Nike is looking to expand its Web3 presence. The apparel and shoe giant is launching a new Web3 platform called ‘.Swoosh’ that will allow people to buy, sell, and trade NFTs based on shoes and apparel.
The project is under Nike Virtual Studios, led by VP Ron Faris, the former head of Nike’s Snkrs app. According to Faris, Dot Swoosh will be the home of Nike’s virtual creations and will be launched this Friday.
.Swoosh is powered by Polygon Network. “Polygon ecosystem continues to grow at exhilarating pace be it Defi, Gaming, NFTs, Brands, Big Tech adoption or anything else” Polygon co-founder Sandeep Nailwal Tweeted.
As i said yesterday that from today we go back to our savage best. Wait for a week filled of amazing news from Polygon Ecosystem
— Sandeep | Polygon 💜🔝3️⃣ (@sandeepnailwal) November 14, 2022
Today @Nike launches its https://t.co/fhER8jY1Jk platform powered by @0xPolygon
Polygon ecosystem continues to grow at exhilarating pace be it ..1/2
Nike will use the platform as a hub to launch virtual apparel for avatars, such as t-shirts and sneakers that can be used in Web3 games. It will also use Web3 technology to enable users to gain access to real-world benefits such as exclusive physical apparel and chats with pro athletes.
We don’t see that virtual product as the end of the purchase journey; it is the beginning of the journey,
Faris says.
The.Swoosh platform is currently in beta. Sign-ups begin on November 18th, and an access code is required to gain access. Nike does not begin official “programming” until December, with the first community-shaped virtual collection set to launch in early 2023.
Nike intends to allow people to use its digital collectibles as wearables in digital games and ‘other immersive experiences.’
Faris adds that Nike is “shaping a marketplace of the future with an accessible platform for the Web3-curious. In this new space, the .Swoosh community and Nike can create, share, and benefit together,”
Nike Virtual Studios will hold events in six cities in the coming months, including Atlanta, Los Angeles, Charlotte, Tallahassee, Louisville, and New York, to distribute access codes, introduce the product category to consumers, and, most importantly, onboard the community.
Nike has garnered $185.3 million in NFT sales since acquiring virtual design studio RTFKT in December to accelerate its metaverse and NFT push.
