Today, Nike announced a new way to reserve and purchase exclusive shoes. My intuition believes that this system is intended to relieve the mayhem around big shoe releases. 

All you have to do is wait for your local Nike Twitter account to “open” RSVP’s with a Tweet at a random time on the shoe’s launch date. You then send a DM with some information: the shoe’s hashtag, an ID number, and your shoe size. It’s that simple.

I expect Nike to soft-launch this system ASAP, and, hopefully, use it for a high-profile release (probably the Air Yeezy II’s) this Summer.

This is an innovative use of Twitter and a great example of using networks to solve real problems for new cultural groups. I’m excited.

The Twitter RSVP Process

On the RSVP date, our store will send a tweet at a random time to begin our Twitter RSVP process, including a product specific hashtag (#tag).

Once registration is open, you must Direct Message (“DM”) the store within 60 minutes.

1. The DM must include: The product-specific #tag tweeted by the store
2. The last 4 digits of your State/Passport/Military/School ID number
3. Your shoe size (limit one).

Confirmations from the store will be sent via DM to those who have successfully secured their requested size. Shoes will be awarded on a “first respond, first serve” basis.

How do you properly RSVP through DM?

Step 1: Make sure you are following the store Twitter account in order to send a DM. Note: Nike does not need to follow you because its Twitter accounts are verified

Step 2: Watch for the store to send a RSVP tweet at a random time on the designated RSVP day. Example Tweet: Twitter #RSVP is now open for the Air Foamposite One.#Electrolime

Step 3: you respond with a DM to the Nike store Twitter account. Example DM: #Electrolime, 4253, 10.5