Nike and Fleet Feet announced on Tuesday that the brands have entered a vendor agreement to launch run community-focused activations and expand product integration across the retailer’s footprint.
The brands will kick off the collaboration with the launch of the Pegasus 42, while Nike will lean on a run retail giant to increase its footwear, apparel and accessory visibility nationwide.
“With more than 285 stores, Fleet Feet’s expertise, service and events have made them one of the leaders within the running community,” Seema Simmons, vice president and general manager for North America Nike Running said. “Their scale puts Nike Running in the heart of American neighborhoods to inspire and equip all runners, no matter where they are in their journeys, to chase their dreams.”
Fleet Feet said the brands will work on joint nationwide rollouts that focus on in-store experiences that tap into run communities that are thriving.
Meanwhile, the move is a notable but not unexpected shift from Nike as the sportswear maker continues a major turnaround effort aimed directly at retail outlets and wholesalers in bid to lure customers away — and back — from rivals.
The company reduced its footprint at Fleet Feet drastically in recent years in an approach to boost its own direct-to-comsumer channels, run club and SNKRS apps.
But that also meant pushing out longtime retail allies like Foot Locker and Amazon. Nike has since reversed course and spent the last year reestablishing ties with its former partners.
Fleet Fleet is apparently part of the solution and has emerged as the run specialty retailer that has emerged from a pack of independent shops born out of the first major running boom in the 1970s, when it was founded. In December 2021 the company acquired JackRabbit, a main rival and the second largest run retailer at the time, taking on 57 stores in 15 states and a robust online business. All JackRabbit stores were rebranded as Fleet Fleet outposts the following year.
Then in June 2022, Fleet Fleet purchased Marathon Sports and its 18 locations in New England states Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island and New Hampshire. And last February, Fleet Fleet bought Flying Feet Sport Shoes in a leveraged buyout deal.
In December, Adidas announced it would partner with Fleet Feet for run community and product-focused programming after shutting down its Adidas Runners program in North America. What is unclear is how the retailer will manager similar initiatives with two major brands, but will likely maintain separate activation schedules that will easily draw runners to its brick-and-mortar locations.
“Our new partnership with Nike allows us to bring their most innovative products to our customers, ensuring runners of all levels have access to the very best,” Joey Pointer, president and CEO of Fleet Feet said in a statement. “We are incredibly excited to expand both the depth and breadth of Nike product across Fleet Feet.”
