Nike Expands Refurbish Initiative, Selling Used Sneakers Online
Earlier this week, Nike’s online store introduced a range of second-hand sneakers as part of the ongoing expansion of the “Nike Refurbished” initiative. This initiative, initially introduced in April 2021 as part of Nike’s Move to Zero initiative, focuses on offering refurbished sneakers that cannot be sold as brand new.
Nike Refurbished Process
The eligible footwear for Nike Refurbished includes returns, exchanges, and shoes with minor imperfections, including both men’s and women’s performance and lifestyle footwear. Each shoe’s condition is evaluated and graded by Nike’s team of experts, resulting in categorizations such as “Like New,” “Gently Worn,” or “Slightly Imperfect.” Additionally, every shoe undergoes a thorough cleaning by Nike’s expert team before being assessed.
“Like New” refurbished shoes are in pristine or nearly pristine condition, showing no signs of wear or defects. “Gently Worn” shoes are in excellent condition with minor visible wear or slight imperfections. On the other hand, “Slightly Imperfect” shoes exhibit no wear but may have minor flaws like stains, marks, discolorations, or fading, though they are otherwise close to new.
If the Nike Refurbished shoes you purchase don’t meet your expectations, you can return them following Nike’s standard return guidelines, available in the Returns section of the Nike website.
It’s important to note that Nike does not provide in-store refurbishment services, and you cannot bring your Nike shoes to their physical stores to be refurbished. The refurbishment process is not conducted on-site. Furthermore, Nike does not accept donated or sold footwear for the Nike Refurbish program. However, they encourage customers to donate or responsibly recycle their footwear when they are no longer in use.
Not every Refurbished item will meet a sellable condition, but that doesn’t mean it heads to a landfill. Nike says they donate or recycle products to give them new life and another wear.
For more information about the Nike Refurbished initiative, you can find additional details on their website here.
