Reebok, Adidas, Nike Aim to Bring Back The $100-Plus Sneaker
Sneaker makers are selling a new wave of technologically advanced athletic shoes, in hopes of bringing back the age of the $100-plus sneaker.
Super-expensive athletic shoes practically disappeared from American stores a couple of years ago, reflecting in part a trend toward classic, no-frills sneakers and tightening consumer purses. Now, manufacturers are trying to entice consumers to pay more with new models that claim to deliver a better fit and more comfort -- and cost between $100 and $250.
Reebok's $100 Pump 2.0
Today, Reebok International Ltd., is expected to unveil the $100 Pump 2.0, a laceless sneaker that uses pressure from inflatable air bladders to cling to the foot. Wearers slip their feet in, and after about 10 steps, an internal pump inflates the walls of the shoe until the pressure on the foot reaches five pounds per square inch, which Reebok reckons is the average pressure of a comfortably laced sneaker. A button on the side releases the air for taking the shoes off.
Adidas Salomon AG last month began offering the $120 laceless T-Mac 4 sneaker. The shoe's tightening adjustments are done through a dial on a lever that can be snapped shut at the rear of the shoe, similar to ski boots. The dial controls hidden internal cabling that holds the shoes on.
The T-Mac 4's price tag pales in comparison with that of a second Adidas sneaker scheduled to be released next month. Although Adidas has been quiet about its plans, the new shoe is expected to feature a fit-adjusting computer chip -- at a price of $250.
Nike Inc., the industry's biggest vendor, earlier this year introduced a $110 version of its Shox shoe -- named because of a visible set of coiled shock absorbers. Its new Nike specialty running shoes, including Air Zoom Miler and Air Kantara II, carry similar price tags.
The industry is trying to push prices up because profits have been constrained by the retro fashion trend that favors less-expensive shoes such as Nike's Converse high-tops, and flat-soled Keds and Vans. The average price of a pair of sneakers fell 1.7% to $31.84 last year, and is down 23% from a peak of $40.07 in 1998, according to market tracker NPD Group. Higher volume has helped offset the price declines, as sales climbed 4.5% to $16.4 billion last year.
The number of shoes that sell for more than $100 fell by 7% last year and 21% the year before, according to NPD. Those declines followed a declaration in 2002 by the largest sneaker retailer, Footlocker Inc., that it was de-emphasizing high-tech models in favor of lower-priced classics.
Footlocker spokesman Peter Brown says that simple and cheap remains popular, but "we are starting to see the higher-priced technical shoe starting to come back," prompting it to stock more shelves with that kind of product.
Although Reebok and others are confident that a stronger economy and marketing studies support higher prices, not everyone is sure. "The athletic footwear companies are trying to tell a technology story again because it seems the pockets of consumers may be opening up again," says Mitch J. Kummetz, an analyst for D.A. Davidson Co. But "I don't think too many people are going to pay $250 for a pair of sneakers," he adds.
Reebok, of Canton, Mass., plans to market the Pump 2.0 as one of the first truly custom-fitted shoes. It says pressure will always be maintained at a steady five pounds per square inch even when people's feet swell from running or walking long distances. As the foot swells, air is released to keep the pressure steady.
Reebok surveys of trendy consumers indicated two years ago that their "magic price point," -- a psychological upper limit -- was $75 to $80, Mr. McInnis says. But in tests this fall, consumers were asked what they thought the 2.0 would cost -- and they centered around $100 a pair, he says.
In addition to the fashion-conscious, Reebok will market the 2.0 to everyday runners, a group that is finicky but willing to pay for comfort and durability. Almost all of 300 pre-market testers of the sneaker were runners, each of whom put in more than 300 miles of running in the shoe in about a month.
One tester, Terry McNatt, a Needham, Mass., technology consultant and marathon runner, says he was skeptical of shoes without laces, but likes the shoes now. "I'd recommend the shoe for people who don't need a lot of motion control," he says, meaning he doesn't think they would be good for runners whose feet tend to roll inward or outward.
Reebok spent three years developing the sneaker, even though the basic technology isn't new. The company first introduced sneakers with inflatable bladders -- and laces -- during the late 1980s. By the time the fad ran out about three years later, Reebok had sold about 27 million pairs.
Making the shoe laceless was tricky, says Mr. McInnis, a former NASA engineer who headed the 2.0 research team. He said the company tried more than seven different versions with various pressure levels before deciding on the correct level.
"While some folks like to tighten their shoes to 10 p.s.i., we found that the preference of the average person was 5," he said.
高价运动鞋重返市场
运动鞋生产商正掀起新一轮高科技运动鞋的销售浪潮，期望能重现以往100多美元的高价运动鞋主导市场的局面。
超昂贵的运动鞋几年前就已经在美国市场销声匿迹，这部分反映了运动鞋向传统和简朴风格回归的趋势，同时也说明消费者手头紧张。如今，生产商们纷纷推出据称是更舒适、更合脚的新款运动鞋，并将售价定在100至250美元之间，费尽心思让消费者多掏腰包。
锐步公司(Reebok International Ltd., RBK)定于周三推出一款售价为100美元的Pump 2.0无带运动鞋，这款运动鞋利用可充气气垫的压力使鞋与脚紧紧相贴。在穿上这双鞋走上大约10步之后，鞋子里面的一个充气泵就会向鞋内四周充气，直到脚面每平方英寸受到的压力达到5磅力，锐步认为这是穿著舒适的系带运动鞋所达到的平均压力。当要脱下这双鞋的时候，可以通过鞋子一侧的按钮将空气放掉。
Adidas Salomon AG上月开始推出一款售价为120美元的T-Mac 4运动鞋，它可以通过位于鞋子后部的一个滚轮调节松紧度，滚轮配有摁扣，这与滑雪靴有些类似。滚轮控制著内藏式的、将鞋固定在脚上的卷绳。
与Adidas下月将要推出的第二款运动鞋相比，T-Mac 4的价格算是较为便宜。虽然Adidas一直缄口不谈其新产品计划，但估计这款新运动鞋将会安装一种调节舒适度的电脑晶片，售价将高达250美元。
运动鞋业界老大耐克公司(Nike Inc. (Cl B), NKE)今年年初推出了110美元的Shox运动鞋，这款运动鞋外部有一套显眼的圆形减震装置。耐克的Air Zoom Miler、Air Kantara II等新款跑鞋的价位也在110美元左右。
由于流行时尚的回归，像耐克的Converse、Keds和Vans等相对较便宜的鞋子受到市场的欢迎，但鞋业公司的利润却受到了压缩，因此这些公司正想方设法提高价格。据市场研究机构NPD Group的数据，目前一双运动鞋的平均价格较去年的31.84美元下跌了1.7%，比1998年最高时的40.07美元下跌了23%。销售量的增加帮助抵消了价格下跌的影响，去年运动鞋的销售额增加了4.5%，达到164亿美元。
据NPD的数据，去年价格超过100美元的运动鞋销售量下降了7%，前年下降了21%左右。在这之前，最大的运动鞋零售商Footlocker Inc.于2002年宣布，将不再主推高科技运动鞋，进而转向低价的传统品种。
Footlocker发言人彼得?布朗(Peter Brown)表示，简单、便宜的运动鞋依然受到市场的欢迎，但公司逐渐发现价格较为昂贵、有一定技术含量的运动鞋又开始重新受到青睐，因此公司开辟了更多货架售卖这种运动鞋。
虽然锐步等厂商满怀信心地认为，经济走强将推动运动鞋价格的上扬，并且市场研究也支持这样的观点，但也有人对此提出了异议。D.A. Davidson Co.分析师米奇?J?卡麦兹(Mitch J. Kummetz)称，消费者的口袋似乎又鼓起来了，因此运动鞋生产商试图再次利用科技大赚一笔。不过，他认为不会有太多的人愿意花250美元购买一双运动鞋。
锐步计划将Pump 2.0作为其第一双真正意义上的自适应运动鞋进行市场推广。公司称，这种运动鞋内部的压力将一直保持在每平方英寸5磅力，即便是人脚因长时间跑步或是行走而出现肿胀，这时运动鞋会自动放出一部分气体，以保持鞋内压力的稳定。
麦克因斯(McInnis)称，锐步两年前对时尚人群作的一份调查显示，他们对运动鞋价格的心理承受上限是75至80美元，但在今年秋季进行的消费者调查中，当被问及一双Pump 2.0值多少钱时，他们的回答多集中在100美元左右。
除了向时尚人群推销Pump 2.0外，锐步还计划向每天跑步的人群推荐这款运动鞋，这些人尽管很挑剔，但还是愿意花钱买一双舒适结实的运动鞋。在接受Pump 2.0上市前调查的300人中，几乎所有的人都有跑步的习惯，他们每个人每月跑步的距离要超过300英里。
泰瑞?麦克纳特(Terry McNatt)是接受调查的人之一，他是技术顾问也是一名马拉松长跑运动员，他说，他对不系带的运动鞋曾持怀疑态度，但他现在已经喜欢上了这双鞋。他说，他要向那些不需要大量运动控制的人推荐这双鞋，他暗指那些常常不按常规跑步的人可能不太适合这种鞋。
虽然这款运动鞋采用的技术并不新，但锐步还是花费了3年的时间开发此鞋。公司在80年代末的时候首次推出了有充气气垫的系带运动鞋，3年后，当这种流行时尚逐渐消退时，锐步已经卖出了大约2,700万双这样的运动鞋。
曾担任过美国国家航空及太空总署(NASA)工程师、后来参与Pump 2.0研发的麦克因斯称，制造不系带的运动鞋需要很高的技巧，他说公司在确定正确的压力水平前，曾就不同的压力水平研制了7款以上的运动鞋。他说，虽然一些人喜欢将鞋紧到每平方英寸10磅力的水平，但他们发现对一般人而言，每平方英寸5磅力是最佳的.
