In addition to providing equipment for U.S. athletes across all sports, Nike will also provide kits to track and field teams in Canada, China, Kenya, Germany and Uganda.
PORTLAND, Ore. — On Thursday, Oregon-based sportswear company Nike unveiled Olympic uniforms for its sponsored teams, betting that top athletes can help reach more everyday consumers.
After a long period of sluggish sales, this summer's Paris Olympics will give Nike another chance to draw global attention to high-performance products like the Alphafly 3 marathon shoe, which retails for $285.
In addition to providing equipment for U.S. athletes in all sports, Nike will also provide kit for track and field teams from Canada, China, Kenya, Germany and Uganda at this Olympics.
In basketball, Nike plans to send players from China, France, Japan and Spain.
Nike will also provide costumes for competitors from South Korea for Breaking, a new breakdance event at the Paris Games.
While Nike's high-end shoes that will attract attention at the Olympics are aimed at a relatively limited audience, Nike's broader goal is to sell more of its entry-level and mid-range running shoes. For example, Nike on Thursday highlighted its Pegasus shoe series, which retails for $130 to $160.
Nike also spotlighted its “air cushion” technology, used in everything from marathon shoes to sneakers, and knitted materials that make shoes lighter.
The trend away from chunky basketball sneakers toward thinner “terrace” shoes like the Adidas Samba is also hurting the sportswear giant, with brands like On, Hoka and Lululemon taking market share away from Nike.
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“What we learn from the best athletes, the 10% of the athletes we work with, is that innovation trickles down because we believe that our innovations are based on body shape and shape. “We're talking about running, running speed, running style, body shape and style,” said Matt Nurse of the Nike Sports Innovation Lab. Ta.
“So all the products downstairs have been tested by our elite athletes, right down to people who say 12 minutes a mile is slow. That's normal and actually in between running paces. So… “People pay as much attention, if not more, to athletes who run four-, five-, and six-hour marathons as elite athletes,” Nurse said.
