By Prince McLean
Published: 10:05 AM EST
Nike Inc. said last week that it plans to make its entire line of running shoes compatible with Apple Inc.'s iPod nano line by the end of this year.
The
comment was made Nike president and chief executive Mark Parker on Thursday as the shoe maker released its third-quarter results, saying it had a soft year with some specialty mall retailers.
The segment overall was down, according to
Boston.com, with some companies like Foot Locker Inc. and Finish Line Inc. suffering from slumping sales. Nike, however, said it is poised to make major changes in retail this year with the help of leading retail partners that will build strength.
"I won't get into specific dates or executions, but you can expect to see some of these new Nike concepts at retail this calendar year," Parker said
Although the exec wouldn't disclose details, he hinted at changes to Nike's Shox and apparel lines, including plans to make all its running shoes compatible with its Nike+ technology by the end of the year.
Nike+ allows runners to track their workouts -- including distance, time and calories burned -- with Apple's line of iPod nano digital music players.
In September, Apple said that it
sold over 450,000 of the Nike+iPod Sport Kits in its first three months of availability. The $30 kit includes a wireless module that fits into the sole of Nike+ running shoes and a receiver that plugs into the base of an iPod nano.
