Nike's Off-White Dunks Were Given To The "Most Worthy" SNKRS Members

During a conference call with investors on Thursday, Nike president and CEO John Donahoe shared some information about the brand's SNKRS app. Donahoe said that invites to purchase Nike's Off-White Dunk Low — which was made available through SNKRS' "exclusive access" and allegedly encountered delivery delays and theft — "ended up in the hands of hundreds of thousands of our most deserving members."

SNKRS users were encouraged to use the app as much as possible before to the release of the Off-White Dunk Low. It was claimed that watching movies, taking polls, and attempting to buy sneakers on the app (regardless of success) increased the chances of being able to purchase special shoes.

“This approach sends personalized purchase offers to members based on their engagement with SNKRS, past purchase attempts, and other criteria, using data science to drive digital member targeting,” Donahoe said during the earning call, according to Complex. “For example, 90 percent of the invites for the Off-White Dunk went to members who had lost out on a prior Off-White collaboration over the past two years.”

Donahoe's comments are unusual because Nike is notoriously secretive regarding the inner workings of SNKRS, especially when it comes to limited-edition versions like the Off-White partnership. The brand made no remark on the sneaker's widespread delivery issues, and SNKRS is a notorious competitor to sneakerheads who try to buy footwear on the platform over and over again.

However, the app's exclusive access function — which Donahoe claims rewards more engaged users — allows anyone to purchase Nike sneakers, even if it takes a few tries. While users may not be able to get every drop, there is comfort (and even more value) in knowing that an exclusive sneaker will someday be yours.

“The Off-White Dunk ended up in the hands of hundreds of thousands of our most deserving members, creating what we call ‘exclusivity at scale.’ And this improved consumer experience has a positive impact on the entire business,” said Donahoe. “We’ve seen that those who benefit from exclusive access on SNKRS spend more, fueled by the energy of their win.”

Of course, not every sneakerhead has the financial wherewithal to participate in sneaker raffles on a regular basis — but Nike should cherish people's participation in SNKRS surveys and blog entries just as much as they value their purchases. Exclusive access, in the view of Nike, is a win-win situation, bringing in more money for the brand while also giving people more access to limited-edition sneakers: Has Nike finally discovered a method to delight its customers?