Will NIKE’s partnership with LISA Change Everything?

Nike’s decision to sign Lalisa Manobal, rapper, singer, dancer, actress, best known as LISA of BLACKPINK, is less about star power and more about relevance.

In a moment where Nike is actively fighting to reconnect with younger consumers who don’t revere the brand the way past generations did, LISA represents access: to Gen Z, to K-pop fandoms, and to global youth culture that moves fast, spends intentionally, and follows influence more than legacy.

The real question isn’t can LISA sell sneakers — her fans will buy anything with her name on it. The question is whether she can do what Nike truly needs right now: move inline product.

Selling the Product That’s Already There

If LISA ever gets her name attached to a shoe or apparel piece, it will sell. That part is easy. But Nike doesn’t need another short-term hype hit, it needs sustained demand for core silhouettes and everyday apparel.

That’s why her debut moment with the brand matters.

LISA stars in the NikeSKIMS Spring ’26 campaign, showcasing her elite dancing ability alongside professional ballerinas and dancers. Directed by Sergio Reis and released January 27, the campaign isn’t subtle in its intention: This isn’t just about dance credibility, it’s about using LISA’s name, image and likeness to push a product line in situations where “good product” alone, or even Kim Kardashian’s influence, isn’t enough to move units.

SKIMS works because it fits LISA’s life. She’s constantly traveling, rehearsing, performing, and training. The product aligns with her identity, which makes the sell feel natural instead of transactional.

That authenticity is what Nike is betting on.

Influence That Extends Beyond Fashion

LISA’s cultural pull isn’t theoretical. She was a major driver behind the Labubu craze, small collectible dolls with little functional value beyond being cute accessories. Yet they became must-haves because of visibility and association.

If she can spark demand for novelty items with no real utility, imagine what she can do for Nike, a brand that already offers function, performance, and heritage alongside style.

For Nike, LISA’s role isn’t to reinvent the wheel. It’s to get people back in the door, kids, K-pop fans, and younger consumers who may not feel emotionally attached to the Swoosh.

Her job is simple, but powerful: Wear the product, stand next to it, dance in it, and exist in Nike’s universe until it feels unavoidable.

The Blueprint

Nike has already shown us this strategy.

Look at what the brand is doing with British rapper Central Cee. Rather than positioning him as a traditional athlete or designer, Nike has used him as a cultural conduit to reintroduce Sportswear staples, particularly Tech Fleece, to a new generation.

Through his brand Syna World, Central Cee has released co-branded Air Max 95s, Tech Fleece sets and Air Force 1s. These aren’t experimental silhouettes; they’re classics Nike is aggressively pushing again.

Central Cee’s smoke grey patent leather Air Force 1, featuring Syna World branding and graffiti detailing, reinforces the point. Nike isn’t asking him to invent something new, they’re asking him to make familiar products feel current.

It helps that Central Cee is a lifelong Nike fan. He even referenced the moment in his song “Limitless”: “It’s a full-circle moment, I come out the Nike HQ with a shoe deal.”

So far, he’s received an Air Max 95, a model Nike is heavily backing, and now an Air Force 1. The message is clear.

What This Means for LISA

Don’t expect a LISA signature shoe anytime soon.

Signature footwear is expensive and risky. Creating a new silhouette from scratch requires costly molds across multiple sizes, and Nike has learned that consumers increasingly prefer classic designs over unfamiliar forms.

If LISA gets product with her name on it, it’s far more likely to live on existing models: Air Force 1s, Air Max 1s, Air Max 95s, silhouettes that already resonate culturally and commercially.

And that’s perfectly fine.

LISA doesn’t need a signature shoe to be effective. She’s a star, a style icon and a moment-maker. She generates attention effortlessly, and attention is Nike’s most valuable currency right now.

Flex, Trade or Fade?

Nike signing LISA is a major Flex.

She has the global reach, cultural credibility, and influence needed to keep Nike’s hype engine running, not through reinvention, but through re-introduction. If Nike plays this right, LISA won’t just sell product. She’ll help remind a new generation why Nike mattered in the first place.