Nike unveils subscription shoe service for children to tackle growth spurts

Nike has unveiled its first subscription shoe service for children, Nike Adventure Club, which allows them to regularly select Nike and Converse shoes for the right fit as their feet and tastes evolve.The company noted that the experience of shoe-shopping for young children can be "deceptively complex" as they encounter growth spurts and many children are unable to articulate the shoe size or design they want. According to multiple media reports quoting GM of Nike Adventure Club, Dave Cobban, Nike has been working on this subscription service for two years.The Nike Adventure Club serves children from two to 10 years old and they are allowed to choose from three tiers of subscription services. This ranges from four pairs a year to 12 pairs a year and consumers are free to upgrade, downgrade or pause their subscription at any time. Also, more than 100 different sneakers, ranging across the spectrum of performance and sportswear, are available to children. If they wish to replace a pair of shoes they receive, Nike Adventure Club will accept their returns and either donate or recycle the shoes.In addition to shoes, the subscription service comes with exclusive adventure guides, filled with outdoor games and activities that parents can do with their kids. The guides are a collaborative partnership between Nike and KaBoom, an American non-profit focused on encouraging kids to lead active, healthy lifestyles.Cobban said the company sees the subscription shoe service as having "a unique place" within Nike, not just for it being the first sneaker club for children. “It provides a wide range of options for kids, while at the same time, it removes a friction point for parents who are shopping on their behalf," he added.Meanwhile, Dominique Shortell, director of product experience and retention for Nike Adventure Club said that in providing footwear, it is always trying to answer the question of "What do kids want?"“But an equally important question is, ‘What kind of experience are we providing for their parents?' We want to make shopping for footwear as convenient as possible for them," Shortell added.Nike joins companies such as Stitchfix Kids and Kidsbox which have similar subscription services to help children cope with their growth spurts.