How Nike's AI search and NikeAI chat handle shopper queries
how both handle shopper's queries
I typed "running shoes for flat feet" into Nike's search bar.
Nike returned 184 results. Seven of the top 24 were kids' shoes, and Nike's stability shoe, the Structure 26, wasn't among them.
Then I tried the same on NikeAI. It declined to answer.
NikeAI launched as a beta in the Nike App in 2025. Nike's CTO, Muge Erdirik Dogan, said it "understands our consumer's shopping intent" when it rolled out.
On nike(dot)com, it now sits inside the search bar. Type a query and press Enter for the regular results grid, or click "Ask NikeAI" to send it to a chat instead.
So I ran the same sentences through both, the way a shopper would type them.
Where the search bar ran out of words
"Something comfy for a long flight" brought back 243 results. First was the Jordan True Flight, a big kids' sneaker that matched "flight" in its name.
"Gift for my dad who plays golf under $100" opened on a kids' fleece hoodie and two boys' Dri-FIT pieces. The golf polos showed up after two gift cards.
Search did fine when I used the words Nike uses. "Stability running shoes" put the Structure 26 first. "Waterproof running shoes" returned a full row of GORE-TEX models, since "waterproof" is part of how those shoes are listed.
So the search bar works for a shopper who already knows what Nike calls things.
NikeAI on the same sentences
NikeAI answered the long-flight question with one of its own. It asked who it was for, with Men, Women and Kids as options to tap.
I answered Men. It put together a set called "Comfortable Travel Apparel For Men" with crew socks, Tech Fleece joggers, utility pants and a cotton tee.
Each pick came with a one-line reason, like fleece that stays warm "without adding bulk".
The golf gift turned into golf shoes, a slip-on golf mule, golf pants and a polo, all under $100. I followed up with "what do those cost?" and it knew I meant the four picks.
The flat feet test
NikeAI turned down "running shoes for flat feet" because of the reason AI chats avoid: "can't provide recommendations for specific medical conditions like flat feet".
It refused "I have low arches" too.
Then I described the need another way. "I overpronate and need a running shoe with more support for half marathon training" got me the Structure 26 and the Structure Plus.
"Show me running shoes with arch support" got the same two shoes.
The runner and the shoe never changed. Only the words did.
Nike's product page for the Structure 26 shows why. It promises "arch support" and says the midfoot system helps slow "the rate of ankle eversion".
The words "flat feet" and "pronation" don't appear anywhere on that page.
NikeAI matched "overpronate" to the Structure 26, whose page talks about support and ankle eversion. "Flat feet" hit its rule on medical conditions.
Ask for arch support instead, and it leads to the Structure 26.
What this means for a Shopify store
Your store has the same gap between how shoppers describe a need and how you write your product data. A keyword search bar matches what's there. If a shopper types "for flat feet" and your listing only says arch support, the right product never shows up.
Atomz works on both sides of that gap.
On the shopper side, Atomz's AI Search reads the full sentence and applies the filters. Atomz's AI Assistant answers in chat the way NikeAI does. On the product side, Catalog Genius fills in the attributes shoppers ask about, the same way both of them read.
Three checks to run this week:
1/ Open the "Searches with no results" report in your Shopify admin and read the top 20 queries. Look for shopper words your products don't use.
2/ Type five customer-style descriptions into your own search bar, like a problem or an occasion, and see what comes back first.
3/ Pick your best-selling product and list the words a customer would use to ask for it. Add the missing ones to the description or to product fields your filters can use.
The audit shows what an AI agent reads from your catalog, and how you compare with competitors for the same shopper queries.
Get in touch for a demo of Atomz's AI Search and Assistant on your own store.
- Ankit
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