In a highly anticipated move, RTFKT has initiated the claim process for its Cryptokicks iRL sneakers. Web3 first got a glimpse at Cryptokicks at nft now’s The Gateway, where the physical, NFT-backed shoes were revealed to have groundbreaking features such as customizable lighting, auto-lacing, wireless charging, and much more.

Now holders of NFTs from the Cryptokiks iRL collection have finally been given a timeline of when they can expect their corresponding physical sneakers to arrive. And it all has to do with “unhubbing” and “forging.”

Claiming your kicks

When the Cryptokicks collection was first introduced back in December, RTFKT simultaneously announced the Interdimensional Hub. Utilizing the Hub, holders of Lace Engine NFTs (essentially the Cryptokicks mint pass) would be able to reserve their sneakers by minting a “hubbed Cryptokicks iRL” NFT to be used at a later date to claim their sneakers.

That later date turned out to be May 15, when RTFKT opened the unhubbing process, allowing holders of hubbed Cryptokicks the ability to forge their NFTs. Forging, which is a staple of the RTFKT ecosystem, is a transaction that allows a user to claim a physical wearable and mark their NFT as claimed in the process.

Where Cryptokicks are concerned, unhubbing and forging are essentially the same thing and allow users to enter a U.S. shipping address on the company’s website to redeem the physical iRL sneaker for shipping. It’s important to note that this process closes on May 29 and is only available to U.S.-based Cryptokicks holders — a legal consideration that was explained by RTFKT Co-Founder Steven Vasilev shortly after the initial Cryptokicks mint.

During the claim period — which comes on the tail end of the RTFKT x Nike Air Force 1s forging event — the buying, selling, transferring, or swapping of Cryptokicks iRL hubbed NFTs will be temporarily disabled to prevent holders from selling their sneakers after completing the forging event. To this end, the Cryptokicks iRL contract was locked on May 15, the start of the claim window, to prevent any potential grifts or confusion.

Once the claim window closes on May 29, RTFKT will update the metadata on all unhubbed NFTs, changing their state from hubbed to forged and, in turn, reinstating trading in the process. Shipping of the Cryptokicks iRL sneakers is set to commence in August, but only those who forge their sneakers before the window closes will be able to receive physicals.

This influential event marks a significant evolution in the digital fashion space and a particularly important milestone in the relationship between RTFKT and its parent company, Nike. As the lines between digital and physical continue to blur in the metaverse, RTFKT’s innovative approach is undoubtedly leading the charge, with Cryptokicks providing a testament to the limitless possibilities of NFTs and RTFKT’s vision far beyond the current scope of digital wearables.

Editor’s note: This article was written by an nft now staff member in collaboration with OpenAI’s GPT-4.

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