Athletic Shoes

LAST WEEK, Nike Inc. warned that its earnings would fall below forecasts this year and next, sending the stock of the Oregon-based athletic shoemaker reeling. The company, which derives 61 percent of its revenue from athletic shoes, blamed the shrinkage of retail space devoted to athletic shoes. Indeed, in the past several weeks alone, two of the nation's largest athletic shoe chains, Venator Group Inc., owner of the Foot Locker and Lady Foot Locker chains, and Just For Feet Inc., have closed what could amount to hundreds of stores.

Skechers USA, which claimed its shoes could make you thinner and tone your muscles, agreed to pay $40 million to consumers in more than 40 states, including Maryland. Regulators in those states and the Federal Trade Commission reached a settlement with the California-based company which was accused of making unsupported claims. Skechers made Shape-Ups, Tone-Ups and Resistance Runner athletic shoes.  The shoes cost up to $100 a pair. If you bought a pair of those shoes, get info on how to make a claim for a partial refund online with the FTC  at http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2012/05/consumerrefund.shtm  or by calling 1-866-325-4186.

To Nike or not to Nike? Running trainers, or racing flats?Even for serious athletes, choosing the right athletic shoes can be tough in the sea of offerings. Market leader Nike alone dreams up 350 new models every year, everything from must-have air bags to see-through heels.Most people know which shoe they'll buy before they enter a store, experts say - often, the ones they've been seeing sports stars advertise. They'll give the shoes a cursory try-on, decide they fit and saunter out $50 or $100 or $150 lighter in the wallet but with a hot logo in their possession.

Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to bid a fond farewell to some cherished companions: our shoes. From the faithful running shoe to the whimsical sandal, from the sensible work loafer to the sexy stiletto, all shoes reach a point at which they have outlived their usefulness, and we must let them go. Our time together may seem fleeting, but we hang onto favorites past their prime at our peril. "The shoe wears out in the area where we overload it, so the part where you need the most support isn't there," said Minneapolis podiatrist Paul Langer, clinical professor at the University of Minnesota.

By Nadine Khtikian's count, Americans can do their part to end poverty in west Africa just by donating a pair of used sneakers. It may seem an odd approach, but since January, Khtikian has been collecting athletic shoes from around Baltimore with the aim of shipping thousands of sneakers to Ghana, where they will be refurbished and sold. Half of the proceeds will go toward training a needy farm family in environmentally sound agricultural techniques. At $3 each, 500 pairs of shoes will pay for a water pump, a well, a bicycle, chickens, assorted trees and additional items.

Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to bid a fond farewell to some cherished companions: our shoes. From the faithful running shoe to the whimsical sandal, from the sensible work loafer to the sexy stiletto, all shoes reach a point at which they have outlived their usefulness, and we must let them go. Our time together may seem fleeting, but we hang onto favorites past their prime at our peril. "The shoe wears out in the area where we overload it, so the part where you need the most support isn't there," said Minneapolis podiatrist Paul Langer, clinical professor at the University of Minnesota.

The running shoes are vintage 1982, slightly soiled, clearly worn, with a periwinkle "swoosh against a white background." Two bucks at the swap meet, right?Try again.Eighty dollars.Yes, $80 at Stateside, a used-clothing store in Southern California. These used sneakers are worth more than some styles of new Nikes.Just as used or old Levi's became wearable collectibles in the early '90s, older models of Nike, trailed distantly by Adidas, Converse and Puma, are poised to be the next trend in recycled fashion to arrive in the United States from Japan.

Skechers USA, which claimed its shoes could make you thinner and tone your muscles, agreed to pay $40 million to consumers in more than 40 states, including Maryland. Regulators in those states and the Federal Trade Commission reached a settlement with the California-based company which was accused of making unsupported claims. Skechers made Shape-Ups, Tone-Ups and Resistance Runner athletic shoes.  The shoes cost up to $100 a pair. If you bought a pair of those shoes, get info on how to make a claim for a partial refund online with the FTC  at http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2012/05/consumerrefund.shtm  or by calling 1-866-325-4186.

Baltimore sports apparel company Under Armour officially confirmed yesterday that it will begin selling a running shoe during the first half of next year. The company had said this month that it had developed prototypes for a running shoe and a basketball shoe, but gave no details about launch plans. Kevin A. Plank, Under Armour Inc. president and chief executive officer, made the announcement during its first Investor Day, a meeting with institutional investors and analysts who cover the company.

Homer I. Altice might not be a household name, but the Fila footwear he brought to the United States has become a well-known brand worn by top athletes such as Detroit Pistons basketball forward Grant Hill.Mr. Altice began a mom-and-pop operation distributing Fila athletic shoes for the first time in this country from the kitchen of his home near Hunt Valley in 1983. After nearly going bankrupt a year later, his humble company, initially called H. Altice Marketing Inc., blossomed into a multimillion-dollar international venture with its U.S. headquarters in Sparks.

Baltimore sports apparel company Under Armour officially confirmed yesterday that it will begin selling a running shoe during the first half of next year. The company had said this month that it had developed prototypes for a running shoe and a basketball shoe, but gave no details about launch plans. Kevin A. Plank, Under Armour Inc. president and chief executive officer, made the announcement during its first Investor Day, a meeting with institutional investors and analysts who cover the company.

On a balmy Indian summer night in East Baltimore, the basketball teams gathered near the hoop closer to the scoreboard under the dome at the Madison Square Recreation Center. The players with the logo "3NITY" in white letters on their black jerseys prepared to inbound the ball. Their opponents, the USA Christianity team clad in gold jerseys, set up their defense. Team 3NITY - whose players wore numbers 3, 13, 23, 33 and 43 - trailed, 57-55. Three seconds showed on the game clock. The referee blew his whistle to start play.

Growing up poor with seven siblings and in a rough-and-tumble Coney Island, N.Y., neighborhood, NBA star Stephon Marbury has told the story about how he always wanted to be one of the kids boasting about their fresh-out-the-box pairs of Air Jordan sneakers. Today, the New York Knicks point guard is a millionaire with money to burn. But as far as he's concerned, families should not have to choose between the light bill and a pair of $150 sneakers - the kind of shoes for which kids have competed and sometimes fought and died over.

By Nadine Khtikian's count, Americans can do their part to end poverty in west Africa just by donating a pair of used sneakers. It may seem an odd approach, but since January, Khtikian has been collecting athletic shoes from around Baltimore with the aim of shipping thousands of sneakers to Ghana, where they will be refurbished and sold. Half of the proceeds will go toward training a needy farm family in environmentally sound agricultural techniques. At $3 each, 500 pairs of shoes will pay for a water pump, a well, a bicycle, chickens, assorted trees and additional items.

What's the current outlook for Nike Inc.? I'm a long-term investor in the company. -- B.S., via the Internet This brand-name firm that controls 40 percent of the $17 billion athletic footwear market features outstanding financial results and a quirky choice for a new chief executive officer. Profits were up a surprising 25 percent in the most recent quarter, pushed by its strongest U.S. orders in seven years for sneakers and athletic apparel. Behind the impressive showing were improvement in dealings with the Foot Locker retail chain and the increased visibility that the Summer Olympics gave its shoes.

John Senatore was lining up at the start of the 1996 Boston Marathon when he heard, "Hey buddy, you have a flat tire." He looked down to find the air pocket of one of his Nike Air running shoes deflated. Senatore, a Union Memorial Hospital podiatrist, ran the full 26.2 miles anyway, against his better judgment. "I could barely walk for two weeks afterward," he recalls. Diehard racers know the value of good running shoes, or at least they should. But even if you're a weekend jogger, it's important to know what to look for when buying running shoes, how to decide when it's time for a new pair and the possible consequences (think back pain)

Just starting a running program? Shoes are apt to be the next thing you think about. Some thoughts you should have: * Show options are myriad, even bewildering. So, ignore brands, but be prepared to spend $60 or more; but probably less than $90. * Ignore gels, pumps, and other hyped features. Think Fit. How well a shoe fits overrides all other considerations; a poor fit mean blisters or bruises, discouraging your interest in running. * Take or wear runnings socks to the shoe store, not thinner everyday socks.

The gym at Old Post Elementary School in Abingdon was filled with smiling faces last Monday as it was transformed into a giant shoe store to accommodate small feet that needed shoes.Children from 25 elementary schools and John Archer special education school sat in orderly rows while student volunteers from Edgewood High School measured the youngsters' feet and brought them their brand-new shoes -- courtesy of Goodwill Industries and J. C. Penney Co. Inc.There were black or white athletic shoes for the boys and white tennis shoes for the girls.

WASHINGTON - Every year, we take this picture. It's late on Christmas Eve after the fat man has gone and the last bike has been assembled. We are exhausted, ready to tumble into bed. But before we do, we take a snapshot of the finished product. It's usually impossible to fit it all into one frame. The loot spills across the floor, covers couches and chairs. A sea of Barbie dolls and remote-control cars, athletic shoes and video games. I used to like that picture. I'd look at myself or my wife standing before that bounty and I'd feel the distinctly masculine pride of the provider who has once again provided.

Just starting a running program? Shoes are apt to be the next thing you think about. Some thoughts you should have: * Show options are myriad, even bewildering. So, ignore brands, but be prepared to spend $60 or more; but probably less than $90. * Ignore gels, pumps, and other hyped features. Think Fit. How well a shoe fits overrides all other considerations; a poor fit mean blisters or bruises, discouraging your interest in running. * Take or wear runnings socks to the shoe store, not thinner everyday socks.