Nike

A deeper way to engage

ool-looking shoes garner most of the attention when it comes to sneaker innovation, but Nike has nabbed ’s 2019 Design Company of the Year award for something else: a savvy retail strategy that blends analog stores and digital platforms to drive its business forward. At Nike’s House of Innovation store in New York, mannequins are fitted with QR codes so phones can identify each item on display, and reservable lockers are stocked with new shoes in your size if you’ve ordered in advance. Last year, Nike invested more than $1 billion in new capabilities about the company’s evolving strategy for connecting with customers—and why this sometimes requires taking a stand in today’s increasingly partisan world.