Who Would You Wear?

* Back on my Feb. 1st blog, I mentioned that Nike wanted to sign with the German football (soccer) teams as their main athletic endorser. As of Feb 28, Andy Eckardt, reporter for NBC news, said the battle between Nike and Adidas has just begun.
Apparently, Adidas had a contract with Germany's Soccer Federation for a measly $14 million annually. Nike's bid was $63 million. You don't have to be a mathematician to decide which contract you would sign. But Adidas is saying they wanted to renew their contract until 2014. The decision is yet to be made, but I'm sure Nike will put up a big fight. They know how important it is to be the sole athletic sponsor for Germany's football teams. [Nike Challenges Adidas in Home Market]

* One place Nike already won the battle over Adidas was the University of Minnesota. The University's campus newspaper reported that Nike was chosen over its competitor because it offers the "largest financial commitment [and] it has experience in quality service at other major universities." [Nike to Brand All Sports Teams]

* Nike and Payless ShoeSource Inc. are collaborating to market a high-performance running sneaker for only $34.99. Compared to the highly successful (and pricey) Nike Shox, $34.99 for a quality shoe is not bad at all. The line will be produced under the Tailwind Collection and will be sold exclusively at Payless Shoe Stores.
At a press introduction on Feb. 26 in New York, soccer players Hope Solo and Brandi Chastain joined volleyball player Logan Tom to introduce the new footwear. [report]