clothing company Nike has announced the launch of .Whistle, a blockchain-enabled platform and community ecosystem for web3 curious Nike consumers. Beta membership begins this month, with plans to release the first digital collectibles in 2023 with input from .Swoosh members.

The .Swoosh platform will allow members to learn, collect, and co-create virtual clothing and related items that can be worn in the metaverse. Members of the .Swoosh community will also have the opportunity to participate in exclusive physical products and events featuring world-renowned athletes and designers.

Long before the NFT hype, Nike released Nike-ID, which allowed customers to customize their own Nike merchandise. Nike’s.Swoosh is part of its strategy to leverage its personalization point of sale for the blockchain and NFT movement in apparel.

This strategy is made possible by Nike’s recent acquisition of RTFKT studies, a startup using NFT, blockchain authentication, and augmented reality to create one-of-a-kind digital sneakers and other collectibles. Although .Swoosh is a separate project from RTFKT, it uses similar tools and technologies.

RTFKT grew in prominence for the release NFT for sneakers which sold for over $3 million shortly after Christie’s record Beeple NFT reduction. Earlier this year, the duo revealed Nike cryptokicksa collection of customizable NFT sneakers, RTFKT’s first major sneaker release since Nike acquired it’s.

“This approach reaches consumers wherever they play and buy sports and offers a gateway to a new digital landscape,” said Ron Faris, general manager of Nike Virtual Studios. “We are shaping a market of the future with a platform accessible to the curious web3. In this new space, the .Swoosh community and Nike can create, share and benefit together.”

sports apparel company Adidas vies with Nike for first mover advantage in the web3 domain. Last year, Adidas embraced NFTs by partnering with Bored Ape, The Sandbox and Coinbase through the Bored Ape Yacht Club brand #8774 (Indigo Herz). This year, Adidas expanded its NFT projects by collaborating with Prada on the “resource adidas for prada” Campaign. In addition, Adidas blockchain solution adopted TrusTrace for the sustainable sourcing of materials in your supply chain.