If you’re interested in trying out shoes from Nike, the brand has a product testing program that you might be interested in applying to.
On a separate website dedicated to product testing, Nike broke down the application process simply: apply to be a tester, get the green light by being selected to participate and then you’re eligible to test.
The Swoosh further broke down the program, stating it sends sneakers and other products to the approved testers to try out and after some testing, the wearers submit their feedback to Nike online, return the product and repeat the process.
The brand has sections for people interested to apply grouped by adults (18 years old or older), minors (13 to 17 years old) and for parents applying for their child (12 years old or younger). Specific age groups and categories for product testing are not always open, however, so it’s worth keeping tabs on the website periodically to see which programs are currently running. As of publishing, adults in the United States are only eligible for testing apparel and not footwear.
Reddit users on the r/Nike subreddit have shared their experience testing products in a number of a posts. One user reported that participants are asked to maintain logs of the number of hours they’ve worn the products and for which activities they’ve been used. The same user also said a men’s size 13 tended to be the standard for basketball sneakers, whereas a men’s 9 or 10 were more common for running shoes.
Another user, who said they’ve been testing running shoes and lifestyle apparel for nearly five years, reported test periods tend to last one or two months. They also stressed that you will not get to keep the product but said they have received benefits such as a 40 percent off coupon or a $25 gift card.
Another common report is that you’ll have to sign a non-disclosure agreement prohibiting you from sharing images of the test product on social media.
To apply, interested applicants will have to follow the following steps via Voiceoftheathlete.nike.com:
- If applying for a child, parent’s need to create a parent profile first
- List your country
- Provide your date of birth
- Reveal if you are a Nike employee or not
- Answer if you are now, or soon expect to become, an NCAA athlete
- Provide your name, email address and create a password
- Give your preferred method of communication (email or SMS messaging)
- Sign a release and waiver
- Provide your gender
- Provide contact info
- Tell Nike how you heard about the program
Nike was founded in Beaverton, Ore., in 1964 by Bill Bowerman and Phil Knight as Blue Ribbon Sports. In its early days, Blue Ribbon Sports was a distributor for the shoe company Onitsuka Tiger, which would later become Asics. The company would become Nike Inc. in 1971, the first Nike-branded shoes arrived in 1972 and the company went public in 1980. Throughout the years, Nike would sign the best athletes in their respective sports as ambassadors, a list that includes golf legend Tiger Woods, tennis star Serena Williams, baseball great Ken Griffey Jr., and basketball icons Michael Jordan and LeBron James.
