Division Street, Tinker Hatfield drops Air Huaraches to celebrate Flying Formations NFT
Division Street continues to use the resources to its advantage.
The Oregon-focused NIL collective has teamed up with the famous Nike shoe designer Tinker Hatfield to release the player edition Air Huaraches to celebrate the one year anniversary of the Flying Formations NFT launch.
Flying Formations was the first NFT issued by Ducks of a Feather, Division Street’s non-fungible token entity last February. Created in collaboration with Oregon’s football team, the 120 digital artworks were also produced and serialized by Hatfield with the Duck logo used as inspiration.
The digital collectibles were accompanied by a special edition Nike Air Max 1, which featured a representation of the NFT on the tongue of the shoe. According to NFT Stats, 94 collectibles have been sold.
Only 345 pairs of the player edition Air Huaraches were made, and each pair is individually numbered on the inside of the tongue. The design features neon green leather overlays surrounding the Huarache’s recognizable neoprene shoe. Of the 345 sneakers, 245 have gone to Oregon athletes. Three have been set aside for giveaways while 97 were made available for purchase for the Flying Formation Discord community.
“It’s hard to believe that a year has already passed since the Flying Formation NFT launch,” Division St. CEO Rosemary St Clair said in a release. “The Flying Formation NFT along with the NIKE AirMax 1 designed by Tinker set the bar for what only Division Street can offer.”
Division Street creates multiple revenue streams
Together with a group of alumni, Nike co-founder Phil Knight launched Division Street in September 2021, shortly after the NCAA allowed the NIL. St. Clair is a former vice president of Nike Women.
Former Oregon women’s basketball star Sabrina Ionescu is also sports manager and senior advisor. Former Vice President of Nike Sports Marketing Rudy Chapa previously sat on the collective’s board.
The collective has been creative in creating income streams. Almost 70% of the proceeds from the first Flying Formations NFT auction went to participating members of the football team. Another 10% was set aside for other Oregon athletic programs.
Along with the NFT itself, Division Street has released apparel with Oregon athletes promoting the merchandise. The proceeds from anniversary shoes from Flying Formation also go to athletes.
Division Street has established itself as one of the top collectives in NIL’s first 20 months. Along with many former sports marketing talents, the organization enlists a creative company led by former Nike and Jordan executives.
The collective also has a relationship with Opendorse, establishing a NIL marketplace for brands to facilitate partnerships with Oregon athletes. The custom Ducks site eventually led Opendorse to roll out school-specific marketplaces for a handful of customers.
All of this has also helped Oregon win on the recruiting trail. With Nike in their backyard, the Ducks have been able to sell athletes on NIL opportunities in Eugene.
