Strategy: how Nike is using Skims to rebuild its women’s business
🤸 Nike is teaming up with Kim Kardashian’s ultra-popular brand to launch NikeSkims. A clear counter-move aimed at winning back female consumers who have increasingly shifted their loyalty to Lululemon and Alo — now the go-to brands for so-called Range Rover Mommies 😎.
To mark the release of a new collection inspired by classical dance, fronted by K-pop rising star Lalisa, the two American brands have opened a pop-up store in Paris’s Marais district. The experience promises to blend athletic performance with refined aesthetics.
But behind the record-breaking sales figures claimed by the Portland-based giant, the industry is questioning the true impact of this collaboration.
Glamour-led, strategy-driven
Behind the highly desirable image of the collaboration, NikeSkims is built on a tightly controlled structure. The partnership is reportedly based on a licensing agreement that favors Skims, while Nike retains intellectual property ownership and operational control.
The teams are internal, the governance centralized. Kim Kardashian brings cultural capital; Nike stays in charge.
The setup reflects the real objective: quickly reclaim ground in a women’s market undergoing major shifts, without compromising the brand’s industrial logic.
The modern ballerina as a new narrative
The collection revolves around a central idea: the modern ballerina. A strong, controlled silhouette — elegant yet functional. Seven lines, 58 silhouettes, a mineral-toned color palette and an inclusive size range from XXS to 4XL, true to Skims’ DNA. Lalisa embodies this positioning perfectly: physical discipline, global pop culture and high desirability. On paper, the alignment is seamless.
Paris, a global showcase
To anchor NikeSkims in the fashion conversation, Nike is betting on physical experience. The choice of a pop-up store in Paris — and especially in the Marais — is far from incidental. At the crossroads of luxury, street culture and fashion weeks, the area offers global visibility.
The 500-square-meter pop-up goes far beyond retail. Runway shows under a glass roof, yoga, pilates and barre classes form an immersive setup designed to rival the highly developed community-driven worlds of Lululemon and Alo Yoga. The art direction is sharply executed (fully validated internally): monochrome aesthetics, nude and chocolate tones, and a fully branded façade. The result is ultra-trendy and instantly recognizable, even if the design sometimes seems to carry more of the narrative than the product itself.
The rollout is precise: Marais, Champs-Élysées, Dover Street Market, Kith, NikeLab, followed by London at Selfridges. NikeSkims isn’t speaking to France — it’s speaking globally.
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The pop-up store is located at 10 Rue de Turenne and is open daily from 12:00 pm to 7:30 pm, until February 8, 2026.
Strong numbers, mixed signals
Nike presents NikeSkims as a large-scale launch, designed from the outset as a standalone brand and backed by an ambitious rollout. Still, the project’s cultural impact remains hard to pin down. Despite strong media visibility, the launch has yet to create a clear breakthrough moment within the fashion and activewear landscape.
From a consumer perspective, reactions appear more mixed. While the visual universe and art direction are widely praised, the product proposition raises questions: does NikeSkims truly stand apart from what’s already on the market, or does it mainly extend existing Nike and Skims lines?
What does NikeSkims really bring to the market?
Beyond the numbers, the issue is strategic. Did Nike truly need Kim Kardashian’s star power to regain momentum in the women’s segment — or could it have achieved the same goal through more radical product innovation and a stronger performance-led narrative?
For both Nike and Skims — now valued at nearly $4 billion — the stakes are high. The real test will unfold over time: can NikeSkims build a clear, independent identity, or will it remain an efficient but fragile marketing construct?
👉 The early commercial success is real. Long-term legitimacy still has to be earned.
