Two years ago, Portland running store Foot Traffic didn’t sell Nike shoes.
Today, it’s not just selling Nike shoes. It also will host a watch party and a post-race celebration with Nike this weekend as part of the Portland Marathon.
The budding partnership is one sign of Nike’s renewed focus on everyday runners and wholesale accounts, a strategy that’s starting to pay dividends after a prolonged slump for Oregon’s biggest company.
While corporate challenges persist, on a quarterly earnings call with stock analysts this week, CEO Elliott Hill said Nike’s running business grew 20% in the quarter that ended Aug. 31, which he described as an “early window” into what’s next. Nike’s wholesale business grew 7%.
Running is Nike’s legacy business, but it lost ground in the category in recent years as it leaned into retro sneakers and selling products on its website and in its stores.
Running USA’s recent Global Runner Survey, which polled 12,700 racers, ranked Nike No. 6 for training shoes and No. 2 for racing shoes.
When he started work about a year ago, Hill, who came up through sales, reversed the recent focuses on retro sneakers and direct sales.
Nike is now organized around specific sports. Running was the first product category to benefit from the new approach, and Hill said it’s enabled the development of better products. He expects similar gains in other categories.
Foot Traffic owner Sean Rivers said he’s already noticed a difference with the Nike sales reps that service his account.
“There’s enthusiasm on the ground,” he said.
On Sunday, before the start of the marathon, Rivers will be at his store on Northwest 23rd Avenue, where with Nike’s help the store will heat-press decals onto race shirts.
“Nike is relevant and authenticated through these activations,” Rivers said.
Nike’s also the new multi-year footwear and apparel sponsor for the Portland Marathon.
“It brings a prestige to the marathon that a company like Nike sees the value in it, but probably more importantly for us is it shows the community that they’re here to support local events,” said Darrell Phippen, head of events for Brooksee, which puts on the marathon.
Ahead of the marathon, Nike put up about a dozen billboards around Portland, including one that describes the Burnside Bridge as the “Burn-Thigh Bridge.” Runners will cross the structure just before the end of the marathon.
“Running and community are inextricably linked,” said Deepa Ramprasad, a senior director of Nike Running footwear.
Among the Nike sneakers that will likely be crossing the “Burn-Thigh Bridge” on Sunday are the Vomero, Pegasus and Structure, which are, respectively, built for maximum cushioning, responsiveness and support.
A September report by the Wall Street firm Jefferies said the Pegasus and Vomero ranked first and second among the models it tracked for average monthly searches over 12 months.
Ramprasad said the momentum adds up to an “inflection point” for Nike’s running business.
The Vomero 18, a running shoe designed to provide maximum cushioning, debuted in February.
Three months ago, Hill said it had already eclipsed $100 million in sales. Ramprasad called 2025 the “year of the Vomero” because of the shoe’s sizzling launch.
“Nike is making a product that is completely relevant,” said Foot Traffic’s Rivers.