Nike partners with Kim Kardashian's Skims to launch women’s activewear brand
For the first time in its history, Nike has teamed up with an outside company to develop and launch a new brand.
The company is launching NikeSkims in partnership with Skims, the white-hot shapewear brand co-founded by Kim Kardashian. The brand “will disrupt the global fitness and activewear industry with best-in-class innovation in service of all women athletes,” according to a Nike press release.
The NikeSkims assortment will include training apparel, footwear and accessories for women. Styles will be available to all women through extended sizing.
“We’re energized by the opportunity to build a new brand and shake things up for the next generation of athletes with NikeSkims,” says Heidi O’Neill, president of consumer, product and brand, Nike. “This partnership brings together the best of both brands and unlocks an incredible opportunity to disrupt the industry with our shared passion and commitment to innovation.”
Nike is launching the new brand as it looks to broaden its appeal to women. It faces increased competition in the women’s activewear and fitness space from brands such as Lululemon, Alo Yoga and even Fabletics.
The first round of NikeSkims products will be available at select retail locations and online at Nike and Skims sites this spring. A global expansion will follow in 2026, with extension to new markets and retail locations, including wholesale partners.
“Nike and Skims share a deep commitment to innovation, inclusivity and pushing boundaries, driven by an unwavering belief in the power of women,” said Kardashian, who serves as chief creative officer of Skims. “This partnership is the culmination of that shared vision, delivering product that is meticulously designed to sculpt and perform for every body. Every single detail has been obsessed over and carefully considered.”
Launched online in 2019, Skims is now valued at $4 billion. The brand moved into brick-and-mortar last year and has opened six stores to date, including a flagship in December in New York City’s Rockefeller Center.
In a report by WWD, Skims co-founder and CEO Jens Grede said 11 new leases have been signed, including for an L.A. flagship on Sunset Boulevard, as well as stores in San Diego and Palo Alto, Calif. and Charlotte, N.C.
