Running Shoes: Don‘t Pay More

Running-shoe buyers, beware! Whichever brand of running shoe you favor, the brand's most costly model is no better -- and may be worse -- than its lower-priced shoes. The warning comes from studies by Rami J. Abboud, PhD, director of the Institute of Motion Analysis and Research at the University of Dundee, Scotland, and colleagues. The researchers used sophisticated tests to measure the performance of various running shoes.

The idea of the tests was not to see how cheap a shoe you can get away with. All of the shoes tested were brand-name shoes sold in stores that cater to runners. Retail price tags ranged from $81 to $152 (￡40 to ￡75) in U.K. stores. Nearly every brand of running shoe has models that are relatively low, medium, and high priced. The high-priced shoes claim to have more features. If they were put through a marathon, would the cushioning be better? We really couldn't find a difference there." In the study reported ahead of print today in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, Abboud and colleagues tested a low-, medium-, and high-priced running shoe from each of three brands. Each shoe was fitted with specially made insoles filled with 99 sensors to measure pressures placed on the foot.
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Nike files suit over shoe logo

American sporting goods giant Nike is suing two Chinese shoe manufacturers for alleged copyright infringement and a French supermarket for displaying and selling the shoes. The infringement involves the use of a logo - silhouette of former basketball star Michael Jordan slam-dunking - on the sports shoes of the Chinese companies. The Shanghai No 2 Intermediate People's Court held its second hearing yesterday. No verdict was announced. Nike International Ltd is demanding the three - the shoe companies based in Jinjiang, Fujian Province, and the Shanghai branch of France-based retailer Auchan - to stop the infringement, make a public apology, and pay compensation of 1 million yuan ($131,000).

But the three contend the logo is not well-known in China though it might be in other countries, and therefore, no apology is necessary. They also contend the compensation is too high. As one of the most frequently copied brands, Nike has been fighting numerous counterfeits of its goods in recent years. Other major international brands are also doing the same.
Felicia Deng, Cartier's Shanghai representative, said the company is seeing counterfeits of its products worldwide. "We have a group of lawyers to deal with it."
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Nike and Apple announced a new line of "Nike+iPod" products

Today, Nike and Apple announced a new line of "Nike+iPod" products, the first of which is the Nike+iPod Sport Kit. This wireless system allows Nike+ shoes to talk to an iPod nano. Nike+ footwear will be connected to the iPod nano via the Nike+iPod Sport Kit ($29), and will calculate time, distance, calories burned and pace. The information will be displayed on the nano's screen. Real-time audible feedback also is provided through headphones.

"The result is like having a personal coach or training partner motivating you every step of your workout." Said Apple CEO Steve Jobs, in today's press release. Additionally, a new Nike Sport Music section is being added to the iTunes music store. "It's got a good beat and I can dance to it." -- Teenager listening to a song on a 45-rpm vinyl record on the American Bandstand TV show, circa 1960. "It's got a good beat and I can run to it." -- Jogger listening to a Sony Walkman cassette player, circa 1990. "It's got a good beat, I can run to it, and I can compile and share important data about my exercise regimen, too." -- Runner using a Nike+iPod Sport Kit, 2006. Members of Wharton's marketing department say it's a winning combination that will bolster each company's image and open the door to other co-branding opportunities.
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Shaq's China Shoe Deal Bad News for Nike and Adidas

In today's Wall Street Journal, Geoffrey Fowler and Mei Fong comment on NBA star Shaquille O'Neal's sneaker deal with China's top sports brand as it takes on Nike and Adidas in ADVERTISING: Chinese Firm Drafts NBA's Shaq. Shaq's line of basketball shoes, "Dunkman Game Shoes" sold at Payless ShoeSource haven't taken off despite their $39.99 price tag targeted at lower income consumers and families. So Shaq's next move is to take on the world's largest consumer market and a place where basketball's popularity is thriving.

Shaq has entered a five-year deal with China's leading sportswear brand Li Ning to market a "Li Ning Shaq" line of basketball shoes and apparel only in China. Shaq will bring both street level and international credibility to Li Ning, which has fallen to third place in the domestic market behind Nike and Adidas (note: China's NBA star Yao Ming has a deal with Reebok which is owned by Adidas). Nike said it has annual sales in China of about $600 million and it's estimated Adidas' totaled $385 million in 2005, versus Lin Ning at $300 million.
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Shock-Absorbing Shoes: Bad for Knees?

Study Shows Foot-Stabilizing Walking Shoes and Clogs May Put Strain on Arthritic Knees. Those shock-absorbing athletic shoes and clogs designed to protect and cushion the feet may be bad for arthritic knees. When researchers examined the effects of different types of footwear on people with knee osteoarthritis, they found that going barefoot put less stress on knee joints than wearing foot-stabilizing walking shoes or clogs. Flip-flops and a flexible walking shoe were also better choices for minimizing impact to the knees during normal walking. The researchers determined this by assessing a standard measure of knee joint impact, known as knee load.

"Knee loads play an important role in the progression of knee osteoarthritis," researcher Najia Shakoor, MD, of Rush Medical College, says in a news release. "Shoes have traditionally been engineered to provide foot comfort and little previous attention has been directed to the effects that shoes may have on loading of osteoarthritic knees." She notes that flat, flexible shoes were best for minimizing the impact on knee joints. The findings were presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Rheumatology in Boston.