“Nike is a very powerful corporation; a lot of times, they use bullying tactics when they maybe don’t necessarily have a strong legal leg to stand on,” said Nick Symmonds, a six-time national outdoor champion in the 800 and a longtime activist for athletes’ rights, who had a shoe contract with Nike but is now sponsored by Brooks.

“It’s not just Nike,” Symmonds said. “Many corporations do that. And I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that, necessarily. But they lost this one. Maybe they thought Boris was going to lay over and die, and he fought. And I’m really proud of him for doing that.”

Last June, Berian signed a brief contract with Nike that expired Dec. 31. Afterward, he began wearing spikes and apparel made by New Balance, intending to sign with the new suitor. Nike had 180 days to counter competing overtures, and it contended that it had matched New Balance’s offer of $405,000 over three years.

Berian objected because unlike New Balance, Nike would have reduced payments if he failed to meet certain standards of performance. It is a common, but not universal, practice in the sport. Things got nasty.

Nike sued Berian in May, saying that it would sustain irreparable harm if he endorsed a competitor’s gear. Berian was served with legal papers while watching friends compete at a meet in Los Angeles. A court order prevented him from running in non-Nike gear.

Merhawi Keflezighi, Berian’s agent, called the contretemps a “David-versus-Goliath battle” and started a “Free Boris” campaign, seeking to raise $25,000 through crowdfunding to defray legal costs. In the niche world of track and field, Nike began to lose in the court of public opinion.