I created this awesome, hilariously witty commentary on the futile battle between sneaker pimps Nike and Adidas, but low and behold, it vanished without a trace. The story documented both companies foray into “fringe” sports, endorsement deals, and their pursuit to conquer East Asia. Not by sweatshops, but rather by focusing on China, which is fast becoming a white hot market for both Nike and Adidas. So, the long and the short of the first paragraph also included something about Nike opening up a 13,000 square foot retail outlet in China back in 2007, which was at the time the sporting giants largest store. But in an effort to be competitive, Adidas followed suit with their own new mega-store.
Nearly equal in size, the new Adidas shop opened up earlier this month, just in time for the Olympics. The store is much more impressive than the re-skinned brick building that Nike calls home, as it’s glass and black panelled facade make it seem larger than life. Inside, patrons can try out technologies that were typically reserved for star athletes, which help gauge body type and performance abilities, thereby matching consumers with the right gear. Adidas plans on saturating the market with 2,300 new stores in China, to be completed by 2010. Whether you prefer the swoosh or the three stripe is up to you. We just hope things don’t go all “Jenifer Government” in the near future.
