(Note: I wrote this post-announcement of Nike acquiring RTFKT studios: )
I saw this post the other day on @franalations story and I screenshot (screenshat?) it because I knew it was a bad take - there was simply NO WAY that Nike was just sitting back doing nothing…
Thing is - Nike looked like they were doing nothing while Adidas was busy teaming up with BAYC and Punks Comics. But I knew there was no way Nike would just be sitting around doing nothing. I even said as much on the Sneaker Peek Pod a few days prior to this major announcement (yes I called this!)
So the acquisition.
Truth be told…I’m taking it personally. I feel pretty frustrated. And…I dunno…but I think these next few paragraphs are going to come off as bitter. And it’s me just being pathetic because I know that while I’m sitting here making up a competition that only existed in my mind, I still feel like I failed. My goal to beat RTFKT to a BAYC sneaker has turned out to be a goal that only existed in my head.
I don’t know if I really have a *right* to feel frustrated, but that doesn’t change the fact. I’m frustrated as hell that I’ve been waiting on our BAYC sneaker sample (from @garrixonstudios) for the past 4 months and it appears there is still no light at the end of the tunnel. Conversation after conversation has yielded a whole bunch of design changes, yet not even a single photo of production. I even lost a pretty damn good friend over a disagreement on the project. And put myself out there to more people that I’d care to admit. I met with a handful of VC’s about the project and pitted myself and @1tostock against RTFKT as our main competitor. I made promises that I haven’t yet been able to keep. I’ve sat down to write lines of code time and time again and nothing has been able to materialize.
I genuinely thought we were going to beat RTFKT to market with a BAYC sneaker and we’ve just been floundering. And to make matters worse - to find out that RTFKT wasn’t even working towards the same goal hurts! They parlayed their project into a dream partnership. And we’re still here twiddling our thumbs wondering if anything is ever going to materialize. My mind has been there and back. But my body just can’t seem to make it happen.
But RTFKT… maybe I’m just giving them a bum rap. I’m not a gamer, but I’ve always looked at RTFKT as more on the gaming side than I did on the streetwear side. Gaming or streetwear - it doesn’t even matter because it appears they’ve built up so much momentum that they’re pulling in both sides. And they certainly deserve it. They have so many successful launches out there, for me to think that I could compete with what they were doing is almost laughable. From Fortnite to Punks to Jeff Staple and Fewocious and Murakami…they’ve been able to execute time and time again.
And…truth be told…I never understood most of their stuff. I mean, I understood it, but I never understood the allure of what they produced. AF1 inspired shoes - one after another. Not my style. But maybe that’s what the market needed. An easily digestible product. It just left a lot to be desired IMO. I’ve never felt any kind of connection with their brand, nor any of their products…I always thought their sneaker designs were corny and I couldn’t picture myself coppin anything they’ve released. And maybe that’s me just being a jealous hater (I SHOULD HAVE BEEN THERE!!!). But they’ve OBVIOUSLY killed it and executed on the side that mattered. And for that, it looks like they’d be able to execute with Nike better than anyone else in the space. They are LIGHT YEARS ahead of even second place.
Anyway…now that I got that out of my system…you better believe this NFT stuff is only getting started. For those of y’all who still don’t understand it - EVERY major company with any online presence is working on their version of NFTs behind the scenes (because it’s a superior way to track, disperse and interact with data).
Nothing is over, it’s only just beginning. NFTs and the metaverse are going to take over the internet in SO many more ways than just fancy sneakers and neato MP4’s and ridiculous JPEG profile pics and digital ‘art’ and games on the blockchain. And, although I feel semi-deflated, the opportunities are limitless.
And say what you will - but a company that started in January of 2020 (of 3 people!) being acquired by a behemoth like Nike less than 2 years later is an incredible step…if y’all think this is ‘just JPEGs’ you need to take a step back and read a book or something. The future is here.
As a trained computer scientist, I _understand_ the innovation and potential innovation available with blockchain technology. It is intriguing stuff (and it has an amazing cost, which, like any good technology, can be hidden - like magic - from the user). My recent cynical comments "this ain't it" about NFTs and virtual sneakers and cryptocurrency wasn't about the technology. It was about these "toy" applications of the technology. I'm keeping an eye on it, but I can't afford giving it major mindshare and brainspace right now -- which is the biggest part of the cost of investing my dollars in something like Bitcoin and JPG-attached NFT. I'm a creative, but my employer is compensating me well enough for my art -- and my brainspace. Staying in my lane for now!