Back in February, Nike’s iconic logo received a Jacquemus treatment. The French fashion brand has cleverly shaped the sportswear giant’s 54-year-old iconography into a leather shoulder bag, revealed through Jacquemus’ Instagram. And they did that in style. In a post that was captioned “Guess who is the Face”, a hand with quite familiar acrylic nails and the forearm tattoo was holding the bag. The face was not difficult to guess, for sure! The ad for the collaboration was also mind-blowing.

Sha’Carri Richardson was slamming battle ropes on the floor. Her face was a steely mask, glaring forward, slamming harder each time as muscles ripple. Slow-motion warped sounds of wooshing were the only audio. But a closer look at the ropes revealed that the it continued past her arms, over her shoulders, and onto her neck. Those were braids, woven in astronomically long tendrils, in and amongst her own. The Instagram video was lensed by Bronx native Dominican-American photographer and director Renell Medrano.

Nike got it right on that occasion. However, just days back Sha’Carri Richardson Debuted the comeback Of Nike’s Air Superfly Running Shoe which failed to hit the mark. Now they are back with one more collaboration that featured not Sha’Carri, but Jamaican legend Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce as well. However, that was not for the launch of any new fashion line. But the track rivals joined for a greater cause. What could it be?

Nike first launched the Athlete Think Tank initiative in 2022, focusing on improving the experience in sports and women’s sports development. The 4th edition recently took place in Cancun, Mexico. Sha’Carri Richardson and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce were alongside many Nike Ambassadors at the ATT. In fact, the 37-year-old shared a sneak peek of her experience with fans on Instagram: “I have had the pleasure of being part of the ATT journey since its inception and this most recent gathering was the most impactful experience we’ve had thus far.” 

Nike has always heavily invested in women’s sports. In fact, they have been supporting female athletes on and off the track for the longest time. The Vice President of Women’s Sports Marketing, Tanya Hvizdak, began this movement to ensure they were heard. One of their biggest motives was to help the athletes break barriers and take the sport forward. The retreat in Cancun opened up so many avenues to start conversations and push for positive change as women athletes. Even though they couldn’t compete on the track, the Olympians shared a lovely Mexican dinner at the retreat.

Sha’Carri Richardson and Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce attended the retreat alongside Great Britain’s Dina-Asher Smith and 2x Paralympic gold medalist Sophie Hahn. The latter shared a snap of this epic reunion on her Instagram story and captioned it, “track queens.” Never one to back down from supporting her fellow athletes, the 24-year-old promptly reposted it, affirming the claim. However, a certain someone believed that their battle on the purple track would’ve been in the American’s favor.

When Netflix dropped part two of their fast-paced documentary SPRINT, fans expected to get a behind-the-scenes look at what athletes go through as they chase Olympic glory. However, shortly before their much-anticipated clash, Fraser-Pryce’s coach, Lawrence Johnson, believed that the semis would be the Jamaican’s biggest test. Even though the coach was confident she had a shot at the title, he reiterated that the American sprinter would be her biggest threat. We now know why they never locked heads on the track. However, long after the Paris Olympics, the 24-year-old made waves for all the wrong reasons. 

The Olympian’s recent collaboration with Nike was a huge miss

After being signed by the powerhouse in March, Sha’Carri Richardson recently debuted the return of Nike Air’s original Superfly running shoes. She showed off the footwear product on Instagram. She was donning an all-blue look comprising a Nike bomber jacket, a bubble skirt, knee-length socks, and silver-black shoes. But that isn’t all.

In the caption, she announced the upcoming release of a modern variation of the shoes. Why modern variation, you ask? Well, she wore the original 2001 design. The shoe boasts perforated uppers and a smooth midsole. Additionally, it won’t have any excess padding to ensure it has a slim, low-profile fit at the toe.

Many fans were excited by the upcoming launch, even drawing comparisons to the oh-so-fashionable Florence Griffith Joyner. However, the unconventional design didn’t sit well with some. One of them couldn’t help but exclaim, “These look like bowling shoes 🤢” Given these aren’t the modern variation, maybe the reveal might help sway fans.

However, this wasn’t the first time Sha’Carri Richardson collaborated with Nike. She was the face of their Jacquemus Spring 2024 fashion collaboration earlier this year. The fashion line included casual and activewear ensembles perfectly incorporating the brands’ identities. But the pièce de résistance was the logo manic purse, a leather bag shaped like the sportswear label’s 54-year-old motif, featuring the French fashion brand’s signature silver lettering. Could her reunion with Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce help her move past the mixed reactions?