Nike is set to join forces with Kim Kardashian’s Skims to introduce the NikeSkims womenswear brand. This collaboration is focused on bolstering Nike’s connection with female athletes and consumers. Similar to the Jordan brand, NikeSkims is designed to be a long-lasting partnership.
The announcement of NikeSkims was made on Tuesday, unveiling a new collection of training apparel, footwear, and accessories catered to women. While Nike frequently collaborates with athletes and celebrities for limited-edition sportswear, this partnership represents a significant evolution from typical projects.
For the first time, Nike is collaborating with an existing external brand to create a new line. Rachel Wolff, a retail analyst at EMARKETER, noted that this collaboration serves as a “win-win” for both parties. As Nike advances its approach to attract all genders and increase its focus on female athletes, aligning with a womenswear powerhouse like Skims will enhance its “gender offense,” as described by CEO Elliott Hill during a recent earnings call. The details of the long-term agreement, however, remain undisclosed.
This partnership echoes Nike’s most significant collaboration to date—its legendary agreement with Michael Jordan. In 1984, the basketball star signed a deal with Nike for $500,000 annually, plus royalties. The Air Jordan brand was launched the following year with the debut of the Air Jordan 1 sneaker, which transcended basketball and became a streetwear phenomenon. Today, Michael Jordan boasts a net worth of around $3.5 billion, with Nike reportedly paying him approximately $260 million before tax in the last fiscal year, according to Forbes.
Forty years later, the Jordan brand continues to be a substantial revenue generator, contributing around $6.9 billion to Nike in the 2024 fiscal year, which is about 17% of the company’s total wholesale equivalent sales.
Just as Nike leveraged Jordan’s immense popularity years ago, Kardashian’s global presence and over 350 million Instagram followers are likely to significantly enhance Nike’s visibility. Kardashian co-founded Skims in 2019 as a shapewear brand and has since expanded into loungewear, leading to a remarkable growth that culminated in a $4 billion valuation in 2023.
“Nike has the chance to tap into Skims’ strong appeal among female consumers, a crucial demographic for the athletic brand, and in return, Skims gains access to a broader consumer base as well as Nike’s robust manufacturing capabilities,” Wolff stated.
Representatives from Nike directed inquiries to a press release for comments, while Skims has not responded yet. Reports suggest that both brands began collaborating on NikeSkims in 2023. During an interview with the New York Times in October 2024, Skims CEO Jens Grede compared the two brands, although some analysts expressed skepticism about the equivalency.
While many agree that Nike has successfully expanded its market reach, there are concerns regarding Skims’ close association with Kardashian. Matthew Quint, director of the Center on Global Brand Leadership at Columbia Business School, remarked in October that Skims may not appeal to everyone due to this association.
Nonetheless, Grede likened Kardashian to “the Michael Jordan of influencers,” referencing her significant net worth of $1.7 billion as estimated by Forbes prior to the partnership announcement.
The NikeSkims launch is anticipated for spring, with plans for a global rollout by 2026. Skims has already demonstrated its consumer appeal through its collaboration with The North Face, which sold out within hours of its release on December 10, according to Women’s Wear Daily.
