Adidas hosted the global launch of Energy Boost, its latest running shoe technology, at a press conference at the Javits Center in N.Y. Boost features new cushioning material created by adidas partner BASF, a chemical company. The new sneakers will be available worldwide through e-commerce, select retailers and adidas Sports Performance stores. Adidas America President Patrick Nilsson said, “The key to our marketing plan is to make sure that people try this product on. We believe that once you try it on, it’s going to be sold. It’s a transformational product.” Nilsson declined to comment on the marketing budget for Energy Boost promotion in America. Nilsson: “It will be seen and it will be known by the right people” (Christopher Botta, SportsBusiness Journal).
BLAKE GETS NEW KICKS: In London, Jamie Gordon reported sprinter Yohan Blake will be "aided in his pursuit" of fellow Jamaican Usain Bolt's 100m record by a new range of the "springy running shoes" designed by adidas. Blake will benefit from thousands of air capsules that make the shoes "twice as bouncy as conventional trainers." The shoes have been compared to the "controversial full-body swimsuits, outlawed after swimmers smashed a series of world records in the pool." Adidas said that the secret to its product's success is that energy is returned to the athlete "due to the cushioning provided by the air capsules in the midsole." Blake said, "An added boost of energy is what allows you to push yourself ahead of everyone else to cross that finish line first, especially in a sprint when every millisecond counts" (DAILY MAIL, 2/14).
