Why aren't some local running shops selling Nike shoes?

Equality is not oppression. It may feel like it, but it's not. Also, brightly colored clothing looks much better on dark skin, so can you really blame Nike?

Swim Bike Run wrote:

try this? wrote:

If you know your size and the make and model of the shoes you want, your local store is literally the worst place to buy them.

Until you actually need your local store and they are not there anymore. Support your local store, they do (or at least should be doing) a lot more than selling shoes.

What the hell could you possibly need a local running store for? I can't think of one damn thing I'd buy in one and there's nothing they could possibly have that you couldn't get online.

Yes and no. But Nike doesn't actually own the store you see with the Nike name on it.

More licensing.

try this? wrote:

What the hell could you possibly need a local running store for? I can't think of one damn thing I'd buy in one and there's nothing they could possibly have that you couldn't get online.

Well, for one thing you can try out multiple shoes in multiple sizes in a matter of minutes. That would take weeks to do online and you'd have to deal with a bunch of return shipping, and if you want to compare a few models and sizes side by side you'd have to shell out a grand or so upfront.

Guess my size wrote:

try this? wrote:

What the hell could you possibly need a local running store for? I can't think of one damn thing I'd buy in one and there's nothing they could possibly have that you couldn't get online.

Well, for one thing you can try out multiple shoes in multiple sizes in a matter of minutes. That would take weeks to do online and you'd have to deal with a bunch of return shipping, and if you want to compare a few models and sizes side by side you'd have to shell out a grand or so upfront.

I know someone who would order multiple shoes in multiple sizes online all at one time. Then he'd decide what he wanted and ship the rest back.

try this? wrote:

Swim Bike Run wrote:

Until you actually need your local store and they are not there anymore. Support your local store, they do (or at least should be doing) a lot more than selling shoes.

What the hell could you possibly need a local running store for? I can't think of one damn thing I'd buy in one and there's nothing they could possibly have that you couldn't get online.

Just wait until the shoes you typically buy get a drastic change and you can't find something similar.

Also, the manager at my local running store in Virginia said the same thing some others have said in this thread. Seems Nike's china factories got shut down for too long so they're shorting their small accounts and just sending whatever they have to Dick's sporting goods etc.

Hi “try this?”,

I understand that you are a really really elite runner. No, like you’re really fast and you deserve the space on your local trail more than the average Barbara on her morning walk. Sorry if I’ve ever gotten in your way. You probably have a pair or two of running shoes that you stick to, and you can easily find them in abundance online. Same goes for apparel and accessories but I get the sense that you’re a no-frills guy, so you need very little of that and can find it online as well.

However, the other 99% of people who buy running shoes are not as certain about what will be a good shoe for them. In fact, the majority of people who walk into a run specialty store will approach an employee and apologetically begin with “now I’m not a runner”. Some just go to the gym or only walk. Some run a few days a week, but are intimidated by the elitist gatekeepers of distance running who have convinced them that “runner” is a label restricted to a specific training level or body type. Some need new shoes as they recover from a serious injury or surgery. Over the last few months, tons of people have decided to pursue personal fitness goals as a result of COVID and they have no idea where to start with shoes. So “If you know your size and the make and model of the shoes you want” is actually a huge qualifier and only represents a tiny percentage of active people.

The majority of people who wear running shoes really could use an expert opinion on what to buy for their fitness needs. When someone purchases from a local running store, they are paying for the fitting process, the knowledge gained, the chance to try on a bunch of shoes and actually take them for a jog, and the experience of human connection, as well as the shoes themselves. You can’t get any of that from buying online. This type of guidance really is necessary, as demonstrated perfectly by an ONLINE info source like Flotrack, who, while claiming to be experts in all things running, do not understand the basic but pretty crucial difference between cushion and support (read their article “5 of the best running shoes on the market” for a laugh/gross misunderstanding of running shoes).

Yes, I work at a run specialty store. To answer the initial question about Nikes, they have held off on sending shoes to us until the new year. The reason that most running stores dislike Nike is because they really do not care to establish any sort of relationship with the stores because they don’t need us. There are no Nike reps who come into our store and teach us about their products. As a result, we know less about the selling points of their shoes, and we do not pull them in fittings as much. Also, their shoes tend to be very narrow and pointy so they are not accessible to many people. We also do not carry as many Nike models as we do for Brooks because in my opinion the Pegasus and Structure and kinda the Vomero (version 14 was a BIG step down) are their only well-built daily trainers.

Last time I was on the fleet feet website they did not Nike as a brand they sold.

Because they are made in sweat shops? I forgot this is the untouchable Nike we're talking about. Order them.

This could be why!

https://solecollector.com/news/2019/10/nike-end-supplying-products-independent-stores-2021

try this? wrote:

What the hell could you possibly need a local running store for? I can't think of one damn thing I'd buy in one and there's nothing they could possibly have that you couldn't get online.

1. Try on multiple shoes and fit. In a store, I can try X number from Y brands in a matter of minutes. Company A changed their lineup for a shoe, I hated it and had to find a new shoe. I wound up with a shoe I never ran in before and love it.

2. Waste/cost of goods. When you order a shoe or clothes online to try out and ship back, the shoe is not actually restocked, but rather destroyed. The store then submits a ticket to the company and the company reimburses the store for the wholesale price. This leads to waste and partially why the "margins" on shoes are as high as they are. Shoe companies lose a ton on having to destroy returned product so the markup is massive to make up for this as so many shoes bought online are returned. If you try a shoe or clothing on in the store and don't like it, they can simply be restocked as the individual hasn't taken possession of the item yet.

3. Community. My local store has run groups for everyone from elite to walking. No secret here I am a coach and we coach these groups. The store provides the client base for me to coach and I refer new runners to them for gear. Win/win for everyone.

4. Local Races. My local store sponsors local races. Without them or their sponsorship, local races might not have the money they need for events. Ever looked at the cost of putting on a race? Between city/county permits, police overtime, timing chips etc it becomes a 5 figure process real fast for even a small 5k. Large half marathon and longer? 6 figures. The local store helps drive traffic to the local races.

5. Nutrition. You can't just buy one or two gels online. I can try a gel or two from multiple companies by buying at my local store. I find one I like then let my local store know. My local store then orders an extra box for me whenever they order wholesale and sell it to me at just above pass through. Win Win again as I get the box at just above wholesale pricing which is cheaper than by the box and they get a cut still.

6. New runners, again slightly specific but I can refer new runners to the store to get shoes that fit them.

7. Out of town. If I go out of town on a business trip, I will drop into a run store for either a group run or ask them where to go on a run as they have local knowledge and are not localist bleeps about where to go.

xrknx12 wrote:

same thing here. Long-established store on the main street in a college town. No Nikes. I switched to Hokas, which they carry, but had to get my wife's Nike's online. Nike sucks in many ways and my wife will be switching after this pair.

Rapid Transit?

One of my children ran for a Power5 team that was sponsored by Nike. I know most of the distance runners ran in Pegasus, Structure and maybe Vomero. For good Nike's to train in there may be no other choices. My first Nike running shoe was the Lunareclipse around 2015. Looking back I doubt I needed a stability shoe like it. I later switched to the Lunarglide when the Lunarelipse was dropped by Nike. Then Nike so radically changed the Lunarglide that I no longer considered it the same shoe and switched to other brands. I tried on the Pegasus in a few different versions but the toe box never fit my feet. My wife runs in some older Pegasus shoes. I bought several pair when they went on clearance for $40 or less. After trying several other brands I now wear Adidas with Boost. Nike's lasted me about 300 mile or so before the mid-sole foam wore out. The Adidas with Boost last me 600 to 900 miles depending on the model before the outer sole wears out. I started with the last Supernova and now were Solar Glide and Boston shoes from Adidas.