Nike's $130 Billion Athletic Shoe Market

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Athletic shoe market is $130 billion, says David Bianculli. Nike makes money by putting its swoosh on replica jerseys that are made by fanatics. The company doesn't seem to have figured out price discrimination with some specialized shoes. "Even if it's breaking a little bit of a rule, it's fine," he says about the way they run races.

Nike — it’s perhaps the most iconic and most prolific brand of the modern era. On any given day, swooshes adorn the feet of more people on earth than any other footwear company — by a long shot.

If you read Shoe Dog or watched Air, you may think you know its history. But Shoe Dog ends in 1980, and Air… well let’s just say it’s an enjoyable piece of fiction. And it turns out (as always) that the real story is filled with far more drama, twists and business lessons than either of those works.

We’ve been wanting to cover Nike for a long time, and thanks to our LPs who voted to choose this episode it’s finally here. So lace up your Vaporflys, Air Maxes, Dunks or Jordans (or your Monarchs, hey we don’t judge), head out for a long run or walk and enjoy!

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