The giant shoe brand Nike announced the acquisition of studio RTFKT, a virtual sneaker startup. The decision signals that the virtual fashion world will heat up in 2022.

Founded in 2019, RTFKT has become increasingly popular among sneaker and Web3 fans, especially when NFT has been booming since the beginning of this year.

In February, the startup released several designs of virtual sneakers, in collaboration with artist Fewocious. The collection generated more than $3 million through the sale of more than 600 pairs of shoes that couldn’t even be worn in the physical world.

Then in March, RTFKT partnered with Atari with the launch of a limited-edition Atari-themed virtual sneaker. Last month, RTFKT partnered with artist Takashi Murakami to auction off the NFT to sell 20,000 3D avatars that are part of the CloneX collection.

Unfortunately, Nike did not reveal the details of the acquisition. “(The acquisition) accelerates Nike’s digital transformation and enables us to serve athletes and creators at the intersection of sport, creativity, gaming and culture,” said Nike CEO John Donahoe as quoted by Forbes, Tuesday (14/12).

“Our plan is to invest in the RTFKT brand, serve and grow their innovative and creative community, and expand Nike’s digital footprint and capabilities,” continued Donahoe.

Nike and rival Adidas have invested in Web3 in recent months. In September, Nike built a Nikeland experience and virtual showroom inside the popular game Roblox.