PREMIUM DRIP SHOWDOWN

For decades, Nike and Adidas have been serving rivalry realness. As the collections are being added to carts worldwide, speculation is swirling over who willcome out on top.

By Agranee Singh

It was bound to happen eventually, the collision of athletic powerhouses, with fashion’s most coveted shapewear. This time, the battlefield has been set with Nike’s collab with Skims and Adidas’ simultaneous launch of A-Type, a premium sportswear line. While the timing is being deemed suspiciously convenient, the

rivalry is being reignited with a new twist: athleisure.

Nike and Adidas are the fashion equivalent of Kendall vs. Kylie, Coke vs. Pepsi, or, dare one say, India vs. Pakistan. For decades, Nike and Adidas have been recognised as the sneaker industry’s ultimate frenemies. Their competition has been marked by a constant game of one-upmanship, one in which iconic silhouettes, collabs, and cultural clout have been strategically played.

When Nike’s Air Jordan 1s were released, Adidas responded with the Forum Low. When Adidas’ Yeezy partnership became the hottest thing on StockX, an online reseller marketplace. Nike countered with Off-White x Air Prestos. Their rivalry has never been subtle, it has been waged in every sneaker drop, brand deal, and

campaign rollout.

Now, the battleground has shifted. With the announcement of the Nike x Skims collection, the sportswear giant has chosen to tap into shapewear supremacy. The line is being crafted with Skims’ signature contouring magic, while Nike’s athletic DNA is being infused into each sculpted bodysuit and compressive legging. The

result is being seen as a collection designed for marathons but destined for Erewhon (the most expensive grocery store in Los Angeles) sightings.

Sonal Thakur, 21, a social media influencer with 63 thousand followers and a fashion design student at NIFT, Patna remarks how Skims has changed the face of premium lingerie after the mammoth Victoria’s Secret, and expanding from shapewear to athleisure surely is a master stroke, since they’re already doing classic pieces and having the Nike collab just makes it bigger, and better.

She sources her Skims through the official website that ships worldwide. Here, underwear is about $18 to $20 a pair. Bras, on average, are between $28 and $32 a set. And full body shapewear starts at about $58. Periodically, too, the company runs package sales, such as their 3 for $36 sale.

Meanwhile, Adidas has been making its own statement. They described A-TYPE as an “artisanal” line, that updates archival Three Stripes shapes, with “the most premium of fabrics, assembled by outstanding ateliers.” The collection is being presented with a different kind of drip, subtle, luxurious, and understated.

Inspired by muted palettes and clean silhouettes, the line is being targeted toward the “stealth wealth” aesthetic, a demographic whose idea of activewear seems to be less about sweat, and more about looking effortlessly chic at brunch.

Harsh Raj, 21, a medical student at UCMS(University College of Medical Sciences), Delhi wears only athleisure given he’s always on the go feels Nike is too overdone and sides with Adidas and remarks his anticipation for the launch as in his words,“ I love the experience that quality luxury wear provides and A-Type is right up the alley of people who believe in quiet luxury like me.

”Harsh is a regular at athleisure brands like Puma, Nike, Adidas, Under Armour, etc., where according to him, his average bill costs him Rs13,000 but indulges in luxury goods from time to time copping brands like Louis Vuitton and Ralph Lauren, making him the ideal contender to buy a pair of $800 shoes.

The timing of these releases is being viewed with raised eyebrows. Nike’s partnership with Skims, coinciding with Adidas’ A-Type rollout is not being seen as a coincidence. Instead, it is being interpreted as a strategic jab. For now, the A-TYPE Collection remains an exclusive Friends & Family offering, whereas, NikeSkims much-anticipated activewear collab will debut its first collection in

the United States in Spring 2025, ahead of a global 2026 rollout.

---