LeBron James wears rare NFT-driven Nike sneakers, attends NBA match
On May 3, basketball sensation LeBron James was recently spotted wearing a pair of limited-edition RTFKT x Nike Air Force 1 Genesis sneakers before the Los Angeles Lakers’ triumph in Game 1 against the Golden State Warriors during the NBA Western Conference Semifinals.
These one-of-a-kind sneakers can only be acquired by purchasing an Ethereum non-fungible token (NFT) crafted by Nike-owned subsidiary, RTFKT.
The image, which also includes Lakers’ athlete Anthony Davis, quickly caught the attention of RTFKT NFT admirers and was subsequently shared by the brand on various social media platforms.
In addition, RTFKT co-founder Steven “Zaptio” Vasilev and COO Nikhil Gopalani gifted James a custom Clone X NFT avatar, further cementing his association with the label.
The rare RTFKT x Nike Air Force 1 Genesis sneakers, limited to 1,776 pairs, are exclusively obtainable by buying an NFT. Each token can be traded for physical actual shoe.
Genesis NFTs are listed on the secondary market starting at 0.42 ETH (approximately $790) on OpenSea, with the redemption deadline set for May 8.
Other RTFKT x Nike Air Force 1 NFT-inspired designs are accessible in different quantities and at a range of secondary market prices.
The scarcest style, dubbed “Alien,” exhibits a neon interpretation of the Lakers’ iconic yellow and purple colors and is limited to just 60 pairs, starting from 5 ethereum (ETH), or around $9,245 at spot rates.
The Clone X project, a collaborative effort between RTFKT and Japanese visionary Takashi Murakami, is an Ethereum NFT profile picture (PFP) initiative that has garnered significant attention since its launch in 2021.
So far, it has generated close to $835m in trading volume.
In addition to its RTFKT branch, Nike has made its mark on the digital footwear and apparel scene with its dedicated platform, SWOOSH, built on Ethereum’s scaling network, Polygon.
The company recently announced that “SWOOSH” boasts over 330,000 users and will start minting “Our Force 1” NFT-integrated sneakers from May 8.
