Nike Refurbished programme gives footwear a second life

Nike Refurbished is the footwear and apparel company's latest circular consumer offering, as it aims to create solutions to help reduce its waste footprint. The new service is currently available at approximately 15 Nike stores in the US, with plans to expand throughout 2021 and beyond.

The refurbishment programme extends the lifespan for three types of footwear: like new (maybe worn for a day or two before being returned), gently worn (a little longer) and cosmetically flawed (think: something like a small snag that happened in manufacturing).

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How it works

After a shopper returns a pair of shoes to Nike within a 60-day return window, eligible footwear is added to the Nike Refurbished lineup. Each pair is inspected and refurbished by hand, and then given a condition grade. The team uses a number of different products and tools to return shoes to as close to new condition as possible.

Once the shoes land back in a Nike store, the price is based on footwear type and condition grade. Handy messaging on the boxes make it easy to see what kind of shoes are inside, the condition grade, and more. With a scan of the box’s QR code, customers can check out more information about Nike Move to Zero.

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Nike Refurbished footwear is also covered by Nike’s 60-day wear test, so if it’s not what a shopper needs, they can return it.

Footwear that can't be suitably refurbished can be donated to a community partner or recycled into materials and products through Nike Grind.