NikeSkims Sets Launch Date

Sports & Outdoors

Here's what's happening this week in the world of sports, outdoor and active brands: 
- Lululemon admits misses, accelerates newness and color resets.
- Salomon's Driftform fuses performance gear with cultural storytelling.
- Hoka, Onitsuka chase prime Japanese street-level flagships.
- Inov8, Houdini headline 2025 running jacket rankings.

⏱️Why Finance and Marketing Measure Growth Differently and How to Bridge the Gap?

At eTail™ Connect West, Fospha’s VP of Growth Jamie Bolton hosted a panel with leading retail brands on the future of measurement. Three themes stood out:

• No single model is enough: Teams combine MTA, MMM, and incrementality for a fuller picture.

• Finance vs. marketing tension: Finance demands proof; marketers need daily direction.

• Speed vs. rigor: Annual MMM updates can’t keep pace with weekly budget shifts.

👉 Fospha closes that gap - the only full-funnel MMM delivering daily, ad-level insights built for teams to grow DTC, Amazon & Beyond.

📌WEEKLY MUST-KNOWS

PRODUCT LAUNCH
NikeSkims Sets Launch Date Of Sept. 26

Nike and Skims will launch a 58-style women's performance and lifestyle line on Sept. 26, marking Nike's first co-created brand to win back female consumers. Seven collections blend Dri-FIT with Skims compression and inclusive sizing, signaling a bold repositioning toward performance-meets-style. Expect competitive pressure on Lululemon, Alo and others, and a heavy athlete-plus-influencer push to drive demand.

COLLAB LAUNCH
Salomon X Mental Athletic ‘Driftform’ Reframes Trail Culture

Salomon and Mental Athletic unveiled Driftform, a black-and-white, design-led trail collection marrying Salomon tech (including Ultra Glide 3) with culture-first storytelling, shot in Cameroon. Debuting in Milan Sept 23 and globally Oct 1, the line positions performance gear as aesthetic identity to court style-conscious runners. This is a template for expanding TAM via cultural narratives, content-rich launches, and crossover retail.

RETAIL EXPERIENCE
Onitsuka Tiger And Hoka Scale Street-Level Flagships In Japan
Outdoor and sports brands are racing for prime, street-level retail in Tokyo and other cities, with immersive storefronts that double as community hubs; Goldwin’s Kyoto space anchors the trend. Post-restriction footfall and tourism are catalyzing experiential formats that blend tactile design with interactive storytelling. Expect more stores-as-media and community programming as brands rebalance CAC and deepen loyalty.

SPONSORSHIP
3M Uses UTMB China To Showcase Performance Tech

3M sponsored three UTMB events across China, integrating Thinsulate, Scotchgard (PFAS-free DWR) and Scotchlite into race gear while fielding a Team 3M athlete squad. The program reframes sponsorship as tech storytelling, linking recycled content claims and performance benefits to real outcomes. Materials and non-endemic brands can borrow this playbook to build credibility in endurance ecosystems.

📅Smartly Advances NYD: Why AI Means More Creativity, Not Less

At Smartly Advanced NYC, Fospha's CEO Sam Carter and CPO Dom Devlin joined industry leaders to debate the role of AI in growth.

The takeaway? From platforms to creators, the consensus is clear: AI isn’t about replacing jobs. It’s about extending human creativity and unlocking new opportunities for marketers to grow.

Watch Sam's perspective from the event 

⚡QUICK READS

Trail Blazers: How Sports Labels Build Communities: Hoka’s Ningbo “Flying Run Carnival” blended paired-trail formats, women-first support and forums, signaling community equity as a retention moat in China’s run category.(More)

The Best Running Jacket Of 2025: OutdoorGearLab names Inov8 Raceshell HZ best overall and Patagonia Houdini best value, informing Q4 assortment and affiliate content strategies for run specialty.(More)

From Running Shoes To Recycled Sweaters: The Future Of Sustainable Travel: Forbes spotlights On Cloudrunner 2, Patagonia recycled cashmere and Paka socks, reinforcing sustainable materials and traceability as conversion drivers for travel-minded athletes.(More)

Five Sustainable Products That Elevate Your Outdoor Travel Plans: A second Forbes roundup in days amplifies consumer demand for certified eco materials and modular gear, a low-cost PR lever for brands with verifiable claims.(More)

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