Fashion
Nike eyes China growth, with outdoor sports revamp at the centre
By
Reuters
Published
August 22, 2025
Nike‘s push into the booming outdoor recreation market- which will kick off on Monday with the launch of a new trail running shoe- will test whether it can turn a little-known sub-brand into a meaningful growth engine.
The sportswear giant plans to unveil a version of its Ultrafly trail running shoe – branded under its outdoor sub-brand, ACG – at the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc, an ultramarathon in France that begins on Monday, Nike spokesman Jay Paavonpera said.
It is part of Nike’s push to reposition ACG as a serious player in performance trail running. More broadly, the move is in line with CEO Elliott Hill’s strategy to refocus the Nike brand around core sports like running at a time when its dominance is being challenged by smaller rivals.
Nike is playing catch-up in both outdoor recreation, which has surged since the pandemic, and in China, where the populace has taken to outdoor activities like trail running in a big way. The company’s lagging performance in both markets goes some way toward explaining why its share of the global sportswear market has ebbed in recent years, analysts said. Outdoor recreation includes a range of activities including hiking and camping.
Nike-sponsored runners like Anthony Costales will race in the shoe, dubbed the ACG Ultrafly, which is set to hit shelves in spring 2026, Nike said. A similarly rebooted, ACG-branded version of the Zegama trail runner will launch later in 2025.
Brands like Salomon and Hoka “have broken out and done well” in trail running, said Morningstar analyst David Swartz, and “Nike needs to fight back.”
Doing it with ACG – short for All Conditions Gear – will not be easy. The unit, which debuted in 1989 with a focus on hiking and biking, is now associated with “gorpcore,” a fashion trend that incorporates functional gear into stylish wardrobes. It is usually relegated to a shelf or two at Nike stores, often next to “a picture of a guy walking up a mountain, or something like that,” said Swartz.
But with China and ACG, Nike may be playing a long game as it plans to expand its businesses across that market. It established its ACG team as a sub-brand in October and put Angela Dong, vice president for all of Greater China, in charge of the unit. In June, Hill said its biggest opportunity in China is “from a brand perspective, to inspire and invite the 1.3 billion consumers into the world of sport, lifestyle sport and to fitness.”
Sales of outdoor apparel nearly doubled in China between 2019 and 2025, with outdoor footwear ticking up 65% over the same period, according to Euromonitor International data. Nike, though, has logged double-digit sales declines in China in each of the last three quarters.
“China has remained a challenging market for Nike,” wrote Zacks Equity Research. The company has faced heavy competition in China from other retailers, and the nation’s own economic struggles and high youth unemployment have inhibited spending. Nike’s share of the global sportswear market has fallen to 26% from 29% in 2021, according to Euromonitor, as competitors like Hoka, the title sponsor of the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc, use trail running to fuel growth. That company’s shoes were also once a niche brand before going mainstream, Swartz said.
Launching at a Hoka-sponsored event may be Nike’s attempt to steal some of its rival’s thunder, said Jessica Ramirez, co-founder of retail industry consultancy the Consumer Collective. It is a way for Nike to “flex its financial muscle” over smaller brands, Ramirez said.
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The agreement covers the construction and operation of a 360-kilometre railway linking the main mining areas of Al-Shidiya and Ghor Al-Safi to the Port of Aqaba.
The United Aran Emirates and Jordan recently an agreement to develop a railway network in Jordan and establish the UAE-Jordan Railway Company.
The agreement covers the construction and operation of a 360-kilometre railway linking the main mining areas of Al-Shidiya and Ghor Al-Safi to the Port of Aqaba.
The project aims at transporting 16 million tonnes of phosphate and potash annually.
The project aims at transporting 16 million tonnes of phosphate and potash annually, with a total investment value of $2.3 billion. Both phosphate and potash are chemicals used in the textile industry.
The agreement was signed by UAE Minister of Energy and Infrastructure Suhail bin Mohamed Al Mazrouei and Jordan’s Minister of Transport Nidal Al-Qatamin.
The UAE-Jordan Railway Company was formally established as a joint venture between Abu Dhabi’s L’IMAD Holding Company (L’IMAD) and several Jordanian stakeholders, according to an official release in the UAE.
The joint venture will be responsible for the implementation, operation and maintenance of Jordan’s railway network through its executing arm, Etihad Rail, the developer and operator of the UAE’s national railway network.
The project will enhance Jordan’s export capabilities and logistics efficiency by directly linking phosphate and potash production sites to the Port of Aqaba, significantly reducing transport time and costs.
It will also support comprehensive economic development and open wide prospects for job creation across multiple sectors, leveraging the extensive expertise of Etihad Rail.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)
With more than two decades of experience in the sports industry, James brings a unique combination of skills, which will help PUMA use creative direction as an important strategic lever to establish itself as a top-3 global sports brand.
Puma has appointed James Carnes as senior vice president creative direction.
Reporting to Maria Valdes, he will oversee creative direction, innovation, and product excellence.
With over two decades of experience, including leadership roles at Adidas, he will align design strategy with business goals to strengthen Puma’s global brand appeal and market position.
“James is a very highly regarded leader in our industry and he has been instrumental in shaping some of the most influential performance and lifestyle products, labels, and platforms,“ said Maria Valdes. “With a strong background in industrial design and a deep understanding of both athletes and consumers, he will play an important role in getting our customers and consumers excited about PUMA once again.”
Until 2021, James held several leadership positions in design, creative direction and strategy at adidas, both in Herzogenaurach and Portland, Oregon. Most recently he worked as an independent consultant and investor in the wider industry.
At PUMA, James will align creative direction with the company’s overall strategic ambitions, set the seasonal direction for the Business Units and create a long-term look and feel for the brand across consumer touch points.
“Creative Direction is about more than seasonal trends and colours. It is about defining how PUMA holistically presents itself in the market, harnessing the company’s portfolio of world class innovation, and deeply connecting with consumers,” said James Carnes. “We have the amazing opportunity to modernize the image and style of one of the most iconic sports brands in the world and I look forward to leading our teams and collaborating with my colleagues to make this happen.”
Note: The headline, insights, and image of this press release may have been refined by the Fibre2Fashion staff; the rest of the content remains unchanged.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (RM)
China will step up building a higher-level China-Vietnam community with a shared future that carries strategic significance, Chinese President Xi Jinping said while holding talks with visiting Vietnamese President To Lam.
China and Vietnam are accelerating efforts to navigate bilateral trade towards a more balanced and sustainable course.
President Xi Jinping recently held talks with visiting Vietnamese President To Lam.
During the visit, Vietnamese Minister of Industry and Trade Le Manh Hung called for a restructuring of production, trade and supply chains alongside stronger investment cooperation.
Xi said both countries should work together in their modernisation drive, accelerate the alignment of development strategies and prioritise infrastructure connectivity.
While meeting Chinese Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao during the state visit, Vietnamese Minister of Industry and Trade Le Manh Hung called for a restructuring of production, trade and supply chains alongside stronger investment cooperation.
Wang said both sides should focus on implementing the high-level common perceptions, including raising bilateral trade turnover to $500 billion in future.
Hung urged China to expand imports of Vietnamese goods, broaden the list of products eligible for tariff preferences and further open its market. He also called for the mutual recognition of quarantine results for agro-forestry-fishery products, facilitation of Vietnamese exports via cross-border e-commerce, and expansion of Vietnam’s trade promotion offices across Chinese localities, according to a Vietnamese news agency.
China will continue to support Vietnam in setting up additional trade promotion offices, following those already established in Chongqing, Hangzhou and Haikou, Wang responded.
China also expressed readiness to support Vietnam’s stronger exports through cross-border e-commerce, encouraging greater visibility of the Vietnam National Pavilion on Chinese e-commerce platforms beyond JD.com to better promote Vietnamese products to Chinese consumers.
China has consistently been Vietnam’s largest trading partner and second-largest export market, while Vietnam continues to be China’s biggest trading partner in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)
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