// vertical integration

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Nike and Adidas are last major running brands with owned factories

The consolidation of apparel manufacturing into a handful of contract factories—while Nike and Adidas maintain vertically integrated production—creates structural vulnerability. When supply shocks, labor disputes, or geopolitical tensions hit these shared contractors, most running brands lack alternative capacity and face the same production bottlenecks simultaneously. Brands competing on speed-to-market and customization also negotiate capacity with their retail competitors.