‘Just Do It?’ They did it.
The collaboration
Sports label Nike and luxury jewelry brand Tiffany & Co. have revealed a pair of sneakers, along with silver shoe accessories, as part of their collaboration.
Not only does this mark the first collaboration between the two brands, but this collaborative effort also marks Tiffany & Co.’s entrance into the realm of footwear.
Although this marks Nike’s first co-authoring with Tiffany and Co., the footwear giant has strategically expanded its consumer base over the years by collaborating with numerous luxurious labels, namely Louis Vuitton, Jacquemus, Comme des Garçons, and Supreme, among others.
In recent years, the opulent jewelry label has actively worked towards attracting a younger demographic. An example of this attempt dates back to 2021 when the brand launched a marketing campaign where the slogan ‘Not Your Mother’s Tiffany’ was spotlighted.
According to Insider, this partnership comes as the 186-year-old American jeweler “works to shake off its old-fashioned image and attract younger customers.”
As of today (1 February 2023), Nike has a market capitalization of USD 197.34 billion, and Tiffany & Co. has a market capitalization of USD 16.04 billion.
Over the weekend, the two brands took to social media to make an official announcement regarding the collaboration. Among other posts on Twitter and Facebook, the two retailers posted a single image on Instagram with the caption reading ‘@nike x @tiffanyandco, a legendary pair. Coming soon…?’
The sneakers and the accessories
The unisex sneakers, which are at the core of the partnership, are a pair of Nike Air Force 1 Low sneakers that feature an all-black color scheme and are predominantly constructed of suede. The all-black is contrasted with Nike’s signature swoosh logo which is in robin egg blue – or as the world has come to call it, ‘Tiffany Blue.’
Entitled ‘1837,’ the name of the co-authored sneakers pay homage to the year global design house Tiffany & Co. was founded.
The collaborative line, inclusive of sneakers and accessories, is set to release this spring, specifically on 7 March 2022. The sneakers will be priced at USD 400 and the accessories will range from USD 250 to USD 475.
The typical Nike Air Force 1s costs approximately USD 100.
The reactions
British GQ described this co-authored product as ‘one of the year’s biggest sneakers’ whereas Insider claims that ‘sneakerheads aren’t impressed.’
A lot of social media reactions to the sneakers favor the latter claim. The official Instagram post posted by the two brands are filled with comments reading: ‘box better than shoes’ and ‘these are so ugly.’ Twitter users are equally as disappointed, with one user stating that ‘The Nike x Tiffany collab is just lazy.’
Ranun Khanijou, a 23-year-old sneaker collector, does not plan on buying the ‘1837’ sneakers as ‘it doesn’t have much of the iconic Tiffany branding.’
‘The collaboration is not enticing and is merely an attempt to replicate the collaborations with other top fashion houses such as Dior and Louis Vuitton. I believe that it’s just for the hype,’ he adds.
Ranun Khanijou owns 30 pairs of sneakers in his collection, 22 of which are Nike.
He believes that this partnership will not increase the brand value of the sports label because ‘lately, the collaborations have been oversaturated’ and that in the secondary market, ‘the value of Nike sneakers have been depreciating in the past year.’
