Nike has announced four new ways of thinking about sneakers for women in 2018: expanded sizing, unique retail experiences (Nike Unlaced), exclusive services and new voices.
The company states unisex sizing on select classic Jordan styles and collaborative collections recognizes the universality of sneaker culture and reduces the frustration of missing out due to size unavailability. This fall expanded sizes will extend to iconic silos, including the Nike Air Force 1 and Air Max lines.
Women can find these styles and more at Nike Unlaced, a curated selection of sneakers, inclusive of expanded sizes, innovative performance styles and iconic collaborations. Nike Unlaced is a global digital (debuting Mar. 27) and retail concept (opening this summer) that follows a Nike dot-com evolution in Europe, which provided distinction for women through product styling and local curators. The Nike x Nordstrom sneaker boutique retail and digital experience, co-created with Olivia Kim, served as another precursor, the company states. Local Nike Unlaced product curations by influential creatives and stylists from New York, Paris, London, Shanghai and more are coming soon.
Nike Unlaced shoppers will also experience personalized styling and VIP member experiences, including same-day delivery and exclusive hours. Members will have the opportunity to arrange one-on-one appointments with guest stylists and take their purchases home in specialized packaging.
In pushing new female voices, Nike says it’s challenging the sneaker status quo. In recent years, this has been propelled by curator-led retail partnerships, creative endeavors with A.L.C.’s Andrea Lieberman and the International Girls Crew on the iconic Nike Cortez ; The 1 Reimagined project, Nike’s first collection of footwear designed entirely by a 14-strong female design collective. Nike states these projects define the future state of footwear for women, where more curation and collaboration can be expected, but also an increase in female representation is poised to manifest new ideas not just for women but all sneaker enthusiasts.
