Nike is getting into augmented reality to push shoe sales and you’ll need an iPhone to get in on the action. The sport and athletic footware company has teamed up with the SNKRS app so customers can be among the first to buy its latest shoe designs by pointing their iPhones at special posters on city walls.
Nike is starting with its SB Dunk High Pro Momofuku shoe. You’ll need the SNKRS app version 2.7.1 or newer, and you also need to pay a visit to David Chang’s Fuku East Village restaurant in person or online. Once there, point your iPhone camera at the menu and use the SNRKS app to reveal the AR elements that’ll let you buy the shoes.
Alternately, you can point your iPhone camera at the special Nike posters outside Momofuku restaurants around the United States.
Teaming with SNKRS to use AR to promote new designs is a brilliant move for Nike because shoe drops, as they’re called, are huge events—much like blockbuster movie openings. It’s also a clever way to help combat grey market resellers who use bots to buy up the latest shoes in bulk.
Nike’s promotion follows Apple’s announcement earlier this month that augmented reality is playing a big role in iOS 11, due out later this year. Once iOS 11 officially launches Nike could enhance its AR promotions to take advantage of those new features.
Nike has also decided to start selling its shoes direct through Amazon, much like other fitness and fashion companies. That’s another way for Nike to cut down on unauthorized resellers and the grey market, but it also puts the company in direct competition with retailers who sell its products.
For Nike fans, however, the Amazon and SNKRS partnerships should make it easier to buy new shoes. In the case of the exclusive SNKRS AR promotions, it’ll also make buying those new shoes cooler. Unfortunately the Momofuku shoe promotion is already sold out, but it’s a safe bet more AR-based promotions are coming soon.