For Nike, the experience was about much more than selling limited-edition sneakers. It was an experiment that could one day be applied throughout the company. Until last year, Nike primarily saw itself as a wholesaler creating product for retail partners at various levels: hypebeast boutiques at the high end, chains like Foot Locker in the middle, and discount outlets like DSW at the bottom. But after decades of outpacing its sneaker rivals, the once indomitable athletic-wear company has been losing ground–and buzz–to No. 2 Adidas. In the U.S., Adidas's market share surged from 6.8% in 2016 to 10.3% last year, according to the NPD Group. During the same period, Nike's share dropped from 34.5% to 32.9%. Meanwhile, the shoemaker's longtime brick-and-mortar partners have floundered as the retail landscape changes. "We realized that the market was moving fast, and consumers were moving fast," says Adam Sussman, who became Nike's first chief digital officer in 2016.