Nike unveiled the first of two new women’s retail experiences in London yesterday, 23 October, on level three of Selfridges, 400 Oxford Street.
The 1,000 sq ft shop-in-shop is designed to spotlight Nike’s sport performance assortments and most exclusive and in demand product collaborations, including KNWLS Nike.
The launch also features Nike’s ‘Weatherized Running’ collection and storytelling, as well as the ‘Winterized Swift’ premium apparel line.
The Selfridges launch will be followed with the re-opening of Nike’s store at 33B-33C King’s Road in Chelsea on 6 November, after a temporary closure for a refit.
The new store design is dedicated to serving the best of Nike’s products, experiences and services, and will now be called Nike Women King’s Road.
A large-scale wing sculpture stands as a reflection of Nike’s muse, the winged goddess of Victory, immediately drawing attention and “setting the tone for the store”.
From a cohesive boutique footwear wall that allows customers to easily shop across performance and sportswear, to bespoke seasonal assortments and a curated visual window that spotlights the best of Nike, the new store is described as “playful, energetic and premium”.
Stephanie Strike, VP, Nike Direct EMEA, said: “Nike Women King’s Road and the Nike shop-in-shop at Selfridges reflect Nike’s commitment to serving women. Each retail expression creates a uniquely Nike space to introduce new experiences, product innovations and inspirations that shape the culture of sport and style in London and beyond.
“These small format expressions are just the beginning and will influence how Nike shows up for women across all retail locations.”
As reported in The Guardian yesterday, against a backdrop of falling sales and complaints that Nike had become ‘too safe’, the sportswear giant has been in the process of putting greater emphasis on design innovation, something the brand was built on.
Perhaps most impressive of the lot is the world’s first motor-powered running and walking shoe which Nike is calling Project Amplify, likening the shoe to an e-bike for feet.
Targeted more at the general public as opposed to hard core runners, the shoe enables wearers to run and walk far quicker than they normally would.
New products also include the ‘Air Milano’ self-inflating jacket, which inflates in 30 seconds and can generate varying levels of warmth. It’s set to be worn by Team USA at the Winter Olympics.
There’s also Nike’s new ‘Aero-Fit’ material, which will be worn by Nike sponsored teams including England, Brazil and the USA at next summer’s World Cup. The football shirts will keep players as cool as possible in very hot and humid conditions.
Another new innovation is Nike ‘Mind’, a shoe and a slider that Nike says improve focus when worn as they have cushioning nodes that press on the sensors the feet. Manchester City striker, Erling Haaland, has apparently been using them to help get his mind in focus for matches. Given his current form, it’s clearly working.
Putting athletes first and foremost is, after all, Nike’s game. To hammer home the message, the brand has also come up with a new slogan: ‘Create Epic Shit, Make Athletes Better’.