HALF a decade since landing in the Philippines, specialty lifestyle boutique Commonwealth has become a noted source of premium exclusive sneakers while also enhancing the sneaker scene locally.
Last week, the reputation of Commonwealth was further enhanced with the limited release of the latest collaboration between Nike and Berlin-based Acronym — the Nike Lab Acronym Air Presto Mid.
The latest iteration of the iconic shoe line, the Air Presto Mid, designed by Acronym owner Errolson Hugh, has the classic mesh upper and midfoot overlays evolving from the support structure of the original 2000 Presto. It has a zippered collar for easy on-off functionality and features bold, tech-inspired colors and prints throughout.
It was made available to local sneaker heads only through Commonwealth’s Greenbelt 5 store and via the mobile app Copdate which highlighted the exclusiveness of the shoes.
“We’re happy that these exclusive products are now finally arriving in the Philippines, hopefully this is the first of many. The Nike Lab Acronym Presto Mid is super exclusive. It’s such an important collaboration. Errolson Hugh, owner of Acronym, is a good designer. And to have his design, the Nike Presto release through a big event like this, it’s such a milestone,” said Miguel Rocha of Commonwealth Philippines’ marketing department in an interview with BusinessWorld at the Nike Lab Acronym Air Presto Mid release event on Sept. 19.
The collaboration was also hailed by Nike officials in the country, describing it as a “step forward” in the right direction for the local sneaker culture scene.
“We at Nike are very excited to have this event which is a step forward to really pushing the sneaker culture in the country. This is a nod to the consumers and embraces what Nike and Commonwealth are trying to do in the marketplace,” said Jinno Ferrer, Nike Philippines marketing head, at the release event.
COPDATE
For the exclusive release of the Nike Lab Acronym Presto Mid, which sells for P9,895, Commonwealth used the Copdate mobile app, which allows the reservations of the shoes on a first-come-first-serve basis without the usual hassles of dealing with shopping bots and waiting for a countdown ticker.
The app also aims to give more control to the retailer of the items released.
“What this does is simplify the process of buying, filters things out, and helps the people get the shoes that they want. It’s a pioneering app that we are now adopting,” Mr. Rocha said.
Those who wanted to get their hands on the Nike Lab Acronym Presto Mid secured an entry by getting on the In-Store List by way of Copdate from Sept. 15 to 18.
Winners — or entries selected from the In-Store List — were contacted on Sept. 19 through a direct message on Copdate where they got to confirm their reservation, providing the necessary information for the hassle-free purchase of the item on the release date on Sept. 20.
“This is the just latest of what we hope to be more exclusive releases to come,” said Mr. Rocha.
For more information on Commonwealth Philippines and future releases, follow it on Facebook and Instagram (@commonwealth_ph). — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

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