Nike’s days as number one in the U.S. footwear market might be numbered, if Adidas gets its way.
Adidas confirmed its efforts to oust Nike for the top spot in footwear, according to a CNN report. The brand reportedly will bank on athlete endorsement deals, customer feedback, a quicker supply chain and investments in technology, to help nudge Nike out of the number one spot.
While Adidas might be strong internationally, gaining the top spot in the world footwear market cannot be fought without a hold on the North American market.
In 2016, NPD reported that Nike reigned over half of the U.S. footwear market, while Adidas controlled around 7 percent and Under Armour 3 percent.
Adidas North American President, Mark King, told CNNMoney that the company hasn’t “succeeded in a big way,” in the U.S. “We have more sports here,” King told CNNMoney. “Trends, media attention, just overall hype around sports, the epicenter is America.”
Adidas corralled big-name athletes like NBA player James Harden, NFL player Von Miller and MLB player Kris Bryant. However, Nike boasts its own elite roster of Serena Williams, LeBron James and Cristiano Ronaldo to name a few.
Adidas will also change the way it tries to appeal to women, by listening to what shoppers want and being more on top of trends and customer feedback.
“We haven’t been very effective in how we’ve talked to women, the way we’ve designed products for women, the way we’ve taken products to market,” King said.
In an effort to quicken the supply chain, Adidas also announced the opening of ‘speed factories’ in Atlanta, Georgia and Germany. The brand also continues efforts to roll out new innovations, like the Futurecraft 4D, which uses revolutionary light and oxygen to 3-D print.