EVO is the Superbowl of fighting games. For those that aren't initiated, EVO—or Evolution Championship Series—is the annual event where the top fighting games, developers, and players come to show off to their most die-hard supporters. For almost 30 years, EVO has grown into a massive juggernaut in the Esports world that essentially acts as a proving ground for the best competitive players in the world.
Although EVO is gigantic nowadays, it wasn't always as commercial in its early years. The moment that pushed EVO into the awareness of the mainstream is, without question, the famous "Daigo parry" or EVO Moment # 37. The video is probably the most famous Esport clip, irrespective of genre, around.
Since EVO is this weekend and the first in-person event since 2019, the hype is at an all-time high. So much so that a pair of exclusive Nike Air Force Ones have made the rounds on the internet. Why are these Nike's so interesting? Oh, they only contain the input required to perform Moment # 37 inside the shoe's tongue.
A seemingly inconsequential, outlet-relegated sneaker gained new relevance this week, the full story of its video game-inspired design surfacing two years after it was produced. The shoe, a white pair of the Nike Air Force 1 dressed in blue accents, nods to Evo Moment #37, the extraordinary conclusion to a Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike game from 2004 that still stands as the most iconic moment in competitive fighting game history.
