“Nike Breaks New Ground…”

Gear Patrol shares a new ACG puffy throw poncho that Nike just released and calls it “ground-breaking”. I am so here for these fashion/gear media outlets frothing at the mouth for Nike to enter the outdoor space (again, apparently). How is this poncho is supposed to be ground-breaking? But don’t listen to me rant, here’s Wylie Robinson, CEO of Rumpl, who’s knows a thing or two about puffy products for the outdoors on LinkedIn:

Who do I know at Nike that can connect me to the ACG team so we can collaborate and do this product the right way?

2026 will really be a fun ride if Nike continues to push faux outdoor products into the space hoping it will move the needle. Outdoor has become fashion, there’s no doubt, and Nike knows how to make a shoes and fashion, there’s no doubt either, but outdoor has, at it’s core, been about function – folks need to rely on these pieces of gear to keep them safe and alive in the elements. If Nike thinks they can “just waltz in” and throw some fashion items against the wall and call it a strategy then I can just sit back and report on every single one of these attempts at appearing “ground-breaking”. Let’s go!