[Update 27 Oct 2023] A wave of new images have surfaced of the “RTFKT x Nike Air Force 1 Low ‘What The RTFK'”, courtesy of Sole Retriever and @le.syndrome. It’s a colorway that succeeds the 10 prior Air Force 1 iterations between RTFKT and Nike.

Unfortunately, a wider release will not occur but enjoy a look at them at the gallery above! There’s a lot going on with its design but nothing less is to be expected form this special tripartite collaboration.

[Update 14 Aug 2023] More images of the Takashi Murakami x RTFKT x Nike Air Force 1 Low and apparel collection have emerged. Take a look at the customized design done by @melovemealot alongside detailed shots of the t-shirt and hoodie on the top slider above.

[Update 28 Apr 2023] To celebrate the launch of the RTFKT x Takashi Murakami x Nike Air Force 1 Collection and Forging Event, the trio created a special 3D digital billboard right outside Shinjuku Station’s East Exit. For those who are in Tokyo, you can check it out for yourself until 30 April.

For those looking to cop, check out the details of the Forging Event, and you can buy the corresponding NFT from  RTFKT Clone X Forging SZN 1 NFT collection here.

[Update 11 Apr 2023] Takashi Murakami, RTFKT Studios, and Nike are about to turn digital into physical. After releasing the NFTs back in August last year, the trio has finally set the plans in motion to turn them into actual physical Nike shoes.

Dubbed the “Forging Event”, holders of eligible RTFKT digital collectibles can be redeemed, or forged, into physical products. From 24 April to 8 May, people who have bought and are still holding onto the Murakami “Drip” and “DNA” NFTs can exchange their digital copies for a physical pair of the Nike Air Force 1 Lows.

As at current time, the “DNA”, which is limited to just 167 editions on OpenSea, goes for 4.98ETH (~US$9,553), while the “Drip” pair, which has a higher count of 4,182 copies, is going for around 0.529ETH (~US$1,014).

You can take a better look at both Takashi Murakami x RTFKT x Nike Air Force 1 Low “DNA” and “Drip” via the top slider above. Subsequently, you can find out more information about RTFKT’s Forge mechanic via their website.

By this point, Nike’s acquisition of NFT design studio RTFKT and subsequent release of their highly-valued CryptoKicks NFT sneakers is a well-known event in modern sneaker history. The market leader’s bold move into the metaverse, a segment perceived to be the future of sneakers by many, made waves in the industry. Not only did it create a whole new range of products for the brand’s fans to pour over, it signified the beginning of a shift into the digital world for sneakers as a whole.

If you didn’t understand anything from the above paragraph, you might want to read up about the sneaker NFTs first. We recommend you a quick read through our Meta-Sneakers feature: Part 1 – Are Sneaker NFTs really the way forward? and Part 2 – A Guide for the Uninitiated before coming back here.

Now, CryptoKicks can move to the side, because RTFKT and Nike are releasing their most extensive NFT sneaker and apparel collection yet. Dubbed “CloneX”, this ‘phygital’ (physical and digital) collection features 10 types of “DNA”: Alien, Angle, CloneX, Demon, Human, Reptile, Robot, Undead, and finally the two strands we’ll be focusing on, Murakami and Murakami Drip. Check out a compilation of all the collections in the slider.

The latter two parts of the collection are especially significant, given how they mark contemporary Japanese artist Takashi Murakami’s very first official collection with Nike. By the looks of it, both feature his iconic vibrant and bubbly artistic style, however the two collections are likely to end up at completely different resale price points. Why? “Murakami Drip” will contain up to 6,000 units of 6 items, while “Murakami” will contain only 196 units of 8 items. The extremely limited supply of “Murakami” DNA items suggests that there’s something special about this collection besides just the art, but we don’t know exactly what yet. Regardless, the more limited supply of “Murakami” items is guaranteed to drive the price up.

Apparel-wise, “Murakami Drip” contains a short and long sleeve t-shirt, hoodie, socks and cap. Meanwhile, “Murakami” comprises a short and long sleeve t-shirt, cargo pants, work jacket, hoodie and cap. Each DNA comes with a design motif that recurs across the entire strand. “Murakami Drip” features a scattered number of colourful smiley faces that look like a cross between flowers, emojis and balloon art, while “Murakami” uses a series of extraterrestrial eyes and curvy, gooey shapes in slightly more muted colours. All CloneX apparel can be worn on virtual avatars and makes up the digital bulk of the massive ‘phygital’ collection.

You may then ask, what makes up the physical part of the ‘phygital’ collection? That’s where Murakami’s highly-anticipated Air Force 1 designs come into play. Along with various pieces of apparel, each DNA strand features a unique Air Force 1 colourway. If you’re one of the lucky participants who succeeded in minting a “Murakami” Air Force 1 NFT, you then have the opportunity to carry out one of two actions: if your intention is to resell, you’ll then be able to ‘forge’ your NFT (convert it into a resell-able format) and resell it to the next enthusiastic buyer on a NFT marketplace. On the other hand, if you bought your “Murakami” Air Force 1 to wear or collect it in person, you can ‘claim’ a physical pair by giving up the resale function of your NFT (‘burning’ it, in crypto terminology). You’ll then become one of the very few people worldwide to behold a physical Takashi Murakami-designed Nike sneaker.

The two sneakers in question utilise the same motifs as their respective DNA strands. “Murakami Drip” Air Force 1s, aside from the flower-balloon-emoji faces, feature a reflective silver Swoosh that manages to stand out on an already crowded upper. The Swoosh on the rarer “Murakami” pair, on the other hand, melds into the alien-like pattern using a translucent blue material, unifying itself with the pink and purple swirls lying beneath it.

Minting of the CloneX NFT collection begins on 31 Aug 2022, with the second ‘Forging’ phase following shortly after. The option to claim physical sneakers will also be made available in the near future. Both the RTFKT x Nike Murakami Drip DNA Air Force 1, as well as Murakami DNA Air Force 1, are going for a price floor of 0.38 ETH, which converts to just above US$600 as of the time of writing. If you’re feeling lucky, try your hand at the NFT mint – you might just get your hands on one of the modern sneaker world’s rarest shoes!

(Photos via RTFKT and @hypemoon)