Nike is one of the most popular brands in the world. But the prices for its clothing and footwear in Russia are, to put it mildly, unattractive. We once did a price comparison for Nike, Adidas, and Puma, and it turned out that on average, when buying in Russia, you overpay by 45%. And this was a comparison based on the official websites (Adidas.ru vs. Adidas.com, Nike.ru vs. Nike.com). But in America, there are even more advantageous options. The Nike store, of course, has the very latest collections, but if you check out Amazon, eBay, or 6PM, you can grab items another one and a half to two times cheaper.
So it turns out that, as usual, when buying good clothing and footwear in Russia, you overpay by almost several times. For Nike and other top-tier well-known brands (for example, DKNY), the problem is far more serious, because people will buy them regardless, so prices can be jacked up as high as you like.
We'll break down the scale of the savings in a bit more detail with examples later on, but for now — why do people love and respect Nike so much in the first place?
Nike brand history
The Nike company was originally called Blue Ribbon Sports (BRS). It was founded in 1964 by University of Oregon track athlete Phil Knight together with his coach Bill Bowerman. Initially, the company sold its sneakers at running venues and athlete gatherings — directly from Knight’s car.
Bowerman made the first pair of Nike sneakers for Otis Davis, a student-athlete he trained at Oregon University. Later, wearing them, he won two gold medals at the Olympic Games.
In 1964, during its first year in business, BRS sold 1,300 pairs of sneakers and earned $8,000. At that time Nike could only be purchased directly from its founders. But already in 1965 they hired several employees, and sales reached $20,000; in 1966 they opened their first store in Santa Monica (California) and earned $100,000 for the year. Back then that seemed like a truly enormous sum.
The world’s most recognizable logo — the so-called “Swoosh” — was created in 1971 by Portland student Carolyn Davidson as freelance work. The first sneakers featuring the Swoosh were unveiled at the 1972 Olympic Games. For her logo design Davidson was paid $35 at the time. Today that single emblem is worth several billion dollars. The designer was not left without recognition either: in 1983, when Nike had become a market giant, Knight gifted her a diamond ring featuring the black “check mark” along with 500 shares of the company.
From the 1980s onward Nike footwear and apparel became an important part of American life. Young people everywhere began wearing tracksuits, pants, baseball caps, and sneakers with the Swoosh. Air Jordans, Air Max, and Air Force models grew especially popular. Gradually the products also started selling abroad. Many Europeans wanted to order such Nikes from America, and later Nike even became a sales leader in China and India.
The company was also one of the first to sell its goods online. Nike’s official website in America launched as early as 1994, and in 1999 the company became the first in the world to allow customizing shoes when placing an online order — choosing color combinations, logo placement, sole shape, and much more.
In July 2019 a pair of Nike sneakers sold at a Sotheby’s auction for $440,000. These were the “Moon Shoes,” created by company co-founder Bill Bowerman for U.S. Olympic runners in 1972. They remain the most expensive sneakers in the world to date.
Why are Nike sneakers so popular❓
In 2019, Nike in the USA received an award as the most popular brand among young people — for the 9th year in a row. At the moment, this brand alone (the name and the “swoosh”) is valued at $37 billion. And the company itself — at more than $125 billion. It is also the second most well-known brand among all online shoppers. The first is Amazon.
Why are people so crazy about them? There are three main reasons here:
1. Sports. Many athletes wear Nike. Especially in basketball and soccer. Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Totti, Drogba, Neymar, Ibrahimovic, Kane and many other top names. They get paid for it, but, among other things, Nike sneakers are simply better than others. In the world of sports footwear, Nike accounts for about 62% of the market.
2. Innovation. The company is not afraid to move the world forward. For example, it has recently started releasing shoes with self-lacing laces (just like in the movie “Back to the Future 2”). It has sneakers that connect to a smartphone, sending all the data there to the app. It produces Nike Air Max and Nike Vaporfly — unique shoes with a special sole that in 2019 allowed Eliud Kipchoge to run a marathon in less than 2 hours — something previously considered physically impossible.
3. Price. In the store, everything is quite affordable (especially in the USA). You can get good shoes even without discounts for $100-$120, and with discounts on the official Nike website — for $80 or even cheaper. For such high-quality and hyped sneakers, this is a very advantageous offer. Less than six thousand rubles for a pair.
In addition, people understand that good shoes are no less beneficial for a healthy lifestyle than a proper diet. And Nike produces shoes for these needs. Their sneakers are comfortable for just moving around the city and going to the gym. You don’t necessarily have to run a marathon or step onto a soccer field. That’s why the company also has a lot of shoes designed for women.
Where to buy Nike sneakers❓
- Nike.com — American Nike site, prices on average one and a half times lower than Russian ones (if not counting the Sale section), plus the largest selection, including new collections.
- 6PM.com — the main discount store in the USA, all shoes and clothing with discounts up to 70%. As a result, you can save several thousand rubles on each purchase, even taking delivery into account. Cool sneakers priced from $45 (2800 rubles), while in Russia the same models cost 6-7 thousand rubles. Free shipping within the USA to Pochtoy.com when ordering any two items or purchasing for $50 or more.
- Amazon.com — more than sixty thousand options, any sneakers and clothing of your choice, including from old collections that can't be found anywhere else. Free delivery to Pochtoy.com warehouses for almost all items.
- Zappos.com — the most popular shoe store in America. With the best service. Thousands of sneaker options, and now including Nike clothing too. True, there aren't as many discounts. But delivery is always free for any orders. They'll even deliver a pair of socks across America just like that.
Nike's most famous sneaker models
- Air Max. The line introduced in 1987 is still the company's most popular. The Nike Air Max Graviton model was the most popular footwear in online sales in 2019. In America at 6PM.com such a pair costs $50 (3050 rubles). In Russia — a minimum of 6960 rubles, more than twice as expensive.
- Air Force. "High" footwear for athletes, first released in 1982. Still used by basketball players in the NBA, but mainly popular among young people, especially in New York. No other shoes are worn on the streets of Harlem. On the official site in America the classic Nike Air Force model is sold for $90 (5580 rubles). In Russia this classic footwear is hard to find, but on average prices start from 8200 rubles.
- Air Jordan. Released in 1984 exclusively for Michael Jordan. And then, after he played several triumphant games in them, presented to the public. One of the most popular and recognizable shoe models of all time. Now Nike Jordan is practically separate. With its own section on the Nike website, branded clothing, balls, footwear and even the characteristic jumping Michael logo. In Russia Air Jordan 1 Mid start from 9290 rubles. If ordering in the USA from Nike even without discounts it will be — $110 (6800 rubles). Buying one such pair in the USA, even taking into account delivery costs, allows you to save about one and a half thousand rubles. Plus — you get a wider choice of interesting designs.
Where to buy original Nike sneakers in the USA inexpensively with delivery to Russia and Ukraine?
First of all, pay attention to large chain stores. Very often they hold sales of popular models. Honestly, in the USA there is not a day without sales. After all, real Americans buy only with discounts, because there is no point in buying at full price what can be bought with a discount.
To start shopping in American stores during sales, you need to get a US address for online purchases from Russia. Then register on the American site using the recommendations of our specialists. After that, all possible discounts and sales will be available to you.
Buyout of Nike sneakers in America from Russia and Ukraine
Very often it happens that an American site categorically refuses to accept payment with a Russian card. What to do in this case?
Buyout of orders in an American store by link to Moscow and Kyiv from $10.
It should be noted that the official nike.com and the official outlet are bought out from $15.
You can entrust our buyers with the purchase of your orders.
Nevertheless, we strongly recommend correctly determining the American shoe size for purchase in America. This will reduce the likelihood of an error when ordering.
We recommend looking at our partner store pages.
eBay USA order and delivery of sneakers from the shoes category for clients from Russia and Ukraine.
6pm USA order and delivery of sneakers from the shoes category for clients from Russia and Ukraine.
