Posts tagged with "Nike"

Above, Nike and Tiffany want you to wonder what's in the box. (Photo source: (Instagram/@nike)

Nike and Tiffany tease one of the year’s biggest sneakers (and it’s only January)

January 31, 2023

Nike gets sneaker collaborations. No. It owns them. The Oregon-based label just knows what the people want. Louis Vuitton. Supreme. Carhartt. Sacai. Off-White. Jacquemus. Ambush. Comme des Garçons. It’s partnered with all the big players. And then some, reports GQ Magazine.

Now, Nike has teased what may well be the collab of the year. This past weekend saw the announcement of a link up with storied jewellery label Tiffany and Co for a brand new Air Force 1 Low. The news broke following rumors of a collab—and leaked imagery of black Nike Air Force Ones with Tiffany blue Swooshes—that began on social media.

Nike’s team was quick to respond to the unprecedented leaks by sharing an image of an expensive-looking Tiffany blue box and the wording “A Legendary Pair” to its own social media accounts. Alexandre Arnault, Tiffany’s executive vice president of product and communications, and Ruba Abu-Nimah, the brand’s creative director, followed suit.

The collaboration marks the first time that Tiffany and Co has joined the footwear game, but it shouldn’t really come as a surprise to long-standing fans. Tiffany has engaged in an increased number of collabs since its 2021 acquisition by LVMH.

Under the leadership of Arnault, and CEO Anthony Ledru, the brand has attempted (and succeeded) to forge itself as a key player in the business of modern luxury. Collaborations with Beyoncé and Jay-Z (their first joint project outside music together), Supreme, Daniel Arsham, Fendi, and Patek Philippe have given Tiffany an increased level of clout. A Nike collab, whatever that may look like, will only increase Tiffany and Co’s cachet.

For Nike, it’s also a clever move. Interest in the jewelry industry is booming. First, men have developed more audacious habits when it comes to shopping for necklaces and rings. Secondly, more brands are getting down with the shiny stuff. Frank Ocean launched his own jewelry label, Homer; while Prada unveiled its first high jewelry collection for the first time at the end of 2022.

Market data company Grand View Research has also reported that the entire industry has a projected 8.5% growth rate that will send its value to a whopping $518 billion by 2030. Naturally, Nike wants in on that. And with Tiffany and Co’s blessing, it has stepped into the market in its own unique way before other brands even got the chance.

Research contact: @GQMagazine

Above, women's footwear brand Saysh, founded by track and field Olympian Allyson Felix and her brother Wes Felix, is expanding to Canada. (Photo source: Saysh)

Allyson Felix’s Saysh expands to Canada

January 4, 2023

There is no question that five-time track-and-field Olympian (2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020) and 11-time Olympic medalist (7 gold, 3 silver, 1 bronze) Allyson Felix is fast on her feet. And now that she’s retired, she knows a little bit about footwear, too, reports Retail Dive.

After raising capital earlier this year, Saysh—the direct-to-consumer women’s footwear brand that she and her brother, Wes Felix, co-founded in 2021—is expanding into Canada. Delivery will be available to all Canadian provinces through the Canada Post.

“As we look to grow Saysh’s footprint, we’re excited about our expansion into Canada,” Wes Felix, and CEO of Saysh, said in a statement. “We often hear from women around the world who identify with our mission and want to support the brand, so meeting even more of our communities’ needs is an exciting step for us and a reinforcement of why we are here: because women deserve better.”

Before its venture into Canada, Saysh raised $8 million in a series A funding round in June from specialist consumer fund IRIS and Gap-owned Athleta. With that deal, Gap acquired an equity stake in Saysh, and Athleta announced plans to carry Saysh footwear on its website.

Allyson Felix’s relationship with Athleta predates the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2019, Athleta named Allyson Felix its first-ever sponsored athlete after she spoke out against Nike’s treatment of pregnant athletes. The brand announced the deal in a letter published in The New York Times and said it would enlist Felix as part of its 2020 “Power of She” campaign.

Support for women has also become a key piece of Allyson Felix’s Saysh brand. The footwear is designed specifically for women, based on the “true proportions” of a woman’s foot. The brand also offers a maternity returns policy, which allows pregnant customers to request a new pair of shoes if their shoe size changes during pregnancy. Saysh recently teamed up with Natalie Holloway, founder of the Los Angeles-based movement company Bala, to promote the maternity returns policy.

Research contact: @RetailDive

Above, Kanye West. (Photo source: Kanye West/Adidas)

Kanye West erupts after Adidas puts Yeezy partnership ‘under review’

October 10, 2022

Kanye West’s partnership with sportswear manufacturer Adidas is “under review,” the company said on Thursday, October 6—and the star is not happy about the decision, reports Fox Business.

In a profanity-laced Instagram post, West scrutinized the sports retailer and claimed that the German multinational corporation “stole” his designs, according to TMZ.

“F—K ADIDAS,” West said in the since-deleted post to his nearly 18 million followers. “I AM ADIDAS,” he added. “ADIDAS RAPED AND STOLE MY DESIGNS.”

The German sports clothing manufacturer—the largest in Europe and the second largest in the world behind Nike—has maintained a business partnership with West to produce his Yeezy product line.

However, the company announced the review days after West wore a “White Lives Matter” shirt at a Paris fashion show and after he called the Black Lives Matter movement a “scam” on social media.

“After repeated efforts to privately resolve the situation, we have taken the decision to place the partnership under review,” Adidas said in a statement, according to Reuters. “We will continue to co-manage the current product during this period.”

“Adidas has always been about creativity, innovation and supporting athletes and artists to achieve their vision,” the statement continued. “The Adidas Yeezy partnership is one of the most successful collaborations in our industry’s history.”

Adidas added: “All successful partnerships are rooted in mutual respect and shared values.”

West often takes to social media to voice his opinions and criticisms, including some in recent months that have been specifically addressed to Adidas and its CEO. The two have been partnering together since 2013, Reuters reported.

West previously partnered with Nike, from 2007 to 2013, when he famously released his Red Octobers, according to The Wall Street Journal. The star first

In West’s current agreement with Adidas, the star lends the company the rights to design and manufacture Yeezy products. In return, West receives about 15% royalties, according to the Journal.

The current deal runs through 2026. As recently as last month, West threatened to walk away from the agreement and to take the Yeezy line solo.

Adidas’ review announcement comes less than a month after West announced he was terminating his partnership with clothing retail company Gap.

Research contact: @FoxBusiness

Above, Jerry Seinfeld. (Photo source: Mark Seliger for Bustle)

Everything we know about Jerry Seinfeld’s Pop-Tart movie

June 20, 2022

Hollywood is never afraid to give us movies with origin stories that we never asked for: That’s how we got the Jennifer Lawrence vehicle “Joy” about the creation of a mop and Ben Affleck’s newly announced movie about Nike’s marketing team.

What more could we ask for? Up next is a story about the creation of the Pop-Tart—titled “Unfrosted: The Pop-Tart Story,” and helmed by legendary comedian Jerry Seinfeld, who will co-write, direct, produce, and star in the film, reports Bustle.

Announced in the summer of 2021 by “Deadline,” the film is being produced by Netflix at a  reported $70 million budget and now boasts a cast full of A-List stars—among them, Melissa McCarthy, Jim Gaffigan, Amy Schumer, Hugh Grant, and James Marsden.

 Seinfeld got the idea from a 1963 rivalry between two rival Michigan cereal companies, Kellogg’s and Post, to create a new pastry that “will change the face of breakfast forever.”

 The film is described as “a tale of ambition, betrayal, sugar, and menacing milkmen” in the press release, promising a hearty dose of comedy. After all, it’s inspired by Seinfeld’s 2020 Beacon Theatre standup special, in which he waxed philosophic about his love for Pop-Tarts

Seinfeld co-wrote the film with “Seinfeld” alum Spike Feresten and comedian Barry Marder, and told Deadline, “Stuck at home watching endless sad faces on TV, I thought this would be a good time to make something based on pure silliness. So we took my Pop-Tart stand-up bit from my last Netflix special and exploded it into a giant, crazy comedy movie.”

Production is expected to start later this year—meaning, we can expect to see the film on the streamer sometime in 2023. No trailer or teasers have been released at this time.

 Research contact: @bustle

Above, the new Nike GO FlyEase. (Photo source: Nike)

Nike taps the comfort trend with the launch of GO FlyEase, a no-lace, slip-on sneaker

Leave a reply

February 2, 2021

Nike is offering its first pair of slip-on sneakers without laces—hoping to enjoy some of the same momentum that rivals like Crocs and Vans have seen during the pandemic, as more consumers gravitate toward comfortable, no-fuss footwear, CNBC reports.

The GO FlyEase shoe is marketed as a style that easily slips on and off, without the use of hands or laces. The company said it was inspired in part by Asian cultures, where it’s customary to remove shoes before entering a home. The debut also comes at a time when people are more conscious of not touching dirty surfaces, like the bottom of shoes.

“This shoe really responds to our current-day situation living in these COVID times,” Sarah Reinertsen, manager of FlyEase Innovation at Nike, said in an interview. “This is actually an innovation that has been cooking up in our innovation kitchen for a little while … but it just came out right at the right time, when we needed it more than ever.”

Go FlyEase is part of Nike’s FlyEase line of running, soccer and basketball sneakers that are said to be easier to wear and fit feet better, says CNBC. Nike has been working on FlyEase innovations for about five years—including shoes that zip up the side and a pair with a pull-cord at the back to tighten the shoe around the heel.

“We have been using laces for a long time,” Reinertsen said about Nike’s decision to go without them. “But … a lot of times [people] are trying to work around those laces, they’re trying to use one foot to anchor the shoe and slip out. Laces are kind of a hassle. We wanted to make shoes easier for everybody.”

These look nothing like a pair of rubber Crocs, though, if that’s what you had in mind. For a slip-on shoe, Nike’s version is quite unique and complex, CNBC reports. When it’s not being worn, the Go FlyEase sits in an open position. A separate foot-bed platform, detached from the base of the shoe, moves up and down, thanks to a hinge that’s constructed into the bottom.

A band wraps around the top of the shoe, and snaps into place once the foot is inside, since there aren’t any laces to help with tightening. The biggest issue with slip-on shoes, for many consumers, tends to be getting them to fit tight enough around the foot.

There is also a “kickstand” on the heel to help take the shoe off. Reinertsen said many people already intuitively step on the back of their shoe to remove it.

According to Reinertsen, Nike’s newest shoe isn’t meant for endurance sports, but more for casual movements like walking. She said Nike plans to build on the GO FlyEase design and create more slip-on sneakers. The additions could help Nike position itself as not only a brand for athletics, but for everyday activities.

The new sneakers will be available to select Nike members in its largest markets at a retail price of $120, starting February 15. Later, the shoes will be sold more broadly.

Research contact: @CNBC

Above, Nike's first-ever maternity collection (called Nike M) include a nursing bra, tank top, tights, and a cover-up. (Photo source: Nike)

Nike is ‘expecting’ a maternity activewear collection

Leave a reply

September 2, 2020

Nike has announced the launch of its first-ever line of maternity activewear as the market for clothing worn during pregnancy—as well as for comfortable work-from-home apparel—grows exponentially during the pandemic, CNN reports.

The collection, called Nike (M), is priced from $45 to $85 and will be available online on September 17. It includes four products, which Nike said are designed to meet the changing needs of women’s bodies before, during and after pregnancy.

Nike (M) includes:

  • A bra that can be adjusted for breastfeeding or pumping;
  • A scoop-neck tank top that makes it comfortable for women to nurse;
  • A tight made with foldable wide waist band that can be folded down or completely pulled up further along in the pregnancy; and
  • A cover-up with a split opening in the front that can be worn in reverse to accommodate a growing belly or serve as a nursing cover.

The clothing utilizes sweat-wicking and recycled material, such as recycled polyester.

“It’s a good time for Nike to be getting into maternity clothing. More people are working out at home during the pandemic,” Marshal Cohen, chief retail industry analyst with NPD Group told CNN during an interview. He added that there is likely to be a “mini-baby boom” between October and next March, thanks to a “stay-at-home lifestyle that started in late March [of this year].”

“Activewear may be everywhere [but] it is not in maternity. So making it available and affordable is a great play,” said Cohen.

Neil Saunders, retail analyst and managing director of GlobalData Retail, agreed, saying that the maternity wear market in the United States has grown at an average of 3.2% per year in terms of sales, even as the birth rate has been relatively stable.

“A lot of this growth has come from women spending more on maternity clothing,” he said. “Demand for stylish and comfortable apparel has become much more important to women over the past five years and this has resulted in them spending a little more on garments.”

Nike says the research and development for Nike (M) began three years ago, and the line was conceived and led by moms and moms-to-be on the Nike design team.

The team used data it collected from more than 150,000 body scans of women around the world to determine how the body grows during pregnancy. It also consulted with 30 female athletes who were either pregnant or post-partum in the design process.

Research contact: @CNN

Photo source: Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy

Gap is dedicating factories to make masks, gowns, and scrubs for healthcare workers

Leave a reply

March 26, 2020

Gap is the latest retailer to announce a commitment to use its resources to create personal protective equipment for healthcare workers, Business Insider reports.

The clothing and accessories manufacturer and marketer announced on March 25 via Twitter, “Our teams are connecting some of the largest hospital networks in Calif. w/our vendors to deliver PPE [personal protective equipment] supplies, while we pivot resources so factory partners can make masks, gowns & scrubs for healthcare workers on the front lines.”

The company—which opened its first store in 1969 in San Francisco, selling primarily jeans and LP records—said it would connect with hospitals in California to deliver the supplies.

In order to provide the crucial and urgently needed supplies to healthcare providers, Gap made the decision to temporarily close its company owned and operated stores across North America, including Old Navy, Athleta, Banana Republic, Gap, Janie and Jack, and Intermix brands. The closures were effective March 19.

Other retailers have announced similar initiatives to support healthcare workers as the coronavirus prompts a nationwide shortage of masks and other protective equipment. In California, hospitals have turned to Los Angeles seamstresses to make masks.

Nike also announced it was creating personal protective equipment such as face shields to support doctors and nurses in Oregon. Zara announced a similar initiative.

Research contact: @GapInc

Photo source: Nike Instagram site

Over and out: Nike to complete pilot with Amazon Retail; sell its own products directly

Leave a reply

November 14, 2019

Nike is breaking up with Amazon, Bloomberg reports. The athletic shoe and apparel brand will stop selling its products directly through Amazon Retail—ending a pilot program that began in 2017.

The split reflects a massive pivot in Nike’s retail strategy. It also follows the hiring of ex-EBay Inc. Chief Executive Officer John Donahoe as the company’s next CEO, effective January 13, 2020—a move that signaled the company is going even more aggressively after e-commerce sales, apparently without Amazon’s help.

Indeed, the footwear titan says the move is just one piece of its plan to shift to a “more direct, personal” retail experience.

Specifically, the company said in a statement, “As part of Nike’s focus on elevating consumer experiences through more direct, personal relationships, we have made the decision to complete our current pilot with Amazon Retail. “We will continue to invest in strong, distinctive partnerships for Nike with other retailers and platforms to seamlessly serve our consumers globally.”

Nike said it will continue to use Amazon’s cloud-computing unit, Amazon Web Services, to power its apps and Nike.com services, Bloomberg reported.

Amazon, through a spokeswoman, declined to comment. The company has been preparing for the move, according to two people familiar with the matter. It has been recruiting third-party sellers with Nike products so that the merchandise is still widely available on the site, they said. Amazon has also been working to stem the flow of counterfeits on the site through various initiatives, including one project that lets brands put unique codes on their products to make it easier to identify fakes.

Nike shares rose as much as 1.4% in New York trading Wednesday, while Amazon was off as much as 0.6.

The question now, according to Bloomberg, is whether other Amazon partners follow Nike’s lead. The financial news outlet said, “Few other brands possess the kind of muscle Nike has, so it may be harder for them to leave.”

“Nike has enormous reach and its products are in demand, so it can afford to be selective about where its products are distributed because customers will come find Nike where it is offered,” Neil Saunders, managing director at GlobalData Retail, said in an interview. “I don’t think as many brands can be as selective as Nike.”

For years, the only Nike products sold on Amazon were gray-market items—and counterfeit—sold by others. Nike had little control over how they were listed, what information about the product was available and whether the products were even real.

That changed in 2017, when Nike joined Amazon’s brand registry program. Executives hoped the move would give them more control over Nike goods sold on the e-commerce site, more data on their customers, and added power to remove fake Nike listings. The news of the Amazon tie-up, which Nike executives called a “small pilot,” sent shoe-retailer stocks tumbling and left many wondering if other major Amazon holdouts would quickly follow.

But Nike reportedly struggled to control the Amazon marketplace. Third-party sellers whose listings were removed simply popped up under a different name. Plus, the official Nike products had fewer reviews and, therefore,received worse positioning on the site.

Analysts said physical sporting-goods retailers would benefit from Nike’s departure from Amazon.

Research contact: @business

Nike subscription club for kids servies sizes 4C to 7Y (roughly ages 2-10). (Image source: Nike)

Nike’s first sneaker club targets new customers while they are young

Leave a reply

August 13, 2019

Does your child like sneakers that light up? Or roll? Or high tops? Or a special color? The experience of shoe-shopping for young kids can be complex. At first glance, it’s all about the child—but, as many parents quickly realize, it’s also about their own preferences for sizing, fit, support, and aesthetics.

The reasons why are universal: Kids’ feet are continually growing, and many kids can’t articulate what they want, even after shoebox after shoebox comes out of the back room. (The foot size issue isn’t helped by the fact that 60% of people, kids included, are walking around in the wrong-sized shoe at any given time.)

But now, Nike is offering a solution to parents and children alike: Nike Adventure Club, Nike’s first footwear subscription service for children.

Through the new club, Nike not only gets a loyal, young shopper who has many years of brand preference ahead of him or her; but also gets to make personal contact with the child and parents as often as 12 times a year. (The subscription service makes three tiers of service available, ranging from four pairs of sneakers a year to 12.)

Nike Adventure Club lets kids regularly swap Nike and Converse shoes for the right-fitting shoe as their feet—and tastes—evolve.

“In providing footwear, we’re always trying to answer, ‘What do kids want?’” says Dominique Shortell, director of Product Experience and Retention for Nike Adventure Club. “But an equally important question is, ‘What kind of experience are we providing for their parents?’ We want to make shopping for footwear as convenient as possible for them.”

Here’s how it works:

  • Nike Adventure Club serves kids who wear sizes 4C to 7Y. (That’s roughly from age two through ten.)
    • Choose from three tiers of subscription services, ranging from four pairs a year to 12 pairs a year. You’re free to upgrade, downgrade or pause your subscription at any time.
    • Choose from more than 100 different sneaker styles, ranging across the spectrum of performance and sportswear.
    • If you like the shoe, you can keep the pair. If you’re ready to replace it, send it back and Adventure Club will send the next pair of your choosing. Nike Adventure Club will either donate or recycle the returned sneaker.

“We see Nike Adventure Club sits as having a unique place within Nike, and not just for it being the first sneaker club for kids,” says Dave Cobban, VP of Nike Adventure Club. “It provides a wide range of options for kids, while at the same time, it removes a friction point for parents who are shopping on their behalf.”

In addition to shoes, the subscription service comes with exclusive adventure guides, filled with outdoor games and activities that parents can do with their kids. The guides are a collaborative partnership between Nike and KaBoom, a national nonprofit focused on encouraging kids to lead active, healthy lifestyles.

Activity guides lay out fun ways for kids to get moving.Nike Adventure Club fulfilled its first subscriptions beginning August 12.

Research contact: @NikeAdventure

Photo source: Nike

Nike pulls ‘Betsy Ross Flag’ sneakers off shelves after Colin Kaepernick intervenes

Leave a reply

July 3, 2019

Nike pulled its special, commemorative Fourth of July sneakers featuring a “Betsy Ross Flag” from store shelves this week after former San Francisco 49ers Quarterback Colin Kaepernick—best-known for taking a knee during the playing of the national anthem as a protest against police brutality—complained that the company shouldn’t use a colonial symbol that he and others see as offensive, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Kaepernick, who remains a national hero for his gesture, also has clout and leverage with Nike: He was named the new face of the sportswear and footwear firm’s “Just Do It” marketing campaign in February.

According to a report by Fortune, the Betsy Ross Flag design on the Air Max 1 USA was intended as a celebration of U.S. Independence Day—with a flag that featured 13 white stars in a circle on the heel. The design was created during the Revolutionary War.

“Nike has chosen not to release the Air Max 1 Quick Strike Fourth of July as it featured an old version of the American flag,” said Mark Rhodes, a spokesman for the company, in an email to the media on July 1.

Kaepernick contacted the company after the shoes were posted online, saying the flag is an offensive symbol because of its connection to an era of slavery, the newspaper said.

Research contact: @Nike