In a video posted on TikTok, former Paralympian and Motivational Speaker Stef Reid criticised Nike for using mannequins with running blades to advertise its products but simultaneously refusing to sell single shoes.
In the video, watched over four million times, Reid said that while thrilled to see photos of mannequins in Nike stores with running blades, single shoes should be stocked in every outlet.
“Now I love that companies are using amputee mannequins. But if you are going to use the image, you have to back it up in the way that you do business,” Reid said.
The triple Paralympic medallist, known for being a World Champion long jumper and sprinter, accused the sportswear brand of failing to live up to its company values, which include diversity and inclusion.
Reid also said she had sent a letter to the sports giant asking, “Is it possible to buy just one shoe because I only have one foot?”
The Paralympian, who represented both Canada and Great Britain, later revealed that the answer was no.
Instead, Nike offered Reid a one-off discount on shoes.
“Next time I buy running shoes, I’m still only going to have one foot, so it’s not really a solution,” she said in response to the offering.
In the TikTok video, Reid explained that Nike’s customer service promised to take her complaint to the “higher-ups” when she turned down the offer. However, the Paralympian said she was still waiting for an answer.
@runjumpstefreid I love that companies are using amputee mannequins. I lost part of my right leg in an accident when I was 16. I know how special it would have been as a new amputee to see a big sports brand using that image. But if you are going to use the image, you need to back it up in the way you do business. Of course companies want to brand themselves as inclusive. The problem is feel good marketing without the hard work. It has to be supported by changes in policies and procedures across your business. I’ve been contacted by three news outlets, so hopefully these questions are asked on a wider scale. In my experience, it’s rarely a case of intentional oversight. It’s just that no one has asked the question. #running #nike #bladerunner #amputee #inclusion #diversity #pov
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Positive Bones Founder Josephine Bridges, a charity that supports people with limb differences in living a life without limits, also called on Nike to offer single shoes to amputees.
Speaking to BBC News, Bridges said: “There are people who have shoe sizes that are slightly different on each foot. And so, if we’re able to buy one shoe, there’s a real benefit there.”
“Sometimes you have one shoe that wears out much faster than the other. It could mean that people could be less wasteful by getting that one shoe replacement.”
British Paralympian Sophie Kamlish also told BBC Radio 1’s Newsbeat programme: “Nike are using the image of inclusion, which is really cool. You wouldn’t have seen that a few years ago, but they’re not being as helpful when it comes to buying one shoe.”
Nike has since released a statement in response to Reid’s slamming.
The sportswear giant said it was grateful that Reid was “sharing her concerns” but made it known that in the US, the company offers “select inventory of single shoes at our distribution centre in Memphis”. Nike also said it hoped to extend the programme “to more geographies in the future.”
“At Nike, we stand for all athletes, sponsor a number of Para athletes and Federations around the world, and work with them across all forms of movement,” the statement continued.
This news comes after Nike was forced to stock England Goalkeeper Mary Earps’ football shirt.
After refusing to sell the female goalkeeper shirt, a petition that slammed the brand for its lack of inclusivity was signed by more than 170,000 people; as a result of the mass signing, Nike agreed to stock the goalkeeper’s shirt.
Addressing her fans on Instagram after the shirt sold out in five minutes, Earps wrote: “We did it, gang.”
