our history

Our Name

In Greek Mythology Zelus was the brother of Nike the Goddess of Victory.

He was the Spirit of dedication and emulation.

Today Zelus Stores bring you the best in all things Nike – inspiring the active spirit in everyone.

Our History

In 2003 two former employees of Nike had a vision. They saw a chain of premium sports stores in Australia - selling only the Worlds Number One Sports brand, Nike.

In December of that year this vision became a reality when they opened their first Zelus Nike Store in Australia.

The men behind the vision are Shane Downey and Michael Walker, alongside their investor Steve Angelo.

Having lived, breathed and loved the Nike brand for many years both Mike and Shane recognised that there was a gap in the retail market for Nike. There were few sports store delivering a premium experience to the customer in both the aesthetics of the store and the customer service provided. For Australian women especially the market was crying out for a ‘Women’s Only’ sports store created in a boutique environment that women were comfortable shopping in.

Working alongside Nike Australia Mike and Shane developed the concept for the Zelus Nike Stores and Nike Women Stores. Four years on and the chain of stores has grown to nine locations across NSW, QLD and VIC – with future growth anticipated in 2008. Despite employing over 50 team members now, Mike and Shane are still to be found on the shop floor getting in amongst the product that they love. Shane heads up the Buying, Merchandise and IT sides of the business while Mike is responsible for Finance and Leasing. Their continued passion for the brand continues to enthuse and motivate new team members and is part of the Zelus team culture.