Nike fumbles its biggest launch of the year
Nike’s most anticipated launch of the year was supposed to reset the narrative. Instead, it’s sounding the alarm.
Nike desperately needs a comeback.
Sales are down, and the brand has been grasping for ways to win back the audience it used to own — especially women.
In the past few months, it’s shuffled leadership, made sweeping organizational changes, and promised a new era. But there’s been one initiative everyone has watched more closely than the rest.
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This wasn’t just a product drop.
It was supposed to be a cultural reset, the kind of launch that makes headlines and stirs hype on TikTok before a single item even hits the site. A move that signals Nike gets it — that it can keep pace with the brands Gen Z and Millennial women actually want to wear.
Internally, it was treated like a major turning point. And externally, anticipation was sky-high.
But without warning, the launch is off the calendar. No update. No rollout. Just a quiet delay, and a whole lot of unanswered questions.
And that’s a problem...because this was the one drop Nike couldn’t afford to miss.
Nike quietly delays SKIMS activewear line
The highly anticipated NikeSKIMS line, a collaboration with Kim Kardashian’s $4 billion shapewear empire SKIMS, has been officially delayed.
Nike then-President of Consumer and Marketplace Heidi O’Neill had said the partnership, originally scheduled to launch this spring, brought together the best of both brands, "unlock[ing] an incredible opportunity to disrupt the industry with our shared passion and commitment to innovation.”
The line is now expected to debut later this year, according to Bloomberg.
No new date has been confirmed, and the delay wasn’t caused by suppliers or shipping issues. Instead, it was an internal decision, one Nike and Kardashian made to "get the product right."
Related: Nike delivers bad news for customers
“We will invite even more athletes into sport and movement with product that makes them feel strong and sexy,” the company said.
The line was supposed to include apparel, footwear, and accessories. But in the time since it was announced, O’Neill — a key architect of the partnership — has exited the company.
Meanwhile, Nike’s new CEO, Elliott Hill, has been doubling down on the SKIMS partnership as a high-stakes brand revival strategy.
But now, with no launch in sight, that strategy is looking shakier by the day.
Nike’s delayed SKIMS launch adds more pressure to struggling brand
This delay wouldn’t be such a big deal if Nike wasn’t already under so much pressure.
Nike’s third-quarter revenues were $11.3 billion, down 9% from the same time last year, according to its recent earnings report.
Meanwhile, Nike (NKE) stock has declined nearly 20% year to date, and investor sentiment continues to weaken. That kind of context turns a simple delay into something louder...a major red flag in the middle of an attempted reinvention.
It also raises questions about internal alignment. If this was the moment to reconnect with the female consumer, what happened behind the scenes to justify hitting pause?
Nike maintains the partnership is strong. But now it’s facing the tough task of rebuilding buzz around a launch that's already lost momentum.
And when the SKIMS line finally lands, let's hope the moment hasn’t passed Nike by.
Related: Kim Kardashian’s billion-dollar brand just made a major move
