Nike, the sportswear maker based near Beaverton, Oregon, has launched its first running shoe designed specifically for India. The shoe, called the Vegam Run, costs $40 at current exchange rates. It goes on sale November 1 on Flipkart, India’s e-commerce marketplace, and at select retail outlets, according to The Economic Times.
Nike said it worked with runners in India to learn what they need across running, training and everyday wear. The company moved from design brief to a confirmed product in fifty-five days, and the full process from concept to launch took five months. The shoe has an engineered mesh upper, full-length foam cushioning and a textured rubber outsole. Nike calls it a more accessible entry point to Nike Running.
“Our ambition with Vegam Run was simple: Honor the voice of the runner in India and build what they need,” Deepa Ramprasad, senior director of Nike Road Running Footwear, said in the company’s announcement.
The launch comes as Nike struggles elsewhere. Sales in China, which account for 15% of Nike’s annual revenue, have fallen for nine consecutive quarters, and the company’s shares have dropped more than 40% this year. Nike’s global running business is a bright spot: it has grown by double digits for six consecutive quarters.
Chief executive Elliott Hill, two years into the job, is betting on a revamped product pipeline that analysts say will depend largely on locally led designs in key markets. Hill told analysts this month that the performance business is not yet large enough to offset the pressure on Nike sportswear, the Jordan brand and Greater China, after the company projected a steep drop in full-year revenue.
India is part of that plan. Earlier this month Nike announced a new campus in Bengaluru, in southern India, as part of a turnaround plan called Pace, which also covers supply chain modernization and a reorganization of its geographic operations.
The price puts the Vegam Run at the low end of Nike’s running range. Nike plans wider distribution through its retail partners in India for spring 2027, and expects the shoe to reach additional international markets in 2027.
The market is growing. Research firm IMARC Group estimates India’s athletic footwear market at $6.6 billion in 2026, up from $6.23billion in 2025, and projects $9.9 billion by 2034. Running shoes made up 32% of the market in 2025.
