World News for Students of English

10-04-2026 15:00

The footwear market is changing fast as big brands like Nike and Crocs face new rivals. Nike is still the world’s largest sportswear company, but it has struggled lately.

Analysts say Nike made a mistake by focusing too much on selling online and not enough on making new, exciting products. This allowed newer brands like Hoka and On Running to take many of Nike’s customers. Now, a new CEO, Elliott Hill, is trying to fix the company by focusing on sports again.

Meanwhile, Crocs has made a huge comeback. People used to think Crocs were ugly, but clever marketing and colorful charms called Jibbitz made them cool for young people. Another big challenger is the Swiss company On Running, known for their unique shoes with hollow pads in the soles. On is growing very quickly. They even have a new spray-on technology to make shoes in just three minutes.

However, all these brands face a new problem: high tariffs on shoes made in Vietnam, which could make sneakers much more expensive for everyone.

Difficult words: rival (a person, team, or company that is competing with another for the same thing), charm (a small, decorative object that you can hang on a bracelet or push into the holes of a shoe), hollow (having a space or a hole inside; not solid).

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