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The Category Where Nike Is Racing to Catch Up

The world’s biggest footwear brand has struggled to fend off competition in the fast-growing running category. Earnings this week provide an opportunity to show progress.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 06: Desiree Linden of the United States competes in the Women's Professional Division of the TCS New York City Marathon on November 06, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
The world’s biggest footwear brand has struggled to fend off competition in the fast-growing running category. Earnings this week provide an opportunity to show progress. (Getty Images)
By
BoF PROFESSIONAL

Nike operates on a scale where it sometimes seems like it doesn’t have any true rivals. That’s certainly accurate in some categories, such as basketball, where it owns the two most popular brands, and lifestyle shoes that are more for fashion than the gym. The brand can easily outspend competitors when it comes to marketing, whether it’s signing athletes as ambassadors or sponsoring teams and events.

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About the author
Brian Baskin
Brian Baskin

Brian Baskin is Executive Editor at The Business of Fashion. He is based in New York and oversees BoF's beauty, retail, direct-to-consumer, technology, marketing and workplace verticals.

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