Paralympian criticizes Nike for refusing to sell single shoe for amputees

Retired Team ParalympicsGB athlete Stef Reid took to TikTok Wednesday to say that she had asked Nike if she could buy just one of the brand’s Vaporfly running shoes at a reduced price, rather than forking out full price for a complete pair.

Reid, who is an amputee, was only prompted to reach out to Nike about the possibility of buying one shoe after noticing that Nike and Decathlon were displaying amputee mannequins in their stores.

The mannequins were only wearing one shoe in the pictures shared by Reid on her TikTok.

@runjumpstefreid I love that companies are using amputee mannequins. I lost part of my right leg in an accident when I was 16. I know how special it would have been as a new amputee to see a big sports brand using that image. But if you are going to use the image, you need to back it up in the way you do business. Of course companies want to brand themselves as inclusive. The problem is feel good marketing without the hard work. It has to be supported by changes in policies and procedures across your business. I’ve been contacted by three news outlets, so hopefully these questions are asked on a wider scale. In my experience, it’s rarely a case of intentional oversight. It’s just that no one has asked the question. #running #nike #bladerunner #amputee #inclusion #diversity #pov ♬ Monkeys Spinning Monkeys – Kevin MacLeod & Kevin The Monkey

A screenshot of Reid’s apparent conversation with Nike customer services shows she was denied the opportunity to buy just one of the shoes, after citing the pair’s pricey £250 ($313) price tag as a hindrance to her buying both.

According to the screenshots shared by Reid, the customer service agent said the company wasn’t able to offer her one shoe at half the price. They did, however, offer her a one-off 10% discount.

“Which I said was very kind, but next time I buy running shoes I’m still only going to have one foot,” Reid said in her TikTok post. She said the agent then upped the offer to 15%, which Reid again declined.

Reid says the agent then promised to take the issue to Nike’s “higher-ups,” but she had not yet received a response in the nine days between her interaction and posting a video. 

The athlete won her…