Nike warranty & return policy — and how to actually claim it
Every line below is quoted from Nike's own published policy and linked to the source. If something you bought is covered, Owed's agent can draft and send the claim for you.
Warranty
24 monthsstated window
Nike will inspect any shoe or piece of gear that develops a material or workmanship flaw within two years of the manufacture date, and if it finds a defect, it makes it right. The detail almost everyone gets wrong: the clock runs from the manufacture date printed on the item's tag, not from the day you bought it — so a shoe that sat in a warehouse for eight months gives you sixteen months, not twenty-four. For Nike App and Nike.com purchases the first 60 days are a straight return for refund or exchange; past 60 days the route is an inspection instead. Nike judges the claim, and normal wear and tear, excessive wear, misuse and excessive dirt are explicitly not defects. Items bought from unauthorized retailers or resellers are not eligible for inspection at all. Some Nike products carry their own separate written guarantee on the label, hang tag or warranty card.
In their own words
“If you believe your item has developed a material or workmanship flaw within two years of the manufacture date on your item’s tag, you can send it to us for an inspection. If we find a defect, we’ll make it right.”
Do Nike Shoes Have a Warranty?
“Note that some Nike products have specific written guarantees and/or warranties. In that instance, details and return information will be included on the label, hang tag, or warranty card that was included with the item.”
Do Nike Shoes Have a Warranty? — separate guarantees
“Within 60 days of purchase date: You can return your items for a refund or exchange for an eligible item within 60 days.”
Purchase Type — Nike App and Nike.com
“More than 60 days past purchase date: If it’s within two years of the manufacture date on the product tag, or within one year of the purchase date for NikeSKIMS items, you can ship the item to us for an inspection.”
Purchase Type — Nike App and Nike.com
“We’ll inspect your item to confirm if there is a material or workmanship flaw. Note that the following are not considered a material or workmanship flaw and are not eligible:”
FAQs — What issues are not eligible?
What they exclude
- Normal wear and tear
- Excessive wear or misuse
- Excessive dirt
- Items with any product alteration
- Items purchased from unauthorized retailers or resellers
How to file
Find the manufacture date on your item's tag first — that is the date the two years runs from. For Nike App and Nike.com purchases, contact Nike to arrange shipping the item in for inspection; for store purchases, take it to the Nike store or the Nike-authorized store where you bought it. Nike inspects, then decides. Because the standard is a material or workmanship flaw rather than dissatisfaction, describe what failed structurally — a separated sole, a split seam, a failed bond — not that the shoe wore out.
Nike's claim page →Source: Nike's published policy · verified 2026-08-03
If they say no
A first refusal is not the end — most claims that get paid are the ones that got answered a second time. The ladder that works:
- Reply in the same thread quoting the exact policy line above, with your order number and the date. Ask for a supervisor or a formal complaint reference.
- Escalate to an executive contact if support stalls — a specific, documented request outperforms an angry one.
- Use your payment rail: a card chargeback for "not as described" or "item not received" (typically within 60 days of the statement under the US Fair Credit Billing Act, and up to 120 days under card-network rules — confirm the exact window with your issuer), or a PayPal dispute.
- For lost or damaged shipments, file a claim with the carrier directly.
- Escalate externally: the selling platform's guarantee, BBB, your state attorney general, or the FTC. Small claims is the last resort.
Owed reads your receipts, tracks every warranty clock, drafts the claim citing the terms above, and follows up until you're paid. Free to start.
Policies change. We re-verify these terms regularly and show the date each was checked, but always confirm current terms on Nike's own site before relying on them. Owed is not a law firm and this page is not legal advice.