Nike has been at the top of the shoe industry for as long as I can remember, whether it’s basketball shoes, football, soccer, casual, or running shoes. I remember my first pair of Jordans. Or the basketball shoes I wore to play college intramurals. In my 20s, I had a pair of Nike Shox half marathon training many years ago. There are two things I can say about those Shox running shoes: 1. They weren’t airy and 2. They were heavy. What was I thinking? They must’ve been twice as heavy as the average running shoe! Since then I’ve switched my loyalty to Brooks, a brand known for quality running shoes. I prefer them for their light weight, comfort for my heel and flat footedness, and I’ve found almost every pair I’ve ever purchased on sale. Research shows that although Nike was #1 in previous years, Brooks has taken over as the top running shoe brand and other players are making waves, too. Popular brands Hoka and On have carved a spot for themselves as athlete favorites.
But did anyone expect Nike to go quietly into the night? Not at all! They have a grab bag of new ads focused on running, one which you might have seen on TV and streaming in the last few days and weeks. Take a look at the new “Winning Isn’t Comfortable” commercial below then scroll down for more info…
Nike also posted an image on Instagram and I’ll just be 100% transparent here, I can’t stand Nike. It was a 180° turn about 10 years ago because growing up I loved Nike. It’s possible you might have seen a Nike swoosh shaved into my haircut in high school. I was a little obsessed. But when they steamrolled over decades of tradition at Florida State a few years ago, I gave up on Nike and Florida State, too. It became clear that money rules everything around them which is very, very unattractive. I don’t think it’s just me being stubborn, but I don’t ever envision a day where I’ll be rooting for FSU football or wearing any Nike gear at all.
But personal grudges aside, this Instagram post from Nike is so extremely on point! I feel this deep in my bones.
The Music. The ad includes a great use of a classic song contrasting all the athletes running in the rain. Why not use a timeless song from nearly 90 years ago? It’s been performed by many artists from Johnny Cash to Ike and Tina Turner. Adding her name to the list (covered in 2019) is Christina Perri and this is the version used in the Nike commercial. Also check out this list of the best “You Are My Sunshine” covers.
Run, Forrest, Run. Running is a big part of my triathlon training. The most fun part is also the hardest part: Taking that first step. And I don’t mean the first stride. I mean, getting off the couch. Getting out of bed. Committing. But once I’m up, I’m in! 🤪 Lately, I’ve been waking up once a week to do training intervals at a school track in town. And when I say waking up, I mean I’m on the track running at 630am. Yikes. I’m not the only insane person, though. There’s a group of people plus a coach and a tech guy who are faithful to the challenge and that helps me keep going, too. But….. we’re all a little crazy, huh? More on that insanity here.
What do you think about the Nike running commercial? Is it going to help their sales as other companies are taking bigger chunks of the running market? If you’re a data person, check out a ton of statistics about shoe sales over the past few years on RunRepeat.com. For example, based on data some folks are suggesting that trail running shoes will have the most growth in the next few years. In 2023, the average MSRP of running shoes is $132.90 while 18.7% of running shoes have an MSRP lower than $100.
I’m just about due for another pair of running shoes so I’ll have another post about that when it happens. Until then, see you on the road!
-Out of the Wilderness
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