New Nike store sprints onto Main Street

Downtown Westport has a new competitor in its retail race.

A new Nike store opened Thursday at 69 Main St., marking the latest addition to the sportswear giant's chain of running specialty stores.

The approximately 5,700-square-foot storefront includes men's and women's apparel and footwear. Nike Running Westport offers three main categories of merchandise: sportswear, which has a retro style; running, which are items designed for use on the track or trail; and training, which is athletic wear suited for gym workouts.

Reflecting its emphasis on athletic performance, the store offers several items from the Nike+ line, which allows runners to track their distance, pace and time.

The store also features NIKEiD, an online service that allows customers to create and order customized merchandise. A patron could, for instance, design Miami Heat superstar LeBron James' LeBron 9 iD basketball shoe with garishly-colored soles and linings and a personalized inscription on the sneaker tongues.

During the next few weeks, Nike also plans to start a new running club based in its Westport store.

Customers quickly streamed into the Nike outlet Thursday morning following its 10 a.m. opening. Westport resident Mary Walsh made the store's inaugural purchase, as she bought a pair of Barefoot Ride shoes for her daughter.

"We were waiting for this store to open," she said. "This is definitely something that we needed."

At the other end of the store, Trumbull resident Gary Cianciotta, was picking out a new hat and gloves for the winter season.

"I love to run, so this is a great place for me," he said. "I especially like the design of the outside of the store. It looks like those high school bleachers that fold up against the wall."

Nike has hired 29 employees for its Westport store and plans to add five more workers there, according to a company spokesperson.

Nike also operates a running outlet in Farmington, as well as a factory outlet store in Clinton. The Westport storefront marks the 10th Nike running store to open nationwide since last year. Nike launched its first running-focused store in Stanford, Calif.

The opening of Nike Running Westport reflects downtown Westport's continued strength as a regional retail hub. During the last year, the designer label, Theory, and Calypso St. Barth, a women's clothing store, and Benefit Cosmetics have each opened new storefronts on Main Street. In addition, Gap has expanded its retail presence in the town center with the opening of a three-floor storefront on Main Street. Gap formerly occupied Nike Running's new storefront at 69 Main St.

The Nike Running Westport store is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday.