--- title: "Nike Buys NFT Company that Made the Elon Musk “Cybersneaker”" description: "A sneaker company known for photoshopping a \"cybershoe\" onto Elon Musk has been purchased by Nike because, apparently, nothing matters anymore." date: "2021-12-14" modified: "2021-12-14" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/nike-buys-nft-company-elon-musk-cybersneaker" categories: - "Blockchain" - "Elon Musk" - "Future Society" - "NFTs" - "The Industrialists" tags: - "blockchain" - "metaverse" - "nfts" - "virtual reality" --- # Nike Buys NFT Company that Made the Elon Musk “Cybersneaker” ![A sneaker company known for photoshopping a "cybershoe" onto Elon Musk has been purchased by Nike because, apparently, nothing matters anymore.]() *\Image: Nike\* A sneaker company known for photoshopping a "cybershoe" onto Elon Musk has been purchased by Nike — in yet another sign, arguably, that the relationship between the physical and digital worlds is changing forever. As [*The Verge* reports](), Nike has acquired the sneaker company RTFKT (which is supposedly pronounced like "artifact," though it's more fun to say "ratfucked") for an undisclosed sum, with the intent of... selling shoes in the freakin' Metaverse. Founded in early 2020, RTFKT makes "one of a kind sneakers and digital artifacts." Its business model is as blockchain-brained as possible — physical shoes and other items can only be bought after a customer purchases an NFT of said item and redeems it during "forging" events at which buyers can claim their purchases. The ultimate idea, as *The Verge* notes, is for buyers to be able to "wear" their purchases in the Metaverse — just as soon as the Metaverse is up and running for the public, and also equipped to read blockchains and load NFTs in users' accounts, at least. And, to be fair, none of that is a sure thing. In a [tweet announcing]() the acquisition, RTFKT co-founder Steven Vasilev — who goes by Zaptio online — said that he and his fellow cofounders Benoit Pagotto and Chris Le were "inspired by" Nike. One look at their logo, which resembles a more angular version of Nike's classic swoop design, and it's pretty easy to see the similarities. https://twitter.com/beijingdou/status/1470505377431228418 Though it's less than two years old, RTFKT made waves when an [edited photo]() of Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk wearing its "Cybersneaker" went viral. Musk wasn't *actually* wearing the uncomfortable-looking "metal" sneakers in that viral photo — though it does appear the company ended up [3D-printing him a pair]() later on — but that didn't seem to matter to RTFKT, [investors](), or the CEO himself, who reposted the edited photos of him and now-ex Grimes at the 2019 Met Gala in the virtual dunks on Reddit. RTFKT [minted the shoes as an NFT]() and the rest, as they say, is history. RTFKT has sought to suggest another Musk connection, as well. On its website, the company denied "rumours around a rogue AI (stolen from the SpaceX) used by RTFKT to create next generation designs," calling them "completely false" and saying there "has been absolutely no evidence or legal action to justify these rumours." With this Nike acquisition coming just a few weeks after [Adidas announced]() that it had "aped" into the [Bored Ape Yacht Club]() NFT community by purchasing one of the expensive computer-generated artworks with designs on Metaverse collaborations, it seems that real-life fashion brands are increasingly staking their claim on the high-end digital consumption potential the Metaverse provides. And the fact that the Metaverse only exists in bits and pieces at present doesn't seem to be slowing down their enthusiasm at all. **READ MORE:** [Nike just bought a virtual shoe company that makes NFTs and sneakers ‘for the metaverse’]() \[*The Verge*\] **More on the Metaverse:** [*Keanu Reeves Says He'd Be Cool With Fans Having Sex With Him in VR*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()