Nike Hosts Virtual Sneaker Exchange on Facebook

Nike is serving up more entertainment for sneaker enthusiasts with the release of a shoe-swapping Facebook app.

The Nike Shoe Boxxxx Facebook App, which is available in English and Japanese, gives players three random, virtual pairs of shoes to start. Players can learn more about the history and make of their shoes and then, if they so choose, swap those shoes with other players around the world. Trading earns players points and additional pairs, including “certain rare shoes” that aren’t available in the initial pool.
Users can display their collections in color-customized cubbies; they can also examine the shoe displays of other players.

Nike isn’t the only brand going after sneakerheads: In May, Foot Locker launched a website called Sneakerpedia, which is exactly what it sounds like: a Wikipedia for sneakers. The site is designed to up the retailer’s “street credibility” with collectors, Matt Powell, an analyst with SportsONESource, observed at the time of its release.

Personally, I find the notion of trading virtual goods without a more tangible reward entirely a) unmotivating and b) mindless in a gaming context — but then again, I’m not one of the tens of millions of people playing CityVille. Sneaker enthusiasts: What’s your take? Does this sort of gameplay appeal to you?

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