Nike is betting on celebrity.
Bombshell. Nike has entered a long-term partnership with Kim Kardashian’s shapewear company SKIMS, announcing plans for a joint women-focused brand called NikeSKIMS.
Debuting this spring, the label will span apparel, footwear, and accessories “designed to sculpt” and “engineered to perform.” Nike shares gained 4% this morning on the news.
High stakes. Women’s sports revenue is up >300%, with female athletes generating 2x the fan engagement of males. With women making up to 80% of consumer spending decisions, the Swoosh needs female buy-in to stay on top, but women represent less than half of its sales.
Crucial missteps, it lost GOATs Simone Biles and Allyson Felix to Athleta over women’s issues.
Grand gestures. Remedying mistakes, Nike debuted a global women’s race series and an empowering Super Bowl ad campaign featuring stars like Caitlin Clark and Sabrina Ionescu.
The crossover line aims to prove strength and femininity can coexist, leveraging Nike’s sports science insights and SKIMS’ style expertise for flattering, functional fits. Not entirely random, SKIMS is already the official underwear partner of the NBA and WNBA.
Takeaway: NikeSKIMS is empathetic toward women, promising uniquely tailored products to make them feel both strong and sexy. It fills a void in the market, and will likely sell out, yet the choice to work with Kim K over a female sports icon feels like a stray from core values.
