retail / Activewear

In 2024, the sneaker world was rocked by missteps and management change at Nike, which now faces a difficult turnaround as challengers like On and Hoka continue their assault. Meanwhile, fashion’s fixation on sport reached a new pitch at the Paris Olympics and shows no signs of letting up.

An independent investigation commissioned by The Fair Labour Association — a human rights monitoring organisation that counts Nike as a member — identified several “significant issues” in a long-standing case of alleged wage theft.

New CEO Elliott Hill outlined his plan to turn Nike around as the company battled through another challenging quarter. There are signs of progress, but it’s going to be a long road back.

Sneaker giants often have a ‘cheat code’ for tie-ups with indie designers, insiders say, reflecting a lack of innovation among legacy players in the industry.

The company’s third-quarter earnings call will provide one of the first opportunities for CEO Elliott Hill to lay out his turnaround plan.

The battle between challenger brands and incumbents is only set to intensify, pushing each camp to develop more innovative products and devise creative new ways to reach shoppers and tell their stories, according to the BoF-McKinsey State of Fashion 2025.

While other Western brands are fading, the Canadian yoga wear maker can’t expand fast enough on the mainland.

Adidas has mounted one of the more remarkable turnarounds in recent memory after facing a crisis two years ago from the end of its Yeezy business. BoF spoke to chief executive Bjørn Gulden and other members of Adidas’ leadership to unpack how a series of bold decisions on products like its Samba sneaker, a move to refocus the brand on athletes and internal shifts brought Adidas back from the brink.