicks NFT sneakers can be worn digitally.
