Nike and Rematch bring back the golden age of running with "Do It Again"

Last Friday and Saturday, Nike Running and Rematch took over a pop-up space at 84 rue de Turenne, in the Marais, for "Do It Again", an event paying tribute to the running legacy of the 1980s and 1990s.

An immersive experience in running history

The space, designed by Rematch, a specialist in reinterpreting sports vintage, immerses visitors in the atmosphere of stadiums and streets from past decades. The walls were covered with Nike archives, vintage details, and a screen showing period videos about running made by Hugo Campan.

At the center of the event stood the Nike Pegasus 42, the latest version of the iconic shoe launched in 1983. Described as "the best Pegasus yet" by the brand, this iteration celebrates the silhouette’s 42 years while incorporating modern innovations. The ReactX foam midsole delivers better energy return and a 43% lower carbon footprint, while preserving the Pegasus’s rugged, versatile DNA. Visitors could try it on a treadmill set up in the pop-up, a reminder that this shoe has always been designed for all types of runners, from beginners to seasoned athletes.

Vintage pieces and exclusive creations

Around the Pegasus 42, the event highlighted 42 vintage Nike T-shirts, selected from archives sourced by Rematch from the United States. These pieces, inspired by 1980s and 1990s designs, were displayed as collectible items, illustrating Nike’s impact on sports style long before today’s era of blending fashion and running. More than 600 models were available for purchase, mixing faithful reissues and modern reinterpretations by Rematch.

I was lucky enough to be able to ask Alexandre and Axel, co-founders of Rematch, a few questions to understand the intentions behind this pop-up with Nike Running.

BD : Where does your passion for 80s-90s running, or more broadly for running and vintage, come from?

Alexandre : I’m an athlete by training, and I’ve been retired for a few months now. I did track and field for 10 years, many of them at a high level. I studied in the United States, and I think that developed my passion for vintage, especially American vintage. I’ve always had a sensitivity to 90s aesthetics, the NBA, etc… And I think that translates well into track and field, so we’re trying to highlight that with Rematch.

Axel : Me too, I played a lot of sports, including track and field, when I was very young. I was inspired by the great champions of the 80s and 90s: Carl Lewis, the Lewis brothers, Mike Tyson… It’s a blend of sport, a universe that inspired me.

BD : Why collaborate with Nike for this project?

Alexandre : I think we agree on this: Nike is kind of the brand of American sport, or even sport in general. In terms of archives, they have an unmatched legacy in running. It made sense to partner with such an iconic brand. We were able to create this space with them, in a kind of "rematch" style, while keeping the Nike spirit, and the two worlds fit together really well.

Axel : Clearly, it’s the brand with the greatest legacy, the one that dominated the 90s. We’ve seen their campaigns, their messaging… It’s a benchmark.

BD : In what way does the Nike Pegasus 42 embody the spirit of the event for you?

Axel : Its origins go back to the 80s, and the face we use for the communication is Maria Rebello’s, the last French woman to win an Olympic marathon. It’s a powerful symbol.

Alexandre : Also, as an athlete, for me the Pegasus is the athlete’s shoe. All athletes, from sprinters to distance runners, have worn Pegasus shoes. Every season, I used to buy a pair at the start. It’s funny to make that connection with this shoe in a track and field universe, which perfectly matches the Pegasus spirit.

BD : How did you imagine this pop-up store so that it would be more than just a "simple store"?

Axel : There is always a collaboration between two parties. We brought the vintage with the T-shirts, the archives… Nike brought the Pegasus 42, a contemporary side, and a testing area. The way the exhibition and the venue are arranged creates a mix that works really well.

Alexandre : It’s also a place for exchange, to talk about "rematch" and Nike. The organization of the space reflects that idea: the screen points toward the other spaces, it’s a logical flow.

BD : Why did you select these 42 vintage T-shirts?

Alexandre : To showcase Nike T-shirts, especially those from the 80s, when they used very bold designs. At the time, neutral brands dominated, but Nike made its mark on running with unique designs. It’s a tribute to that period, and it creates a nice link with the event entrance.

BD : What do you want visitors to take away from this experience?

Alexandre : One of the nice messages is to remind people that there was running before 2026. There is a real running boom today, which is great, but we want to pay tribute to the era that defined the aesthetic and sporting codes of this sport. People sometimes forget that before them, people ran too, and that it was just as stylish.

Axel : No electronics, no GPS, no internet programs, no blogs, no Instagram… Just the pleasure of running.

A community united around running

The event was not limited to a product exhibition. On Sunday morning, a 6 km shakeout run brought together 42 participants for a free run through the streets of Le Marais. Led by Paul Anselmini, a middle-distance athlete on the French national team, this outing was inspired by the spontaneous training sessions of the 1980s, when people ran without GPS watches, simply for the pleasure of it. At the finish, a friendly breakfast gave participants a chance to talk, reminding everyone that running has always been a social sport.

A tribute to the spirit of running

For Nike Running and Rematch, "Do It Again" was much more than a simple pop-up: it was a way of reminding people that running was first and foremost a culture, driven by values of self-improvement, style, and community. In a context where running is often associated with performance and technology, this event highlighted the importance of the sport's history and heritage.

Although the doors at 84 rue de Turenne are now closed, "Do It Again" made an impression by reminding us that running, beyond the numbers and records, remains above all a shared passion.