Kim Kardashian’s Nike Skims Launch Fuels Debate Over Body, Sport and Influence

Nike Skims: The Collision of Athleticism and Sex Appeal

Kim Kardashian has never been one to shy away from controversy or the spotlight. With the launch of NikeSkims—a collaboration between her undergarment empire and sportswear giant Nike—she’s once again at the center of a heated cultural debate. The range, marketed as a celebration of ‘bodies at work,’ has set off alarms about what’s really being prioritized: women’s athletic prowess or their sexual appeal?

The campaign’s visuals are impossible to ignore. Fifty female athletes, including American golf pro Nelly Korda, are photographed not in action on the field or court but in studio settings, their bodies accentuated from every angle. The images—lingerie-inspired sports bras, leggings with thong seams—seem designed less for peak performance than for maximum attention. As The Observer notes, the athletes are posed to highlight cleavage or shot from below to make hips and backsides pop. The message, critics say, is clear: athleticism is welcome, but only if it’s wrapped in sexiness.

This approach stands in stark contrast to the progress made by women’s sports in recent years, where achievements on the pitch have begun to overshadow old narratives about appearance. After a summer that saw rugby and football stars celebrated for their grit and talent, the NikeSkims campaign feels like a step backward—an uneasy blend of empowerment and objectification. Kardashian’s own words echo through the campaign: ‘Put my body on a pedestal, celebrate it, marvel at it, glorify it… and then you’ll see what I can really do with it.’ But for many, the pedestal feels less about achievement and more about spectacle.

The Price of Visibility: Sexualization and Abuse in Women’s Sports

There’s a real-world impact to these choices. Sexual harassment is a persistent issue for female athletes, and increased exposure often means increased vulnerability. During the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, online sexual abuse made up 15% of all abuse targeting players, according to data from Signify AI. Women’s footballers, especially at the club level, received more than three times the sexual abuse directed at their male counterparts, much of it explicit and threatening.

Jake Marsh of Signify’s sports division told Reuters, ‘Sexualized content online can lead to real-world incidents—infatuation, fixation, stalking. The more commercial exposure, the more risk.’ The NikeSkims campaign, with its emphasis on the sexualization of athletes, doesn’t directly cause abuse, but it undeniably feeds into a culture where women’s bodies are fair game for commentary and objectification. The message ripples outward, shaping public perception and—potentially—behavior.

To be clear, the criticism isn’t aimed at the athletes themselves. Women have every right to present themselves as they wish. But when elite sportswomen are cast first and foremost as objects of desire, their talents risk being overshadowed by their appearance. The progress made in recent years—where performance, not looks, led the headlines—feels fragile in the face of campaigns like NikeSkims.

Kardashian’s Public Persona: Boos, Roasts, and Unapologetic Fame

Kardashian’s comfort with controversy is part of her brand. Earlier this year, she was loudly booed at Netflix’s ‘Greatest Roast of All Time: Tom Brady.’ Expecting a brief appearance at what she thought would be a small taping, Kardashian was caught off guard by the sold-out, sports-fan-packed Kia Forum. ‘I could have never imagined that I would be booed,’ she admitted on ‘The Kardashians.’ ‘It’s not good for the soul.’

She chalked up the negative reaction to the crowd’s makeup: ‘They’re sports fans who hate the Kardashians.’ Still, Kardashian maintains she can handle the backlash. ‘I can handle it. But it just wasn’t new. All they do is call the girls whores. It was just the same thing.’ The jokes—about her sex tape, about dating athletes—are familiar. The experience, she said, was fun to be part of, but she’s ‘swearing off roasts for good.’

The roast itself became a cultural moment, with comedians riffing on Kardashian’s fame and persona. Nikki Glaser, who performed at the event, later revealed that the booing was started as a joke by another comic, but it quickly caught wind, amplified by an audience eager to participate in Kardashian-bashing. The incident highlights how deeply polarizing Kardashian remains, embodying both the power and the peril of being ‘famous for nothing.’

Activism and Backlash: Kardashian Versus DHS

Beyond fashion and entertainment, Kardashian has increasingly used her platform for activism—most recently, to criticize ICE deportation raids. In an Instagram post, she called the raids ‘inhumane,’ urging Americans to ‘speak up’ and ‘do what’s right.’ She acknowledged the need to remove violent criminals but condemned the collateral damage: ‘When we witness innocent, hardworking people being ripped from their families in inhumane ways, we have to speak up.’

The response was swift and pointed. Tricia McLaughlin, Assistant DHS Secretary, fired back on X, posting mugshots and criminal profiles of four recently arrested migrants—convicted of crimes ranging from child molestation to drug trafficking. ‘Which one of these convicted child molesters would you like to stay?’ McLaughlin wrote, challenging Kardashian’s critique. The exchange, covered by USA Today, encapsulates the fraught intersection of celebrity activism and government policy.

Kardashian’s stance reflects the reality of Los Angeles, a city shaped by immigrants. ‘They are our neighbors, friends, classmates, coworkers, and family,’ she wrote. ‘No matter where you fall politically, it’s clear that our communities thrive because of the contributions of immigrants.’ Her call for a ‘better way’ acknowledges the complexity of immigration enforcement but stops short of proposing concrete solutions—a move typical of celebrity activism, powerful in its reach but often vague in its substance.

The Star-Studded Party: Bodies at Work, Celebrities at Play

As the NikeSkims launch kicked off, Kardashian hosted a star-studded party with celebrities like Khloe Kardashian, Kris Jenner, Serena Williams, Martha Stewart, and Travis Scott in attendance. The event was a testament to her enduring cultural clout, blending fashion, fame, and athleticism under one roof. Cameras flashed, influencers mingled, and the ‘bodies at work’ narrative played out in real time—not on the field, but in a Hollywood venue.

The party, covered by Just Jared, was both a celebration and a marketing spectacle. The collection’s commercial success seems assured, but the questions it raises—about women’s representation, the commodification of sport, and the power of celebrity—linger long after the last guest has left.

Kim Kardashian’s NikeSkims launch is more than a business move; it’s a cultural lightning rod. It exposes the tensions between empowerment and objectification, activism and spectacle, fame and authenticity. In blending sport with sex appeal, Kardashian forces a reckoning: Who benefits when bodies are celebrated, and at what cost to progress?