As Nike pushes further back into wholesale, the Swoosh is bringing its Jordan Brand sneakers to Rack Room Shoes.
Starting on Feb. 3, the Charlotte, N.C.-based family footwear retailer will offer Jordan sneakers in all of its retail locations and online. Rack Room Shoes’ collection of Jordans will feature mid and low versions of the Connect, inspired by the legendary Jordan 1, and the Trunner Flow, a new running-focused style, as well as other offerings influenced by retro Jordans.
The retailer noted that its Jordan sneaker offering will span across men’s, women’s, and kids’ sizes, as well as slides, socks and backpacks. Rack Room also noted that the Jordan collection will be anchored by the brand’s heritage colorways, including black, red, and white combinations as well as clean white-white, game royal and vivid pink.
Brian Burnett, chief merchandising officer at Rack Room Shoes, said in a statement that the company’s new partnership with Jordan is “ultimate proof” of its motto “Legends Raise Legends.”
“Being one of the few retailers to carry the original launch in 1985 was a defining moment for our company,” Burnett noted. “Bringing that heritage back to our shelves with new styles for the next generation of athletes and sneakerheads is a milestone we’ve been waiting to celebrate.”
This announcement comes amid Nike’s return to wholesale as the Swoosh looks to turnaround its business. Last month, Nike chief executive officer Elliott Hill told analysts that the company is “in the middle innings” of its comeback, adding that various areas of the business are in different phases of turnaround.
Net sales in the second quarter at the Beaverton, Ore.-based company tallied $12.43 billion, up 1 percent from $12.35 billion on a reported basis and flat on a currency-neutral basis. But net income fell 32 percent in the period to $792 million from $1.16 billion in the year-ago period.
As for Rack Room, the retailer revealed in September that it is building on its strategic growth plan with the opening of seven new “lighthouse concept stores” across the country.
“We are not just opening new stores; we are deepening our roots in communities, ensuring families have convenient access to the brands they love and the value they expect from us,” Molly Hartney, chief marketing and digital officer at Rack Room, said in a statement at the time.
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