• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

MacKenzie Scott, Melinda French Gates, and Lauren Sánchez Bezos are rewriting the rules of billionaire giving—one quietly, one strategically, one very publicly

2

After donating $48 billion to the Gates Foundation, Warren Buffett is quietly ending one of the biggest philanthropic relationships in history

3

Current price of silver as of Tuesday, July 14, 2026

1

MacKenzie Scott, Melinda French Gates, and Lauren Sánchez Bezos are rewriting the rules of billionaire giving—one quietly, one strategically, one very publicly

2

After donating $48 billion to the Gates Foundation, Warren Buffett is quietly ending one of the biggest philanthropic relationships in history

3

Current price of silver as of Tuesday, July 14, 2026
RetailSports
Europe

Paralympian criticizes Nike and Decathlon for refusing to sell single shoes after displaying amputee mannequins

Ryan Hogg
By
Ryan Hogg
Ryan Hogg
Europe News Reporter
Down Arrow Button Icon
Ryan Hogg
By
Ryan Hogg
Ryan Hogg
Europe News Reporter
Down Arrow Button Icon
April 11, 2024, 9:43 AM ET
Stef Reid of Great Britain competes in the Women's Long Jump
Stef Reid has competed for Canada and Great Britain at Paralympic events.Atsushi Tomura—Getty Images for Tokyo 2020
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

A former Paralympian has aired her frustrations with major sports brands, including Nike and Decathlon, for refusing to sell single shoes to amputees despite using amputee mannequins in their stores to market their shoes.

Recommended Video

Retired Team ParalympicsGB athlete Stef Reid took to TikTok Wednesday to say that she had asked Nike if she could buy just one of the brand’s Vaporfly running shoes at a reduced price, rather than forking out full price for a complete pair.

Reid, who is an amputee, was only prompted to reach out to Nike about the possibility of buying one shoe after noticing that Nike and Decathlon were displaying amputee mannequins in their stores.

The mannequins were only wearing one shoe in the pictures shared by Reid on her TikTok.

@runjumpstefreid I love that companies are using amputee mannequins. I lost part of my right leg in an accident when I was 16. I know how special it would have been as a new amputee to see a big sports brand using that image. But if you are going to use the image, you need to back it up in the way you do business. Of course companies want to brand themselves as inclusive. The problem is feel good marketing without the hard work. It has to be supported by changes in policies and procedures across your business. I've been contacted by three news outlets, so hopefully these questions are asked on a wider scale. In my experience, it's rarely a case of intentional oversight. It's just that no one has asked the question. #running #nike #bladerunner #amputee #inclusion #diversity #pov ♬ Monkeys Spinning Monkeys – Kevin MacLeod & Kevin The Monkey

A screenshot of Reid’s apparent conversation with Nike customer services shows she was denied the opportunity to buy just one of the shoes, after citing the pair’s pricey £250 ($313) price tag as a hindrance to her buying both.

According to the screenshots shared by Reid, the customer service agent said the company wasn’t able to offer her one shoe at half the price. They did, however, offer her a one-off 10% discount.

“Which I said was very kind, but next time I buy running shoes I’m still only going to have one foot,” Reid said in her TikTok post. She said the agent then upped the offer to 15%, which Reid again declined.

Reid says the agent then promised to take the issue to Nike’s “higher-ups,” but she had not yet received a response in the nine days between her interaction and posting a video. 

The athlete won her first medal at the 2008 Beijing Paralympics for Canada, before switching allegiance to Great Britain in 2012 for the London games, winning silver in the T44 long jump. She won gold at the 2017 World Championships in London. She has also competed in the 200-meter race during her career. 

Retailers failing to accommodate amputees

After failing to acquire a single shoe from Nike, Reid also went to French sports retailer Decathlon and American running shoe platform Brooks after noticing they both used prosthetic running blades to market their shoes.

But on both occasions, Reid was again unable to acquire one shoe.

“I love that companies are using amputee mannequins,” Reid said in her video. 

“But if you are going to use the image you have to back it up in the way you do business.”

Speaking to BBC’s Newsbeat, Reid said she thought the failure to sell single shoes was an oversight.

“I don’t have an expectation that every company is going to cater to me as an amputee, at a financial loss to them,” Reid told Newsbeat.

“But diverse and inclusive thinking can lead to a better way of doing business.”

In an email to Fortune, a representative for Nike thanked Reid for sharing her concerns.

The spokesperson pointed to Nike’s long-running One Shoe Bank program, where it offers single shoes on selected products out of its Memphis distribution center. 

The program only operates in the U.S., and may not cover Reid’s request for the higher-end Vaporfly model.

“Taking the learnings from the program, we are hoping to expand it to more geographies in the future,” the representative said. 

Representatives for Decathlon and Brooks didn’t immediately respond to Fortune’s request for comment. 

The Fortune 500 Innovation Forum will convene Fortune 500 executives, U.S. policy officials, top founders, and thought leaders to help define what’s next for the American economy, Nov. 16-17 in Detroit. Apply here.
About the Author
Ryan Hogg
By Ryan HoggEurope News Reporter

Ryan Hogg was a Europe business reporter at Fortune.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Retail

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Retail

Taco Bell pulls some items as parasite outbreak spreads
RetailTaco Bell
Taco Bell pulls some items as parasite outbreak spreads
By Daniela Sirtori, Lily Meier, Erinn Gardner and BloombergJuly 14, 2026
9 hours ago
Golfer at a bay.
C-SuiteSports
Topgolf’s CEO thinks the sport’s next star could get their start at one of its driving ranges
By Catherina GioinoJuly 14, 2026
11 hours ago
camera
Arts & EntertainmentGen Z
Gen Z’s analog obsession is reviving a film camera market that digital killed
By Rotem Rozental and The ConversationJuly 14, 2026
22 hours ago
ph
North AmericaDEI
Summer camps remain a battleground over what it means to be American
By Seth T. Kannarr, Derek H. Alderman and The ConversationJuly 13, 2026
1 day ago
e
Arts & EntertainmentSocial Media
American influencers turn Erling Haaland into the World Cup’s breakout brand
By Kaitlyn Huamani and The Associated PressJuly 13, 2026
2 days ago
German carmakers are suffering some of their worst declines ever in China as Q2 sales plunge 30%-41%
AsiaAutos
German carmakers are suffering some of their worst declines ever in China as Q2 sales plunge 30%-41%
By Chan Ho-Him and The Associated PressJuly 11, 2026
4 days ago

Most Popular

MacKenzie Scott, Melinda French Gates, and Lauren Sánchez Bezos are rewriting the rules of billionaire giving—one quietly, one strategically, one very publicly
Newsletters
MacKenzie Scott, Melinda French Gates, and Lauren Sánchez Bezos are rewriting the rules of billionaire giving—one quietly, one strategically, one very publicly
By Sydney LakeJuly 14, 2026
12 hours ago
After donating $48 billion to the Gates Foundation, Warren Buffett is quietly ending one of the biggest philanthropic relationships in history
North America
After donating $48 billion to the Gates Foundation, Warren Buffett is quietly ending one of the biggest philanthropic relationships in history
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJuly 14, 2026
11 hours ago
Current price of silver as of Tuesday, July 14, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of silver as of Tuesday, July 14, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJuly 14, 2026
19 hours ago
Current price of gold as of July 14, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of gold as of July 14, 2026
By Danny BakstJuly 14, 2026
16 hours ago
United States' $39 trillion national debt will mean fewer jobs at lower wages for Gen Z, according to think tank
Economy
United States' $39 trillion national debt will mean fewer jobs at lower wages for Gen Z, according to think tank
By Eleanor PringleJuly 14, 2026
18 hours ago
'He found their weakness. It might have been sex. It might be power': Warren Buffett stunned by Epstein pull as he snubs Gates Foundation
Banking
'He found their weakness. It might have been sex. It might be power': Warren Buffett stunned by Epstein pull as he snubs Gates Foundation
By Josh Funk and The Associated PressJuly 14, 2026
14 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our and Privacy Policy |  | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.