Stand-Up Comedian Has Vendetta Against Nike

Comedian, Tom Segura talks about the war between Adidas and Nike

Tom Segura Adidas Nike
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Image via Tom Segura on Instagram

Tom Segura Adidas Nike

In the constant tug of war over influencers both big and small between Nike and Adidas, the Swoosh has taken a loss when it comes to Los Angeles comic Tom Segura.

In his recent special, Disgraceful, Segura tells the story of being invited to shop the employee store at Nike's world headquarters after a show in Portland, Ore. Getting attention from Nike was his first taste of that #influencer life. 

"'You’re a personofinfluence. You can try to go through the entertainment division.’ ‘What’s that?’ And he goes, ‘That’s free stuff,'" said Segura during his Netflix special. 

After some phone calls to Nike and a promise from them to “regroup and get back to you,” the Swoosh failed to follow up with Segura. Unbeknownst to the brand, they gave Segura fodder for a joke that would play right into the hands of their rival, Adidas. "They never called, so I bought these Adidas for $130. So fuck you, Nike," Segura said. 

It didn't take long for Segura to be contacted by Adidas. "It was about two weeks after the special came out. [Adidas] reached out, asked me my sizes, and a big box arrived pretty quickly. It had a bunch of shoes and gear," Segura told Sole Collector. "I wouldn’t say I'm super hardcore with it, but it's primarily what I'm wearing."

He donated all of Nike sneakers he owned—​around a dozen. However, he isn't closing the door on wearing Nike again. "I can pretty much be bought man," Segura joked. "You know, if somebody wants to give me a lot of shit."

Segura has showcased some care packages from Adidas on social media and continued his message of “Fuck Nike” along with his newfound admiration for Boost technology. In addition to the free merch, he appreciates the heated rivalry between the two brands and was more than happy to pick a side.

"If you’re a sports fan and you’re watching two teams that are heated rivals go at it, you’re only getting a true emotional benefit of it if you pick a team, so I like picking a team and just riding with it," said Segura. 

While Segura is enjoying the “Three Stripe life,” he still has to thwart off the occasional recruiting effort from Nike employees. Although the window for the Swoosh has closed, he still enjoys hearing them out. "A couple of employees have hit me up, but nobody executive wise," Segura said. “They say stuff like ‘I saw that thing, and can definitely get [you] into the store.’ I’m like ‘Dude, that is over.’ You’re giving me permission to buy stuff now, are you kidding me? 'Nah dude, that's long gone.’"