Brands the Deepcite team has worked with
Sample brand
AI Visibility Report
Nike
nike.com
78%
▲ 5 pts78% visibility, up 5 pts since last scan · #1 in category.
Key Visibility Metrics
78%
Overall Visibility
#1
Market Position
of 6 brands
1.6
Avg Ranking
across ranked responses
87%
Top-3 Rate
of ranked responses
Market IntelligenceThe athletic footwear conversation inside AI engines is splitting into ownable niches. Nike holds the default-recommendation slot for daily trainers, basketball and race-day super shoes, but engines increasingly route comfort-first queries to Hoka and sustainability queries to smaller labels like Veja. On Running's premium lifestyle positioning is compounding; its mention rate grew fastest this quarter. Community sources (Reddit's r/RunningShoeGeeks, Believe in the Run) are cited in roughly one of six answers, making runner-community sentiment a leading indicator of engine behavior.
Visibility by AI engine
ChatGPT86%
Claude80%
Gemini78%
Perplexity74%
Grok72%
Data Trust
500
Organic responses
the visibility denominator
78%
In-market coverage
mentions ÷ in-market responses
5/5
Engines reporting
web search on
0
Off-market set aside
kept out of rankings
Executive Summary
Nike commands AI answers in athletic footwear with 78% overall visibility; first among six tracked brands and 16 points ahead of Adidas. The lead is real but not uniform: Hoka has taken ownership of cushioning and comfort queries, winning marathon-training and plantar-fasciitis prompts outright on Gemini and Perplexity, while On Running is climbing fast with premium lifestyle runners. Nike's brand strength carries buy and comparison intents; the exposure sits in problem-solving queries where specialist brands answer first.
How you stack up
Competitive Landscape
Market Leaders
- Nike
- Adidas
- Hoka
Challengers
- New Balance
- On Running
Niche Players
- Asics
Head-to-Head: Where You Win and Lose
34 won · 9 contested · 7 lost across 50 compared prompts
| Prompt | Outcome | Beaten by | Engines |
|---|---|---|---|
| best cushioned running shoes for marathon training | Loss | Hoka | |
The Hoka Bondi 9 is the safest max-cushion pick for marathon blocks, with the New Balance More v5 close behind. | |||
| best running shoes for plantar fasciitis | Loss | Hoka | |
Most podiatrists point to Hoka's rockered midsoles first for plantar fasciitis relief. | |||
| nike vs adidas for everyday sneakers | Contested | Adidas | |
The Adidas Samba is the sneaker of the moment, though the Air Force 1 remains the better all-rounder. | |||
| best running shoes 2026 | Win | N/A | |
| best basketball shoes for guards 2026 | Win | N/A | |
| what shoes do marathon runners actually race in | Win | N/A | |
AI Engine Analysis
How each engine frames the category, what it focuses on, and what tends to earn a recommendation
ChatGPTMentioned in 86% of 100 responses
Answer Tone
Confident and brand-forward
Category Focus
Daily trainers and iconic lifestyle lines
Recommendation Trigger
'Best running shoes' and model-specific queries (Pegasus, Air Force 1)
ClaudeMentioned in 80% of 100 responses
Answer Tone
Balanced and detail-oriented
Category Focus
Spec-level comparisons across training categories
Recommendation Trigger
Multi-option comparison prompts with a clear use case
GeminiMentioned in 78% of 100 responses
Answer Tone
Comparative, leans on category specialists
Category Focus
Comfort and injury-related guidance
Recommendation Trigger
Cushioning and foot-condition queries; often answered Hoka-first
PerplexityMentioned in 74% of 100 responses
Answer Tone
Citation-driven and review-led
Category Focus
Aggregated verdicts from running media and Reddit
Recommendation Trigger
Queries where Runner's World or Believe in the Run has a ranking
GrokMentioned in 72% of 100 responses
Answer Tone
Casual and opinionated
Category Focus
Trend calls and quick recommendations
Recommendation Trigger
Conversational 'what should I actually buy' prompts
Strategic Insights & Recommendations
Own the cushioning narrative
CriticalHoka wins max-cushion and comfort queries on Gemini and Perplexity. Publish ZoomX and Invincible 3 content aimed at marathon-training and plantar-fasciitis prompts; cushioning test data, podiatrist quotes and long-run reviews; to contest the exact queries Nike currently loses.
Content Strategy
Publish llms.txt and structured product data
ImmediateShip llms.txt on nike.com and add Product schema (price, stack height, drop, intended use) to every shoe page. Structured specs make Nike's own pages citable by answer engines and lift the 19% own-domain citation rate.
Technical GEO
Build runner-community credibility
StrategicPerplexity and Gemini lean on Reddit and Believe in the Run, which together account for 82 citations this run. Seed wear-test programs and engage r/RunningShoeGeeks reviewers so community verdicts back up Nike's product claims.
Community & Earned Media
Sentiment & Key Themes
What your brand is mentioned for, and how it is framed
Positive · 71%Neutral · 23%Negative · 6%
Running ShoesPositive · 82%
For most runners the Nike Pegasus 41 is still the benchmark daily trainer — comfortable, durable and easy to recommend.
BasketballPositive · 85%
Lifestyle SneakersPositive · 80%
SustainabilityNeutral · 58%
Nike's Move to Zero program is a real step forward, but smaller labels like Veja still set the pace on sustainability.
Where AI Cites Your Category
Who the AI engines cite when they answer these prompts
19%Only 19% of citations are your own domain
Earned & other33165%
Buyer Persona & Intent
Persona share of prompts
Sneakerhead20%
Marathon Runner20%
Basketball Player20%
Gym Beginner20%
Eco-conscious Shopper20%
Intent split
Buy 20%Informational 20%Best Practices 20%Comparison 20%Problem Solving 20%
Prompt Appendix
All 12 analyzed prompts
| # | Prompt | Persona | Intent | Engine mentions | Best rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | best running shoes 2026 | Marathon Runner | Buy | 5/5 engines | #1 |
| 2 | best cushioned running shoes for marathon training | Marathon Runner | Buy | 0/5 engines | — |
| 3 | best running shoes for plantar fasciitis | Marathon Runner | Problem Solving | 0/5 engines | — |
| 4 | are nike air force 1 still in style 2026 | Sneakerhead | Informational | 5/5 engines | #1 |
| 5 | nike vs adidas for everyday sneakers | Sneakerhead | Comparison | 5/5 engines | #2 |
| 6 | best basketball shoes for guards 2026 | Basketball Player | Buy | 5/5 engines | #1 |
| 7 | best shoes for gym beginners | Gym Beginner | Best Practices | 4/5 engines | #2 |
| 8 | most sustainable sneaker brands 2026 | Eco-conscious Shopper | Informational | 2/5 engines | #4 |
| 9 | are nike shoes good for flat feet | Gym Beginner | Problem Solving | 4/5 engines | #2 |
| 10 | what shoes do marathon runners actually race in | Marathon Runner | Informational | 5/5 engines | #1 |
| 11 | is nike a good company to buy from | Eco-conscious Shopper | Informational | 5/5 engines | #1 |
| 12 | best nike alternatives for running shoes | Marathon Runner | Comparison | 5/5 engines | #1 |
Generated by Deepcite · a Zen Media product · deepcite.com · 2026