I visited the flagship stores of two of the world’s largest athletic brands, Nike and Adidas, to see which shopping experience was better.
Adidas’ flagship store was soccer heaven and paid homage to the FIFA World Cup.
Nike’s store took me to an otherworldly space and wowed me with its Sneakerlab collection.
You don’t need to be a sneakerhead to own at least one pair of Adidas or Nike shoes — or maybe one of each — as well as a cache of athletic apparel from both brands. The two multibillion-dollar, multinational corporations have continuously blazed trails and faced challenges as they continue building their respective empires.
Nike remains the industry powerhouse, with $46.7 billion in sales in its most recent fiscal year. Adidas reported $21.2 billion in 2021 sales.
The companies’ Manhattan stores are at the leading edges of their bricks-and-mortar retail strategies and often preview technologies and features that will roll out to other locations.
With that in mind I felt it was worth visiting both flagship locations to compare the shopping experience. Follow my trek through these retail palaces.
I first stopped by the Adidas flagship store.Adidas flagship store on 565 Fifth Avenue in New York City.
Sarah Belle Lin/Insider
The store is equidistant from Times Square and Grand Central Station. It’s on the corner of 46th Street and Fifth Avenue in a bustling neighborhood that drives much of the city’s tourism. The store opened in December 2016 and spans 45,000 square feet.
The entrance tunnel might bring some visitors back to their high school football days.An Adidas store associate greets customers at the end of a short, glowing tunnel.
Sarah Belle Lin/Insider
The store’s design is based on Adidas’ “stadium retail concept,” which takes inspiration from US high school sports stadiums, Insider previously reported. The Adidas store’s tunnel, albeit a little underwhelming, did make me feel like I was about to enter a stadium.
The first floor was covered with soccer jerseys for fans planning on cheering on their team at the World Cup.’World Cup Couture’ on display.
Sarah Belle Lin/Insider
I visited in late October and again in early November, and upon exiting the tunnel, I saw the theme was not football, but soccer, in anticipation of the FIFA World Cup, which kicked off Nov. 20 in Qatar. Adidas, which is an official FIFA World Cup supplier, had outfitted its first-floor displays and mannequins with soccer jerseys of all stripes and colors. I’d safely assume every team playing for the cup was well-represented inside the Adidas flagship store during my visits.
The first floor is where you’ll find the most personalized Adidas shopping experience.There are four levels inside the Adidas flagship store.
Sarah Belle Lin/Insider
The Adidas flagship store offers real-time fitness consultations from EXOS trainers, healthy juices and snacks co-created with Brooklyn-based Grass Roots Juicery, a concierge desk, a same-day hotel delivery service, personalized shopping experiences such as the Run Genie gait analysis tool, and more.
The customization lab allows walk-ins. Prices range from $10 to $35 depending on the service.There is an area on the first floor for customers to customize their own Adidas apparel.
Sarah Belle Lin/Insider
Customers could customize World Cup national team jerseys or shorts by adding names or numbers for $35.The Adidas customization area is modest in size and approachable.
Sarah Belle Lin/Insider
As someone who enjoys table sports, I loved seeing a foosball table on the first floor.A foosball table awaits players at the flagship store.
Sarah Belle Lin/Insider
An employee told me the foosball table was there for the World Cup.
Adidas was having a sale on women’s pants at the moment and there were a lot of good deals: $40 tights for $16, and $75 track pants for $53.These mannequins were wearing apparel representing Mexico’s national soccer team.
Sarah Belle Lin/Insider
It’s fall in New York City and I’m sporting black joggers and sweats everywhere I go. I’ve always been a fan of the Adidas tracksuit look, and how it’s evolved within popular culture in the US: from Run-DMC to the deep-teal tracksuits on Netflix’s “Squid Game.”
Some of Adidas’ shoe collections: NMD_V3, Stan Smith, Superstar, Nizza, and Y-3.Adidas’ popular shoe collections on display.
Sarah Belle Lin/Insider
In my opinion, both the Superstar and Stan Smith are classics that will live on.The Adidas Superstar shoe in a display case.
Sarah Belle Lin/Insider
In 2016, the Superstar was the top-selling sneaker in the US in terms of dollar sales, according to The NPD Group. But its popularity diminished. Sales of the Superstars fell by $565 million from 2017 to 2018, Insider reported.
Still, I say nothing beats timeless style.
I’m not really on board with this whole purposely dirtied look.Forum 84 Low AEC shoes
Sarah Belle Lin/Insider
Adidas has given its Forum 84 Low AEC shoes a “well-loved look” to reflect a bygone era.
I noticed this Adidas shopper wearing Yeezys.Adidas shopper wearing Yeezys.
Sarah Belle Lin/Insider
Adidas reportedly is expected to lose $246 million in profit this year after terminating its Yeezy partnership, Insider reported. It’s estimated that Yeezy generated $1.7 billion in annual revenues for Adidas — 8% of Adidas’ total sales in 2021.
The soccer section was the busiest area on both days that I visited.The soccer section with its jerseys took the most real estate at the flagship store.
Sarah Belle Lin/Insider
I saw several people carrying Argentina national team jerseys. The men’s section had far more variety, tracksuits, and foot traffic compared with the other floors. I’d almost describe the environment as lively.
The women’s section had various interpretations of the traditional sweatpants.Purple was a dominant color in some of the displays.
Sarah Belle Lin/Insider
There were birds of paradise designs, pants with crisscross seams on the sides, yoga tracksuit pants, and sky-blue pants with three orange stripes.
I saw these Adidas-branded wireless bluetooth earbuds that piqued my interest, but not enough for me to convince me to drop my over-the-ear, noise-canceling headphones.Adidas earbuds.
Sarah Belle Lin/Insider
There were a few clothing options for youth. Many items were marked with the brand’s signature three stripes.The youth section at the flagship store.
Sarah Belle Lin
The youth section carried several different soccer cleats and running-shoe options.Shoes for youth, including options for soccer players and runners.
Sarah Belle Lin/Insider
These were the most fashion-forward shoes I saw at the Adidas store.The Adidas x Ivy Park mule shoes go for $150.
Sarah Belle Lin/Insider
Growing up I didn’t associate Adidas with high fashion, but seeing these shoes showed me that the brand is evolving, for better or worse.
I thought these “Rick and Morty” soccer cleats had the coolest colors out of all the cleats I saw in the soccer section.The X Speedportal soccer cleats, in partnership with “Rick and Morty.”
Sarah Belle Lin/Insider
Knowing that “Rick and Morty” is such a popular show across the world, I think these collaborations are a smart idea for Adidas.
The bleachers, with a statue of Adidas founder Adolf Dassler, were cool and unexpected.The interior design was built to match a high school stadium.
Sarah Belle Lin/Insider
There are also elevators on each floor for customers who have mobility challenges or prefer to skip the extra steps.
The all-black ensemble has grown on me, so I liked the vision of Adidas’ newest clothing release.Adidas Y-3 is the company’s latest collection.
Sarah Belle Lin/Insider
I thought this was the most innovative pair of shoes I saw at Adidas. Would I wear it? Probably not.The Human Made x NMD cheetah-print shoes from the Pharrell Williams x Adidas collection.
Sarah Belle Lin/Insider
I thought that the golf section was hidden towards the back of the third floor and harder to spot from the main walking area. It could have been better lit, as well.The golf section was small and towards the store’s corner.
Sarah Belle Lin/Insider
The checkout section had grab-and-go items including sliders and socks.The checkout area.
Sarah Belle Lin/Insider
I think it’s great that Adidas invites customers to round up their total costs to support charities like the Boys & Girls Clubs.Customers can round up their total to donate to the Boys & Girls Club.
Sarah Belle Lin/Insider
After my Adidas visit, I walked up five blocks to 650 Fifth, where Nike’s flagship House of Innovation occupies most of the block.The Nike flagship store at 650 Fifth Avenue in New York City.
Sarah Belle Lin/Insider
Nike’s flagship store has two more floors than the Adidas store. It occupies 68,000 square feet of prime real estate on Manhattan’s famed Fifth Avenue.
I visited the Nike flagship store twice: once in the morning and again in the late afternoon.A very busy Nike flagship store entrance.
Sarah Belle Lin/Insider
At 4:30 p.m. the store was almost overflowing with people going in and out.
Nike also had an archway. This one transported shoppers to an out-of-this-world dimension.Nike entrance archway leading to the first floor.
Sarah Belle Lin/Insider
While Adidas had a founder’s statue to commemorate its history, Nike placed tons of mementos within the entranceway.Nike history was captured in memorabilia items within the archway walls.
Sarah Belle Lin/Insider
The display features Nike cofounders Bill Bowerman and Phil Knight, and honors the legacies of female athletes like world-famous runners Jacqueline Hansen and Joan Benoit. I liked seeing the mishmash of Nike artifacts, but think they could have been strategically placed elsewhere in the store. Because they’re located at the entrance, you can’t really stop for too long without potentially disrupting traffic flow.
Staff were more approachable and greeted people. Music was a big part of the experience, playing at a much louder volume than in Adidas.Nike associates and shoe displays greet customers at the store’s entrance.
Sarah Belle Lin/Insider
Once I made it into the first floor of the Nike flagship, I realized that space was a huge theme.Seeing this Nike display, I felt transported to the inside of a spaceship.
Sarah Belle Lin/Insider
Shoe models were incorporated into futuristic displays that looked like they could belong on the surface of Mars. I felt like this theme could be enjoyed by all athletes, as opposed to Adidas’ soccer setup.
There was a small booth on the first floor to make purchases, and two employees checking customers out.The checkout area on the first floor was small relative to the size of the store.
Sarah Belle Lin/Insider
It seemed like a small area relative to the rest of the store, and I wondered if bottleneck situations are common at this checkout point.
There are free Essex Squeeze drinks for Nike members.Nike’s House of Innovation for performance running shoes.
Sarah Belle Lin/Insider
It seems like Adidas and Nike are going head to head with their apparel, with Nike also offering New York City-branded clothing, but with what I felt like are bolder designs.
The flagship store has six levels for customers to explore, and on both visits, sometimes it felt like I was competing for roaming space with throngs of visitors.There are six levels in the Nike flagship store.
Sarah Belle Lin/Insider
Many of the visitors were international tourists. I most often heard French and Spanish being spoken at the store.
I found out that there were self-checkout kiosks located on each floor, which I guess helps ease the flow of traffic. However, these kiosks are only for people who have the Nike app.There is a self-checkout kiosk for Nike app users on the second floor.
Sarah Belle Lin/Insider
Nike has far more sports bra selections and they are displayed in a more spread-out fashion, really utilizing the space.Sports bras are arranged by size and support level.
Sarah Belle Lin/Insider
The sports bras seemed to be made with better materials, and were pricier than the Adidas sports bras.
Nike had its own tech display, featuring the Apple Watch Nike.Nike flexes its partnership with Apple Watch in the women’s section.
Sarah Belle Lin/Insider
These watches are aesthetically different from other Apple Watches, with unique bands and watch faces. I thought it was interesting that the watches were placed on the second floor in the women’s section and wondered if they were trying to target women.
Similar to the Nike-wearing customer at the Adidas flagship, I saw a Nike shopper wearing Adidas apparel, reaffirming my belief that both brands are held up almost equally in public perception.A shopper wears an Adidas backpack in the Nike flagship store.
Sarah Belle Lin/Insider
The men’s apparel section on the third floor wasn’t heavily frequented, so I continued to follow the crowds as they meandered up the stairs.The men’s section is on the third floor of the flagship store.
Sarah Belle Lin/Insider
I did notice that black and neon green were common color schemes for men’s apparel.
I knew I’d reached the hot spot once I hit the fourth floor and Nike’s Sneakerlab, holding the largest assortment of Nike shoes in the world.Nike’s Sneakerlab is on the fourth floor of the flagship store.
Sarah Belle Lin/Insider
The music seemed more deafening here, and the chatter was at its loudest in the store on my visit so far.
The Sneakerlab was the busiest part of the flagship store.One of the pickup areas at the Nike Sneakerlab.
Sarah Belle Lin/Insider
The bright-white light really brought out the displays and kept my energy level up. There were shoppers waiting around for their shoes, while others were checking out the displayed models. It looked like a museum.
I spent the most time examining the Nike Air Maxes and VaporMaxes, which I felt like were the boldest and most inventive.There was a dizzying array of Nike Air shoes – from the VaporMax Plus to the Air Max 1.
Sarah Belle Lin/Insider
I found the Nike Air Force 1 section, which was almost blindingly white, the signature color for Air Force 1s. Each shoe boasted ample display space and each Sneakerlab area felt like an exhibit.The Nike Air Force 1 shoe section.
Sarah Belle Lin/Insider
I passed through a section with mirrored walls and an animated display featuring sneakers that were soon to be released.This Nike mirror offers a sneak peek of sneakers coming down the line.
Sarah Belle Lin/Insider
It was one of my favorite parts of the Sneakerlab because of its ingenuity and innovation. I thought it was a great way to engage with customers.
I made an effort to glance down at customers’ shoes while walking around and wasn’t surprised to see many people wearing Nikes. But I also saw Adidas, Reebok, Vans, and Pumas.Nike-wearing customers don’t seem to get enough of Nike.
Sarah Belle Lin/Insider
While Adidas had its slips hung up next to the checkout counter, Nike’s slips had their own displays just like the sneakers.Nike’s sliders and slip-ons had their own spot in the Sneakerlab.
Sarah Belle Lin/Insider
Nike’s customization lab has its own floor and is only available for NikePlus members.The top floor is the spot to get your Nike products customized.
Sarah Belle Lin/Insider
The lab takes same-day appointments for 30-minute time slots, but you have to schedule in-person on the 5th floor. The costs run from $3 for small graphics, to $7 for medium, and $8 for large.
On both of my visits, the fifth floor had only a few people mingling about the customization lab. I wonder if it’s by virtue of the appointment system the store has set up.The top floor was less frequented and swathed with Nike basic essentials.
Sarah Belle Lin/Insider
I still enjoyed checking out what amenities were offered for NikePlus members.
I passed by these fitting rooms, which I thought elevated the shopping experience. The fitting rooms on this floor look like futuristic space yurts.Fitting rooms on the fifth floor of the flagship.
Sarah Belle Lin/Insider
The Nike By You bar came with different designs people could use to customize outfits.Nike customers looking to get a little creative with their clothes.
Sarah Belle Lin/Insider
Both times I visited, there were people in the middle of their projects and designing sweatshirts with small graphics.
In a city like New York, customized items are all the buzz. I saw a sweater for $130 and a t-shirt for $61.Examples of customized sweatshirts and Air Force 1s.
Sarah Belle Lin/Insider
The stairs to the kids section were tucked at the back of the first floor, which took me some time to find. It actually felt out of the way.The kids section is on the basement level.
Sarah Belle Lin/Insider
Youth had an entire floor to explore – plenty of clothing and shoes to mix and match. There were many more options for children than what Adidas offered at its flagship store.There were several racks of clothing on the kids floor.
Sarah Belle Lin/Insider
I got a real kick out of seeing this wall of preschool and toddler shoes.Teeny-tiny 1s and Js for preschoolers and toddlers.
Sarah Belle Lin/Insider
The integrity of the AF1s, Js, and Dunks were preserved in these teeny-size versions.
After my visits, I could easily see how distinct the store experiences were between Adidas and Nike.Customers can do returns and exchanges on the kids floor.
Sarah Belle Lin/Insider
The interior designs, for one, were vastly different: Adidas went for stadium appeal — clearly catering to its soccer fans — while Nike went for multidimensional outer-space vibes.
As for retail offerings, I felt like I could go to Adidas for fitness wear and Nike for their street style and shoes.
