Last updated: November 2, 2026
Current status: Nike has confirmed our One Shoe Bank request. We’re now waiting for fulfillment.

A few days ago, I shared the story of the Nike One Shoe Bank—a program reportedly designed to help people who only need one shoe.

The reaction surprised me.

A lot of people thought it was amazing.

But I also heard the same question over and over:

Is this actually real?

Some people had heard about the program. Others had seen posts about it online. But many weren't sure whether it still existed, whether Nike was actually accepting requests, or how someone would even go about requesting a single shoe.

That was a fair question.

And rather than simply repeating something we had heard, we decided to find out ourselves.

Why We Decided to Test It

Callie uses one shoe.

So I reached out to her mom and asked a simple question:

Would she be okay with me calling Nike and trying to request one shoe for Callie?

She said yes.

So on Monday, November 2, 2026, I picked up the phone.

Here is exactly what happened.

Update #1 — Calling Nike

Monday, November 2, 2026 — 9:00 a.m. Eastern

I called Nike Customer Service at:

1-800-344-6453

Like most large customer-service lines, the call began with an automated system.

I asked the virtual assistant for the:

Nike One Shoe Bank

The system didn't connect me to the program.

Instead, I was told that the relevant service hours were Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Pacific Time.

I was calling too early.

So I waited.

Call #2 — Around 2:00 p.m. Eastern

I called again.

One thing became clear pretty quickly:

There isn't an obvious menu option for the Nike One Shoe Bank.

I tried saying:

“Connect me with the Nike One Shoe Bank.”

The automated system didn't recognize the request.

So I selected “something else.”

Then another menu appeared.

I selected “something else” again.

The system asked for the phone number associated with my Nike account, which happened to be the number I was calling from.

From the moment I placed the call until I reached a person, the entire process took about three minutes.

Then I got Jose.

Talking With a Nike Athlete

Jose was great.

I explained that I was calling because I wanted to reach the Nike One Shoe Bank and request a single shoe.

He knew exactly what I was talking about.

Jose explained the program and told me that the request needed to be submitted over the phone through a Nike representative.

So we did it.

He filled out the request with me during the call.

Nike asked for information including:

• First and last name

• Phone number

• Email address

• Sex of the person who would use the shoe

• Shoe size

• Type of sport

• Preferred shoe color

For Callie, we selected:

Sport: Running
First color preference: White
Second color preference: Black

But we also made it clear that anything would be more than welcome.

Jose then explained what should happen next.

He told me that I should receive an email within approximately 3–4 business days with more information about the request and anything I might need if I had to follow up.

He also told me that requests typically take approximately 4–6 weeks to arrive, depending on inventory.

According to the information provided during our call, the program can also be used again approximately once per year.

The conversation with Jose took about another eight minutes.

Total time from dialing Nike to completing the request:

About 11 minutes.

That was it.

No complicated online application.

No long series of forms.

No nonprofit affiliation.

We called Nike, spoke with a representative, explained what we needed, and submitted the request.

At that point, though, we still only had the information given to us over the phone.

Then something happened much faster than expected.

Update #2 — Nike Confirmed It in Writing

Monday, November 2, 2026 — About three hours later

Jose had told me to expect an email within approximately 3–4 business days.

Instead, it arrived about three hours after our phone call.

And this time, we had confirmation directly from Nike in writing.

Nike's Elite Services Team wrote:

“Thank you for your interest in our One Shoe Bank Program.”

The email explained that Nike keeps a small inventory of single shoes in its distribution center and makes them available free of charge to single amputees.

Most importantly, the email confirmed:

“I have submitted your One Shoe Bank Request.”

Nike also reiterated that because inventory is limited, requests can take approximately 4–6 weeks, and sometimes longer depending on availability.

 

That email answered the biggest question we had when we started this:

Is the Nike One Shoe Bank real?

At this point, we can confidently say:

Yes.

We personally called Nike.

A Nike representative recognized the program.

We submitted a request for a single running shoe.

And a few hours later, Nike's Elite Services Team confirmed the request in writing.

That's pretty compelling evidence that the program is active.

But there is still one part of the story we haven't tested yet:

Fulfillment.

We haven't received a shoe.

We don't know which model Callie might receive.

We don't know whether Nike will be able to match our preferred colors.

And we don't know whether it will take four weeks, six weeks, or longer.

So we're not calling this experiment finished.

We're going to keep documenting it.

Where Things Stand Today

As of November 2, 2026:

The request has been submitted.

Nike has confirmed the request in writing.

The program appears to be active.

There was no charge to submit the request.

Nike told us fulfillment typically takes approximately 4–6 weeks, depending on inventory.

And now we wait.

The next big question is simple:

Will a shoe arrive for Callie?

When we know, we'll update this post.

Why We're Sharing This

The reason for documenting all of this isn't simply to prove whether an internet story is true.

If programs like this exist, the people who might benefit from them should be able to find accurate information about how to access them.

When I first shared the One Shoe Bank story, the number of people who responded with some version of “I hope that's real” showed me something:

There are people who could genuinely use this information.

And there are probably more programs, resources, organizations and companies doing good things that many of us simply don't know about.

So we're going to keep asking questions.

We're going to keep verifying what we can.

And when we find something that can help someone move, participate, compete, explore or simply feel a little more included, we're going to share it.

Because movement should be available to more people.

And sometimes removing one small barrier can make a much bigger difference than we realize.

Follow the experiment

We'll continue updating this article as the request progresses.

November 2, 2026: Request submitted by phone.
November 2, 2026: Nike Elite Services confirmed the request by email.
Next: Waiting for fulfillment.

If you've personally used the Nike One Shoe Bank—or know of another program that helps make movement more accessible—we'd love to hear about it.