I visited 5 stores that sell Nike to see how it’s overhauling its retail strategy — and find the best deals

Nike is overhauling its in-store presence, and my visits to five retailers this back-to-school season suggest the approach isn’t one size fits all.

Its retail partners, like Foot Locker and Snipes, seem to have the deepest markdowns, while Nike’s stores have a broader selection. That’s based on my store checks in New York, including Nike’s new location in Brooklyn, two Foot Locker stores, streetwear retailer Snipes, and Urban Outfitters.

Nike is facing heightened competition this back-to-school season.

A recent footwear survey by investment bank Stifel of over 100 stores found that Nike’s popularity lost ground this back-to-school season, though it was still the most popular brand in stores. The stores referenced Nike as one of their most popular brands in 87% of the firm’s checks, down from 97% during the back-to-school season four years ago. Competitors like New Balance and Adidas gained popularity, as Nike’s retro styles like Dunks, Air Force 1, and Jordan 1 lost.

Nike is also in the midst of a transformation.

In January, CEO Elliott Hill told Fortune that Nike had become “too promotional.” He said the company would cut back on markdowns to provide a more “elevated” experience beginning earlier this year.

In June, the company said that it was planning “surgical” price hikes in the US, which would roll out in phases beginning the same month. The company is raising prices to offset an expected $1 billion cost increase from tariffs this year.

Hill’s plan to turn around Nike — which posted a 10% year-over-year sales decline for fiscal 2025— also includes rebuilding relationships with wholesale partners that he said were weakened by Nike’s focus on its direct-to-consumer strategy.

If my store visits are any indication, the company is making good on this plan. Here’s what I observed at my local shoe stores.

I went to Nike’s new location in Brooklyn.

This Downtown Brooklyn Nike store opened across the street from the Barclays Center in June, and I stopped in mid-August. Despite it being a rainy weekday afternoon, I saw families with their brown Nike bags exiting as I entered, which suggests the new location is pulling in foot traffic.

The store experience was immediately more elevated than what I’m used to seeing at other stores that carry Nike shoes. The sprawling store was lined with walls of sneakers and sections broken down by gender and sport. The space wasn’t lacking in square footage and had large displays that told stories about some of the athletes Nike works with.

Unlike Foot Locker and Snipes, there were no red tags indicating markdowns that I could see.

Nike’s WNBA partnership was on full display.

The Brooklyn Nike store is notably steps away from the Barclays Center, home to the WNBA’s New York Liberty. As such, I wasn’t surprised to see that the Liberty had its own display of gear in the store. Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu’s shoe line was front and center in the store’s windows.

It nodded to Nike’s decision to deepen its partnership with the WNBA by announcing in October a 12-year agreement with the NBA, WNBA, and NBA G League to be the exclusive uniform and apparel provider for each league.

I visited 2 Foot Locker locations around New York City.

I went to a Brooklyn Foot Locker and another in the SoHo neighborhood in the last weeks of August. From all of my store checks, it was clear that Foot Locker had the best deals for back-to-school shoppers. A pair of black and white Nike Dunks, for example, was marked down to $75. At the Nike store, they were $115.

However, Nike wasn’t the star of the show at the Brooklyn Foot Locker location. When I walked in, I was met with a prominent Adidas display at the front door.

According to the report from Stifel, Adidas is hitting its peak in popularity with styles like the retro Samba driving the trend.

I dropped by Snipes on my way home to see what sort of deals it has.

Snipes was packed on a Wednesday evening with families trying on different shoes. Similar to Foot Locker, many of the display shoes had bright red tags indicating markdowns from the original price.

The selection was in line with the styles I observed at Foot Locker and the Nike store, though more limited than the latter. Unlike the Nike store and Foot Locker, Snipes showcased a selection of more streetwear-focused shoes and apparel.

I also stopped by Urban Outfitters to look for its collaboration with Nike.

The men’s section in Urban Outfitters had the most prominent display of Nike products out of all the partners I visited. It mainly showcased Nike apparel and accessories, but I also noticed a wall of retro sneakers, like the Nike Cortez.

Nike has been striking deals with more retailers, going beyond sporting goods stores to include fashion retailers like Urban Outfitters and Aritzia.

I couldn’t help but observe a New Balance section also set up in the men’s section of the Urban Outfitters in SoHo. New Balance surged to second place in popularity mentions at 31% as style trends shift to retro running shoes, according to Stifel.

The prices on sneakers varied from place to place.

I came across a pair of white and silver Nike Shox that cost $130 on sale at Foot Locker, $170 at the Nike store, and $180 at Snipes.

Nike suggests a retail price to wholesale partners, but they set their own prices and markdowns.

If you’re on the hunt for a pair of Nike Vomero 5s, which drove the fastest growth in popularity for boys and girls this back-to-school season, you’ll be in luck. Every store I stopped in sold them in an array of colors at varying prices.

Overall, it was clear that it’s best to shop around if you’re looking for a specific shoe.

Overall, Nike’s store seems like the place to go if you’re looking for something very specific or to get a feel for the brand — it has the widest selection.

Partners like Foot Locker and Snipes seem to have the best deals and discounts. Meanwhile, Nike’s newer retail partnerships with stores like Urban Outfitters seem designed to showcase the brand’s lifestyle selection and expose it to new audiences.

If you’re unsure what you’re looking for, it’s definitely worth shopping around different Nike retailers. You never know what sort of deal you might stumble upon.

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