Thursday, November 11, 2004

could retro sneakers become old news again?

Makers of sports shoes are introducing products with various high-tech features, in the hope of bringing $100 sneakers back to the United States, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Companies such as Reebok, Adidas and Nike are trying to persuade people to buy shoes that, it's claimed, offer better fit and more comfort, at prices between $100 and $250, the newspaper said.

Wednesday, Reebok rolled out a next- generation high-tech sneaker with a name that takes a cue from computer software launches: the Pump 2.0.

The shoe features an air chamber that molds itself to the shape of the wearer's foot, but unlike its Pump predecessor from 1989, it inflates itself automatically after you put it on and take a few steps.

The number of shoe types that sell in the United States for more than $100 fell by 7 percent last year and by 21 percent in 2002, the Journal said, citing NPD Group, a market tracker. That was because simpler sneakers came back into fashion, the paper said.

Read more at Reebok's revives Pump shoe, marking industry shift to high-tech

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