If you like sports and you like Nike, how about Nike Plus?
Nike+ is a free app, officially licenced by Nike, Inc., that provides many of the benefits Nike's long-running Nike+iPod program has. Whether you run, jog, or walk, whether you buy Nike's finest or its more entry-level running shoes, this app has the potential to benefit you. It offers both a personalized shop and event invitations, plus a little bit of fitness advice.
An eventfully-designed app
With this app, Nike provides a simple interface for accessing an enormous variety of services, of enormous value to anyone who's interested in keeping a new, solid pair of running shoes. Just for installing the app – and again, it's free – you can buy products from a personalized Nike shop that offers deals and products of interest based on preferences you've already shown. The real star here though is that you can get app-exclusive tickets to certain Nike events, ensuring you're not let down by your seat or where it is.
On the flip side, the app has no help section (although as we'll discuss later, there's not too many things in it now that a user would require help with). It also runs slowly on certain older phones. As you might expect, the app is not available in regions where Nike does not hold events: thus, you're most likely to find the app useful if you live in the US.
How the benefits break down
Overall, Nike has done a good job offering useful benefits whether or not you run with the app open and your phone in your hands, or whether or not you own one of their Fuelbands to let you track your miles jogged. While the events the app offers a gateway to are outside of the scope of an app review, there's obvious and huge merit in a free app that provides you any niceties at all to do with large-scale, real-world events. The personalized shop only really becomes "personalized" after you make a purchase or two, but that's a fair cop.
Now the bad news. For many users prior to 2016, the largest benefit of the app was the "Run Club" it provided. Previously, Nike+ offered training plans and tracked statistics about your running (such as your fastest mile). Run Club now has its own app, which can also be downloaded for free, and used alongside this app. Still, it's a shame that the two aren't integrated together at this point: it would make life easier on anyone who uses either app, and would probably benefit Nike, as well.
A run for your money
Overall, how good Nike+ will be depends on your expectations and on future updates. The app has seen a lot of changes in recent years. Good or bad, whichever side of the coin the app falls on depends on your needs.
If you like exclusive invitations and great deals on runners, this app is for you. If all you want to do is known how many miles you've burned through today, consider Nike's Run Club app instead. If you want both, though, you'll need both apps.
