Division Street, Tinker Hatfield release Air Huaraches benefitting Oregon athletes
Division Street continues to use its resources to its advantage.
The Oregon-focused NIL collective has teamed up with the famed Nike shoe designer Tinker Hatfield to release player edition Air Huaraches to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the Flying Formations NFT launch.
Flying Formations was the first NFT released by Ducks of a Feather, Division Street’s non-fungible token entity last February. Created in collaboration with the Oregon football team, the 120 digital art pieces 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 created and each is individually numbered inside the tongue. The design features neon green leather overlays surrounding the Huarache’s recognizable neoprene bootie. Of the 345 sneakers, 245 have gone to Oregon athletes. Three have been set aside for giveaways while 97 were made available to purchase to the Flying Formation Discord community.
“It’s hard to believe it’s already been a year since the Flying Formation NFT launch,” Division St. CEO Rosemary St. Clair said in a release. “The Flying Formation NFT paired with the NIKE AirMax 1 designed by Tinker set the bar for what only Division Street can offer.”
Division Street creating multiple revenue streams
Along with a group of alumni, Nike co-founder Phil Knight launched Division Street in September 2021, soon after the NCAA allowed NIL. St. Clair is the former vice president of of Nike Women.
Former Oregon women’s basketball star Sabrina Ionescu is also the chief athlete officer and senior advisor. Former Nike sports marketing vice president Rudy Chapa formerly sat on the collective’s board.
The collective has been creative in creating revenue streams. Nearly 70% of revenue from the initial 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 actual NFT, Division Street has released apparel with Oregon athletes promoting the merchandise. Proceeds of the Flying Formation anniversary sneakers are also going to athletes.
Division Street has established itself as one the top collectives in the first 20 months of NIL. Along with plenty of former sports marketing talent, the organization enlists a creative company led by former Nike and Jordan brand executives.
The collective also has a relationship with Opendorse, establishing an NIL marketplace to for brands to facilitate partnerships with Oregon athletes. The customized Ducks page ultimately led to Opendorse rolling out school-specific marketplaces for a handful of clients.
All of it has also helped Oregon win on the recruiting trail. With Nike in its backyard, the Ducks have been able to sell athletes on NIL opportunities in Eugene.