World News for Students of English

10-04-2026 15:00

The shoe business is changing. Nike, the biggest shoe brand, is having a hard time.

For a few years, Nike didn’t create many new styles, so shoppers started buying shoes from other brands like Hoka and On. Now, Nike has a new boss who wants to make the brand special again.

At the same time, Crocs are popular again. Many people thought they were ugly, but nowadays, you can decorate them with small charms. This helped them sell billions of dollars of shoes. A Swiss brand called On is also becoming a leader. Their shoes look very different and are popular with people who run. On is growing much faster than older brands.

But there is a risk for the future. Many shoes come from Vietnam, and new taxes may make the price of shoes go up. Brands must find ways to stay popular even when prices are rising.

Difficult words: brand (the name and image of a company), ugly (not pleasant to look at, not beautiful), charm (a small, decorative object).

You can watch the original video in the Level 3 section.