The WALL STREET JOURNAL's Sara Germano notes major sportswear brands are "facing a strange predicament: their gear is too sporty for some." Equinox Fitness Clubs has "stopped carrying traditional brands such as Adidas at the shops in its locations" around the U.S. Equinox Dir of Retail Buying Karyn Riale said that she "prefers to make room" for lifestyle brands like Michi. Foot Locker also is "adjusting the selection at its stores after noticing that upstart brands with higher style quotients such as Alala and Koral are performing well, and activewear endorsed by celebrities, including Rihanna, is driving sales." The big three performance brands -- Nike, Under Armour and adidas -- which "started out targeting men with high-performance materials, are turning their attention to the women’s market, which they see fueling growth in the years to come" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 4/5).
JUMP AROUND: Michigan AD Warde Manuel said that he believes the school's partnership with Jordan Brand that will include the use of its Jumpman logo in both football and basketball "puts the U-M athletic program a cut above the rest." He said, "The Jumpman brand is really established as an elite brand under Nike. I think obviously with what Nike and Michael Jordan have done to elevate that, to have our teams and our kids to wear Jumpman apparel does put us on the cutting edge. It's elite stuff Nike develops and we're going to be proud to wear it" (SCOUT.com, 4/4).
HOLDING PATTERN: In Rochester, Jeff DiVeronica notes Nike and Gatorade have "issued no statements" in the wake of spokesperson Abby Wambach's DUI arrest on Saturday night. An MVP Healthcare spokesperson said that it has "no plans to discontinue its longtime partnership" with the former USWNT player (ROCHESTER DEMOCRAT & CHRONICLE, 4/5).
