Nike to Partner With Kim Kardashian on a New Brand, NikeSKIMS
Nike has signed a new “long term” partnership with Kim Kardashian’s shapewear company SKIMS to launch a new line of activewear, reports CNBC. The new brand, dubbed NikeSKIMS, will include apparel, footwear and accessories. It will debut its initial collection this spring, with a global rollout planned for 2026. It's not yet clear what exactly the products will look like or what items will be included in the initial collection. The only image contained in Nike’s announcement was a graphic of the new brand’s logo.
Total Retail's Take: Nike’s partnership with SKIMS, the buzzy shapewear brand created by Kardashian and Swedish entrepreneur Jens Grede, the brand’s CEO, comes as Nike looks to regain the athleisure market share it has lost to competitors such as lululemon, Alo Yoga, and Vuori. NikeSKIMS will also aim to bring more women into the brand. Nike has said previously that only roughly 40 percent of its customers are women. A company press release states that the new brand partnership will "disrupt the global fitness and activewear industry with best-in-class innovation in service of all women athletes."
Furthermore, Nike is leaning heavily into women's athletics, recently debuting a Super Bowl ad campaign featuring female celebrity athletes. The new product line will bring followers of Kardashian and her social media powerhouse SKIMS brand into the Nike audience, as well as inject some innovation into the company. For SKIMS, which was last valued at $4 billion, the Nike partnership and access to its manufacturing and development capabilities brings a growth opportunity for a brand that is popular but still relatively small compared to competitors. Plus, if successful, it could help the intimates brand with an initial public offering.
Jens Grede, SKIMS' co-founder and CEO, said that "by partnering with Nike, the undisputed leader in athletic performance and innovation, we’re poised to create a new standard in the activewear market. This partnership will empower individuals to move with confidence and express themselves authentically, merging SKIMS' focus on body confidence and self-expression with Nike’s relentless pursuit of athletic excellence.”
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Kristina Stidham is the digital content director at Total Retail and sister brands Women in Retail Leadership Circle and Women Leading Travel & Hospitality at NAPCO Media. She is passionate about digital media and handles video, podcast and virtual event production for all brands. You can often find her at WIRLC, TR, WLT&H or industry events with her camera and podcasting equipment—or at home on Zoom—recording interviews with thought leaders and business executives.
Kristina holds a B.A. in Media Studies and Production from the Temple University Klein College of Media and Communication in Philadelphia. Go Owls! When she's not in the office, she loves to go on long walks, sing around the house, hangout with her family and two pet guinea pigs, and travel to new places.
