Tiger Woods Indirectly Apprised Nike Years Before Their Split: Old Video Reveals He Had Just One Condition All Along

Years of togetherness and then a sudden estrangement. Does it ring a bell? Well, that’s what happened as one of the longest-running and most profitable brand/athlete deals between Tiger Woods and Nike came to an eventual end. Even after weeks of Nike and the 48-year-old ending their once-believed forever-together story, the golf world is unable to put its finger on what went wrong. But now it seems we might just find out!

In our attempt to revisit the pages of history, we discovered a shocking truth. Years ago, the 15-time Major champion disclosed a few concerns and indirect suggestions that he had in his mind regarding Nike. And by the looks of it, it seems Woods’ plea for ‘comfort’ went unnoticed. 

How did Tiger Woods signal Nike in 2021?

For the longest time, everyone believed the birth of a changed narrative between Tiger Woods and the multi-billion dollar conglomerate came in 2022. Ahead of the Masters, following his car crash, he opened up about wearing FootJoy shoes. “I have very limited mobility now with the rods and plates and screws that are in my leg,” he said. “I needed something different, something that allowed me to be more stable. That’s what I’ve gone to.” However, history stands opposed to these previous suspicions. A clip from 2021 suggests that Woods had given signals about his expectations to Nike in 2021 itself.

His focus on comfort had been a pre-requisite for some time. He had conveyed to the brand, directly or indirectly, that he wanted apparel that “works in unison” with his game and acts as an extension of himself. In an interview from a couple of years ago, he said, “Well, my apparel is an extension of me. I want everything to work in unison, whether it’s from my clubs all the way to my apparel, including footwear, my gloves, everything. I don’t want to feel uncomfortable because when we’re out there competing, we’re in a very uncomfortable environment. The last thing you need to do is have something that’s nagging at you.”

After switching to FootJoy to find this very comfort, Woods revealed he was working with Nike on a new design. But it seems as though that never came to fruition. At that time, as per Nike’s former brand marketing director Jordan Rogers, “Something got in [Woods’] brain that a Nike shoe was no longer the thing that made his foot feel right.” The way shoes are designed can have a massive impact on golfers’ body movements. And for Woods, Nike’s product just wasn’t working anymore.

Like any relationship, the long-standing deal between the giants also went through years of trying to make it work; however, as time passed, the problems in the partnership seemed to increase. Woods’ deteriorating health due to his injuries only added fuel to the fire that had already burned between him and his 27-year-old partner. But did Nike not even try to keep the sensational golfer they discovered on their side?

Did Nike not pay heed to Woods’ matter of comfort?

As a matter of fact, Nike did try its best to keep the five-time Masters champion on their side. Even after the golfer was spotted wearing FootJoy, the brand supported his decision. The duo hinted that they were working on something to provide more comfort to Woods. “Nike’s been fantastic over the years of providing me with equipment and we have worked, we’ve been working on trying to find something to allow me to do this and swing again. We’re still going to continue doing it and hopefully we’ll have something soon.”

According to Jordan Rogers, the brand “bent over backwards” to find out what it was that bothered Woods. However, their attempts at making the suffering relationship work were of no use, as the famous pro seemed to have already made up his mind. What followed is a saga known to all. After Woods’ amicable adieu, Nike bid him a memorable goodbye and wrote, “It was a hell of a round, Tiger.” And it surely was.