Nike Trademark Hints at Metaverse Sneakers

More than one major company is going meta: Nike appears to be gearing up to offer its branded sneakers and apparel in virtual environments.

The company filed a trademark application for its signature swoosh logo and “Just Do It” slogan in “downloadable virtual goods, namely, computer programs featuring footwear, clothing, headwear, eyewear, bags … for use online and in online virtual worlds.”

The trademark seems to lay the groundwork for Nike-branded apparel in the metaverse and other digital environments.

While the metaverse is receiving extra attention due to Facebook’s rebrand to Meta and focus on virtual technology, Nike has been exploring digital goods for at least two years.

• In May 2019, Nike’s Jordan Brand partnered with “Fortnite” to produce character skins wearing Nike sneakers.
• Nike filed a patent for “CryptoKicks” in December 2019, which would link physical shoes with an NFT to verify ownership. The patent also included technology to combine two sneaker designs into a new one.

The company’s real-world goods have been affected by supply chain issues. Nike could lose up to 160 million pairs of shoes due to factory closures in Vietnam, which supplies around half of its shoes.

The company saw revenue rise 12% year-over-year to $12.2 billion in the fiscal quarter ending Aug. 31.