Before the NikeSkims store had even opened, a queue had formed outside a street-facing unit at Shanghai’s HKRI Taikoo Hui, across the road from the ship-shaped Louis Vuitton flagship.

By midday, staff were telling shoppers the wait to enter was more than an hour. The fitting rooms had their own ticketed queue.

The unit, formerly home to an IWC Schaffhausen boutique, is now NikeSkims’ first physical store in China. Kim Kardashian, her mother Kris Jenner and sister Khloé Kardashian attended the launch the previous evening, alongside Chinese athletes and performers including basketball player Li Meng and singer Lexie Liu.

NikeSkims announced its China entry in early September and opened the Shanghai space to the public last week, just ahead of China’s seven-day National Day holiday.

The site runs until February 2027 and will be the brand’s longest-running pop-up to date. It stocks the Fall 2026 Edit 01 collection: Nine apparel fabric families, footwear including the split-toe Rift, and accessories. Tailoring is available on selected pieces, and the space is built around fitting rooms, lounge areas and personalised services.

The China campaign is fronted by athletes including Hong Kong swimmer Stephanie Au, Dutch speed skater Jutta Leerdam, snowboarder Chloe Kim and hurdler Anna Cockrell.

NikeSkims has so far moved cautiously through Asia. Its earlier launches in South Korea, Singapore and Japan were built around pop-ups, Nike-owned stores and multi-brand retailers. None resulted in a permanent standalone store.

NikeSkims is testing demand without committing to a full store network. That restraint may be particularly important given the state of Nike’s core business in the market.

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