Mass Customization: Nike vs. Puma

The United States tops the internet usage charts with roughly 215 million users (Strauss and Frost). With this rapid growth of the internet, Americans have created a digital marketplace, where an appropriate shift from the industrial age to a more digital age has arrived. Mass production is on its way out and a new concept of mass customization is sweeping the streets of the internet. Mass customization is defined by “the internet’s unique ability to customize marketing mixes electronically and automatically to the individual level” (Strauss and Frost 33). Two mainstream shoe companies, Nike and Puma, have adapted this business process level to increase the consumers demand through customization of their products.

Created by Phillip Knight, Nike has “grown to be the world’s largest marketer of athletic footwear, holding a global market share of approximately 37 percent” (NIKE, inc). According to Advertising Age, “Nike is arguably the savviest digital marketer out there, and it also has shown an uncanny understanding of the value of creating useful content and communities for and with its customers” (“Check ‘em Out”). “Nike realized early on that the web did not just represent another communication medium. Because of this insight, Nike focused on reinventing core parts of its business through experiences and applications that changed the way consumers related to the brand” (Greenberg) and in 2001 created NikeiD. The NikeiD website is described as “customization on steroids, with a touch of the old velvet-rope thrown in. No more going to a brick-and-mortar store and not finding what you want. You decide all the features and have the shoes shipped” (“Check ‘em Out”), this gave consumers a chance to join the production stage.



NikeiD’s main page exhibits a more logical appeal. The content is straight forward demonstrating that any person purchasing this product is making the right decision. To back up the product, Kobe Bryant, an expert, has designed his own Nike shoe. From here you can chose if you’d like to customize a sporty shoe or a shoe with style for men, women, and even children. There are various models under the sports category for all different athletes. Ranging from basketball and running to soccer and football cleats, there’s a shoe for everyone. After choosing which design best fits your needs, you can continue to fully customize it. Step by step, color by color you can slowly begin to add character to your shoe. Choosing from various colors such as challenge red, hyper verde, team orange, and varsity maize, NikeiD ensures that your shoe will be one of a kind. If you’d rather get shoes to match your uniform, Nike makes it easy to develop products with school colors engaging in a high school Nike training gear line.

Not only can you modify a blank shoe, but you can also customize already developed designs. With the same principles, you can buy the already made shoe or go back and change specific features such as the Nike swoosh or the laces. Not only can you tailor the colors but the materials as well.

After your shoe is completely altered and transformed into perfection, you can add your own personal id. Although Nike doesn’t allow vulgar words or inappropriate phrases, you can choose up to ten characters or some shoes even allow room for a quote on the tongue of the shoe. Once all adjustments are finalized you can even add your very own masterpiece to the user design gallery for everyone to see. Maybe one day someone will even buy your unique design for themselves. Beyond the gallery you can post your Nike shoe onto Facebook or MySpace with the click of an icon. Brian Morrissey, an author at Adweek agrees that “the shop has added communal features to NikeiD, allowing users to easily share their creations with others, both friends and strangers.”

The NikeiD website has unique selling propositions that set the company apart from other shoe customization pages. Aside from shoes, they also carry apparel and equipment where you can design shirts, bags, and even watches. If you’re trying to customize an article for a birthday gift or a holiday present but cant quite figure out what colors to choose, you can simply get a NikeiD gift card and let he or she design his or her own. Nike has become all about choices and this website offers more options and combinations than one could even imagine. If you still aren’t satisfied with the NikeiD website or conveniently getting a gift card and consider yourself old fashioned, you can visit either the NikeiD Studio or Nike Sportswear store. Both of these shops are located in New York, the studio is fixed on the fifth floor of NikeTown NYC while the Sportswear store is situated on 21 Mercer Street. At the shops you are physically able to see the colors and touch the materials to pick the perfect shoe. Aside from designing you the consumer is able to try on exclusive styles and can even make an appointment to have a one-on-one design session with a shoe genius.

Although the shoes take anywhere from four to six weeks to be received, another great feature that Nike offers is a return policy. Most shoe customization stores will not allow the customer to exchange or return purchases. However, Nike remains accountable for 30 days after shipping during which the customer can return or exchange the personally tailored shoe.



Although Puma’s Mongolian Shoe BBQ was created after NikeiD, the website offers unique shoe customizations. Originating in the Far East, a Mongolian BBQ caters to each individual’s different tastes. With an array of meats and vegetables, each person could tailor their meal to make it more personal. Puma took this concept and applied it to their product line of shoes. Although the analogy of a Mongolian BBQ in comparison to shoes seems quite disturbing, the characteristics of each component fit perfectly. So, grab your chef hat and preheat your creativity.

Puma took a different approach on their website. Using an emotional appeal and the Mongolian BBQ theme, a sense of humor becomes apparent. After deciding to create your own shoe, the story commences. A menu opens showing the different dishes available to customize. The “shoe menu” consists of the First Round, the Basket, and the RS 100 all of which you can personally customize. After shoe selection you can select either a men’s or women’s and then your size. Much like Nike, you can alter an already made shoe or start with a blank plate. To truly make it your own you would start at the very beginning. With 17 choices of creative steps, you can mix and match over 30 different colors, materials, and textures, from blazing orange suede to metallic gold coated leather, your shoe is sure to be fashionable. After five to seven weeks patiently awaiting the arrival of your shoe, you better love it because Puma’s Mongolian Shoe BBQ does not allow returns or exchanges.

If the BBQ theme online doesn’t fit your appetite, you can go into the various stores situated throughout the world. You are able to build you own shoe in-store without any hassle. In the United States there are shops located in Boston, Atlanta, Chicago, Florida, and New York. Others are located throughout the world in Australia, Japan, France, South Africa, and China to name a few.

Both Nike and Puma have moved forward employing the new trend of mass customization. There has been a great power shift between sellers and buyers, “both individual and business buyers are more demanding than ever because they are just one click away from a plethora of global competitors, all vying for their business” (Strauss and Frost 13). Instead of physically going into retail stores to buy shoes, a digital substitution has been made. Consumers can now conveniently go online not only to purchase shoes, but to design them as well, models which Nike and Puma have both employed. This new concept is just the beginning of mass customization and newer forms are bound to be explored.

I have to admit that I am very brand loyal to Nike. I’ve been wearing Nike sneakers for as long as I can remember. Maybe it’s because of their reputation, or perhaps it’s the design, but I have yet to be disappointed. The shoes I use to work out are Nike Shox and my casual everyday sneakers are Nike Dunks, I just love them. Upon reviewing the customization websites I went in with a bias opinion, I was bound to like Nike more, and in fact, still do. Right off the bat the NikeiD’s main page captivated me. The colors were stimulating and the shoes were flashy. Personally, I like to have alternatives and Nike gave me choices. I could choose either sport or style, and then within these categories were different types of shoes. One downfall of this website (it may have been my connection) is that it loads really slowly. I had to refresh it a couple of times which frustrated me throughout the customization process. Puma’s Mongolian Shoe BBQ did a good job at using flash to create the story from the beginning. With the chef, the menu, and the interactive site it made it more fun to navigate. Both websites utilized zoom to take a closer look and from different perspectives to really capture all qualities of the customized shoe.

One observation I made is that Nike seems to produce more traditional and athletic footwear while Puma’s aesthetically pleasing colors and materials create a sense of innovative style. Although, Puma’s one big down fall consists of function. You wouldn’t throw your Puma sneakers on to go for a run, it’s just not practical. On the other hand, you could put your Nike athletic shoes on for practice while strutting your stuff in the hallway in your Nike style shoes.