From Manchester United to Chinese designers, sportswear is localizing

Global sportswear powerhouses that succeed in China consistently localize, whether through retail, social commerce or market-exclusive collaborations. Connecting with cultural nuances and communities has never been so crucial as local giants Anta Sports and Li-Ning increase market share — the former is now number three behind Nike and Adidas. Growing domestic competition is forcing international players to rethink the generic global playbook, and adopt hyper-local strategies that speak to national pride, and diverse consumer identities. High volume, high engagement: The Asics formula Sportswear brands’ collaboration strategies can often feel sprawling, but behind them is a drive to connect with a diverse range of communities. Asics, for one, just ended a significantly busy Paris Fashion Week men’s edition, co-designing footwear for collections by Issey Miyake, Comme des Garçons, Doublet, Kiko Kostadinov, JJJound and Chinese designer Shushu/Tong. Along with securing the crown for cult sneaker partnerships (including with Sandy Liang, Kiko Kostadinov, and JJJound), over in Asia, the Japanese brand has launched collaborations with streetwear retailers Costs (Shenzhen) and Atmos (Japan). This attention to style subcultures is propelling the brand to relevance, while others like Nike struggle, the Japanese sportswear brand reported net sales of 208.3 billion yen for the first quarter of 2025, reflecting a 19.7% rise compared to the 174.1 billion yen recorded during the same period in 2024. Senior General Manager for Asics’ Sportstyle Division, Go Suzuki tells Jing Daily, “When building our community of creative partners, we always keep in mind the brand ethos of ‘Sound Mind, Sound Body’ — something we like to ensure runs through all of our collaborative projects. It’s not about riding niches. It’s about nurturing long-standing relationships and giving new talents global visibility.” The 2025 collaboration with Shanghai-based label Shushu/Tong, part of a continuing partnership, revealed during Paris Fashion Week, demonstrates this ethos in motion. The ultra-feminine Gel-Kinetic Fluent silhouette, touched by the playfully feminine designer’s anime and girlhood influences, found traction with both Chinese and European audiences. Chinese independent label Shushu/Tong has a significant mainland fanbase, yet also has a presence at European fashion weeks, crafting a winning vehicle for a sports brand like Asics to connect with both Eastern and Western consumer bases. “We work closely as a team to find partners with a different point of view than we’ve seen before. There’s been a similar positive response in Asia and Europe to these projects,” Suzuki adds. “We like to deepen our connection with long-term partners like Comme and Kiko, but also work on more localized projects through Crafts for Minds [an intiative which supports charities dedicated to mental wellbeing],” he says, referencing projects with names like Florence Tetier and LA table tennis club Little Tokyo Table Tennis (LTTT). This collab strategy has helped Asics get to the forefront of global Gen Z style: On Xiaohongshu (also known as RedNote), the brand’s hashtag has 136.9 million views. For Spring 2026, Suzuki says that Asics is setting its sights on new markets. “Localized collaborations will continue to be a priority as we evolve these relationships globally,” he adds. Cracking the global-local code In terms of social engagement, Puma is also soaring in China thanks to naming Blackpink’s Rosé a brand ambassador in 2024, as well as leading footwear trends like the ‘sneakerina’ style — #puma has 408.9 million views on Xiaohongshu. As well as reaching global audiences with expensive high-profile partnerships, Puma also does smaller scale China-exclusives, such as the Concept Mostro sneaker under the brand’s Remake project with Roaringwild in October 2024. This increasingly common glocal approach demonstrates how regional identity and global appeal can coexist within a single brand narrative. Other sportswear giants are making similar moves. Adidas Originals’ viral Tang suit-inspired track jacket for Lunar New Year 2025 felt like a truly nuanced nod to heritage that resonated across China’s social feeds; the rest of the world also loved it. Along with championing neo-Chinese style, the German brand capitalized on China’s booming pet economy in May with its Trefoil pet series, which went viral, tapping into a sector projected to reach 811.4 billion RMB ($113 billion) in 2025. In fact, along with showcasing an impressive roster of local collabs in China, such as sneakers with artist-led brand Melting Sadness and a full capsule with Tsinghua University, the company’s localized strategy is just as strong outside of China. Among small-scale collaborations, the brand has previously partnered with South Korean retail location Kasina, and the buzzy Gen Z label Drama Call in Manchester along with the Manchester United soccer team. And most recently, in April 2025, the Adidas Samba was reimagined by artisans in Dubai as part of the brand’s “Loomhood Collection,” celebrating local craftsmanship to connect with consumers there. Global sportswear brands are learning that to create mass appeal, they have to consider the identities of their consumer bases. Whether someone is a skater, gardener, avid gymgoer, or waitress, they all have probably worn a pair of sneakers; it’s all about tapping into the multifaceted potential of local client bases in each market.

How global sports brands are crafting local impact

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How global sports brands are crafting local impact