Nike Made Your Way

Nike is a large company that has been pretty successful with providing the ability to customize footwear but still being able to produce large quantities. For 10 years now, Nike has given customers the ability to customize footwear to their specific liking including options for color, material, fit and performance. Nike has gotten the mass customization of footwear down and is able to provide this luxury to consumers in the US, China, Japan and 21 other European markets. Being able to deisgn footwear exactly how you want it will attract more customers and customers typically are willing to spend more money on something that is exactly what they want, giving Nike the ability to charge more for these products.

The Nike ID products have a wide variety of options but these options are still limited giving them more control of the production making it easier to produce these custom items at a cheaper cost. Nike has been able to be successful with this option because consumers are attracted to originality of their product. Consumer’s want things that not everyone is going to have and the ID products are all unique so you won’t run into everyone else at the gym wearing the same shoes as you.

I have personally been able to use the Nike ID function for a gift for someone. I was able to customize the product very easily with a large variety of choices, but I was not completely able to design the shoe my own way. There were enough design options and colors to satisfy what I was looking for and it made it very easy to follow along step by step in the creation of the shoes. The colors and design of the shoe were exactly what I had expected them to be and I was very pleased with what I got. Typically there are problems with coloring when ordering things offline, but Nike seemed to have their colors true to what you saw.

Nike has been successful with their program of Nike ID and they are able to maintain low costs while producing a high quality item. I was also impressed by how quickly I received my item because I expected a long delay with the customization. After Nike’s program came out, I started to notice more companies doing the same with phones and tablets.

What do you think about being able to customize products? What problems have you seen with your experience, if any, with mass customization?

14 thoughts on “Nike Made Your Way

  1. I would love to customize my own products, especially with a brand so premium like Nike. I currently wear Nike and they are very comfortable running shoes. I haven’t necessarily had problem with customization but I have had a problem with special order across countries, due to delay. Therefore I am impressed that you were able to receive the shoes quickly. After this post I think I may look at into it more.

  2. I’ve gotten customized items from both Nike and Adidas, and both experiences were impressive. Like you mentioned, I expected higher prices and longer shipping times, but in reality, it was hardly any different than ordering a typical item. I got customized basketball shoes from Adidas, and I was able to design the shoe with the color I wanted, in addition to putting my name and number on them. Something special Adidas was able to offer was the chance to put a logo of a NBA team on the shoe. I thought it was a neat part of their mass customization process. Still, with so many aspects being customizable, it opens the product up to more potential mistakes. I think Adidas learned from Nike ID’s initial products when creating their process, and both are constantly improving the mass customization of online products.

  3. I really like the idea that Nike is given their customers the option to customize their shoes. I really like that they do that cause they defiantly attract more customers if they give them the option to customize their shoes. I think that if they keeping doing this they will increase their profits as well.

  4. Nike ID is a great example of mass customization. I personally haven’t used it (yet), but I like the idea of being able to make the shoes exactly how I want them. I have mocked up shoes in the past, and I found that often times there was something that Nike wouldn’t let me do, or a color they didn’t offer that ended up being a deal-breaker. The other issue with mass customization is the turnaround time, but it’s great to hear that you didn’t have to wait as long as you said you would, but when it comes to most things, like furniture at a custom store, they make you wait seemingly light years to get your furniture just because you picked a “custom” upholstery that was probably in stock anyway.

  5. I’ve never customized my own shoes or anything for that matter but it definitely sounds like something I have to explore. I was surprised to learn that customization isn’t expense; Nike’s customization has made their company more attractive to consumers. Nike revolutionized the shoe industry, I wouldn’t be surprised if all shoe companies allowed consumers to customize products.

  6. I have purchased multiple shoes from Nike ID. I think the idea is very unique in that anyone can customize a pair of shoes for themselves. This opens the target market to more people since there are more choices. The only problem I can see is that like any other online purchases, the customers cannot try on the shoe or see what the design really looks like in person.

  7. What a great article and I find it very much related to our class. I had no idea that Nike offer customization service and I will definitely keep it in mind for future gifts. I am curious, even though their timing, cost and quality seem to be not affected by the mass customization there must be a trade-off for this process and I would love to learn more about that trade-off…

  8. I think being able to customize products is a great thing. Like you stated; it gives the consumer power to get a unique item that no one else has. Nike; being the only shoe company around that allows consumers to do this has a benefit. By allowing people to “make their own shoes” Nike is attracting all kinds of consumers. As a customer we are aware that if we don’t find the shoe we are looking for; we can always rely on Nike. Also, the fact that the products turn out to be exactly like how the person expected them gives Nike a advantage.

  9. I think being able to customize a certain product is a great idea for people to be diverse. People want to be different and not be similar to everyone else. I agree that seeing people with the same shoe as you can be irritating. I have personalized my own shoe once before and I was pleased and unhappy at the same time. I felt that the it took a while to receive them. It took almost 10 days with standard shipping. I think Nike offers a great tool for their customers to be diverse and have originality.

  10. I think that it’s a good move on Nikes part to allow customization of their products. For a customer, it offers a lot more options than just buying from a group of a mass produced items. The only problem is managing it from nikes side. It seems like they’ve been able to manage it pretty well though, being able to keep their costs relatively low while still offering a high quality product.

  11. I know a few shoe enthusiasts that love Nike ID. They have purchased many custom shoes and they will continue to do so. Nike has found a niche market and they are are filling their needs exceptionally well. Mass customization is difficult to introduce with most products because it is expensive. However, with shoes the sweatshop costs associated with producing them are low. They are low enough in relation to the price to allow for a certain degree of customization that makes these shoe enthusiasts willing to spend more money. I can see other companies taking steps to copy Nike ID in the future. It seems to work best with wearable items. To summarize, custom shoes are cool. I’m not into athletic shoes, but I like that I can get a pair with my name on them. Also, they really do make for thoughtful gifts for people who like running shoes.

  12. Hi marina. Personally, I really like customize because it can match what I like and avoid what I dislike! However , the price is kinda more expensive then the regular one , then I may have to see how much the price will be. In addition , there are right now many brand they cover customize , such as New balance and Adidas . It’s right now very common. I think if. Company wanna increase their profit have to think about another new way that will really blow our mind and the price will be the same as the regular!

  13. This is a very great article because it is something I have personally done myself: NikeiD Customization. Quite frankly, I love it. The design process is something no other company has ever done and it is amazing how many different parts of a shoe can be customized in terms of color, material, design, and pattern. Additionally, one can even embroider their shoe with their own name, saying, or number. The only thing that I personally did not like with NikeiD is the price. Usually, the price comes out to ~$120+ no matter what shoe you decide to customize. Additionally, I think that with the large influx of shoe customization order and various complicated designs, Nike may have a real problem accommodating to all of the different orders. I have to hand it to them though, They have been doing a tremendous job so far, this article shows it, and they are truly at the forefront of operational management excellence.

  14. Great post! Personalization is something that I feel is very attributable to more recent generations. Our society seems to focus more on the “you” versus the “us”. For nikeid, its a great option. It’s almost like telling a waiter exactly how you want your meat cooked. The problem I feel that comes with customization is that costs almost always run higher than make a uniform product. To me, NikeID or any other customization option is more of a premium product and when the economy is good, is a great money maker for any company.

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