Nike has reportedly eliminated 90% of the SNKRS team
The internal structure supporting the widely used app was dismantled during a significant tech layoff affecting 1,400 employees, initiated by CEO Elliott Hill.
Nike is experiencing a significant digital transformation that has fundamentally altered the core of its most successful platform. Internal reports reveal that the company has dismissed approximately 90% of the team responsible for the SNKRS app.
This round of cuts coincides with a wave of 1,400 layoffs affecting the company’s technology and global operations divisions this month.
The extent of the reduction was highlighted when Stacy Devino, a principal engineer for the platform, addressed the situation on LinkedIn. The organization and the individuals associated with SNKRS faced significant destruction yesterday, Devino noted, illustrating a bleak portrayal of the department’s present condition. She observed that the team had successfully dealt with the difficult task of handling traffic surges, where 100 million users would concurrently flock to the app for a limited number of shoe pairs.
The recent layoffs are part of CEO Elliott Hill’s Win Now initiative, designed to streamline Nike’s internal structure and decrease dependence on expensive specialized talent.
A memo from COO Venkatesh Alagirisamy indicates that the brand is consolidating its technology operations into central hubs located in Oregon and India, while also placing a greater emphasis on advanced automation. Despite the brand’s assertion that these modifications will enhance responsiveness, sources suggest that it has largely overlooked the essential expertise needed to maintain SNKRS stability.
The decision has ignited considerable speculation regarding the possibility that Nike might ultimately discontinue its proprietary launch system altogether. Industry analysts indicate that the company may shift to third-party platforms such as EQL or Shopify for managing its releases. Certain former employees hold the view that the existing skeleton crew is merely responsible for maintaining operations until a complete transition can be finalized within the next eighteen months.
For ten years, the SNKRS app shaped drop culture and transformed the way collectors purchased shoes. The future of the Saturday morning ritual seems increasingly uncertain as the people who created that culture are now marginalized.
