This is not intended as a joke nor am I trolling for pro/anti Nike vitriol. This is a real question that some of you who are bigger fans than I and follow T+F more closely probably know the answer to.
What I have been able to observe is that nearly every HS runner wears Nike. Now, some have contracts, or maybe less formal deals since the athletes are usually under 18. Rupp pretty much 'had' to wear Nike even when he was not 'officially' sponsored by them and still in HS. Ditto Cain. Alana wears Mizuno. However, whenever I see a photo of a random HS race not they're very close to 100 percent Nike-shod. One exception was a pic of Erin Finn in Brooks.
This got me thinking. Nearly all runners with no contractual obligations, who actually pay for shoes, all wear the same brand. Kate Grace was the first Oiselle athlete I saw reasonably close-up pics of, and I think I saw Nikes. This is without an obligation to wear them nor likely any deal to get freebies.
Next I remember Meb signing on with Skechers and I'm talking way back, like his first race sans Nike sponsorship, I wasn't sure what he wore but folks online (I think maybe on LRC) were saying it looked like he was in Nike. Since then, of course, his sponsor has expanded and improved their line and team Skechers definetly wear their shoes.
This all made me think that Nike is what everyone out there really wants to be wearing (although not me or any of the other equally insignificant people I personally know and run with), and the only reason anyone wears anything else is bacause they're paid to. This would seem true if my belief that they have essentially no competition in the MS and HS market is true AND if pro runners who lack obligation to wear any particular brand follow suit. I'm talking racing shoes here, and mainly spikes.
Is this the case? Again, this is not a joke; I really am wondering. I don't get USN so I can't watch much track and I also don't have a setup that can pause and look closely at Leo's feet. By next season, Hoka will probably have spikes, but what's on his feet right now?