Kicks: adidas Super Kegler

The OG version of the adidas Super Kegler will be released in January. The looks is the original 80;s look and feel while adding a perfortated upper sole. The re-issue maintains the shoe while adding a modern splash to the classic kick.

Jay Hicks for Prerace Jitters.

Kicks: Adidas ZX9000 De Lux

Adidas presented a nice pair of Adidas ZX 9000s that will turn heads. The shoe has been introduced in silver/beige and a beige suede for a "lux" effect. Check out more pics after the jump. [High Snobiety]

By Jay Hicks.

Usain Bolt Reigns In Golden Era

-How PUMA put the smack down.

The images are everywhere on television and online of Usain Bolt wearing the Theseus II spikes by Puma. It serves as a painful reminder to the executives of Nike and Adidas that they have been beaten.

The first blow was the sight of Li Ning, China's former Olympic champion gymnast, circling the roof of the Bird's Nest stadium to light the Olympic flame wearing his own line of shoes. Bolt hammered the second blow.

Bolt created an iconic moment as he crossed the line and held up the Theseus II as he circled the stadium while basking in the crowd praise. The world will remember his gold shoes, golden laces, and golden upper and soles.

Not only that. Bolt won the most highly anticipated 100-meter race in modern history. The results are legendary.

Three gold medals. Three world records.

PUMA received more value without spending nearly as much money as Adidas (reportedly $200 million) and Nike. Adidas star athletes in Beijing were: Jeremy Wariner, Tyson Gay, Yao Ming, and Veronica Campbell-Brown.

Nike tried to make some noise in Beijing with LaShawn Merritt, Sanya Richards, Asafa Powell, and Liu Xiang. But no one shined as bright in Beijing as the 6 foot, five sprinter.

The Jamaican national team is sponsored by PUMA, but Bolt is only athlete who is individually signed to PUMA.

PUMA not only has the hottest track superstar on the planet, it has soundly beaten Nike and Adidas in the shoe war.

By Jay Hicks.

Tyson Gay A Throw Back To Greatness!

It must have been the hot gear.

In sports, uniforms and shoes make the man, right? The times and performances may be tough to compare from different eras because the track surfaces and training sciences continually improve over the years. There is constant in sports and track for that matter: the gear.

We know what you are thinking, how did the athlete look performing the time?

Of course, at the U.S. Olympic Trials earlier this month, Tyson Gay ran in throw back uniforms. During the 100-meter rounds, Gay introduced a white uniform with red and blue stripes in a tribute to 1936 Olympic star Jesse Owens. He successfully executed a wardrobe change--for the finals he rocked a royal blue body suit with red and white diagonal stripes across the front.

The photo to the left is of Jesse Owens wearing the original uniform at the 1936 Olympic Games, where he won four gold medals in the 100, 200, long jump, and 4x100 relay team while defeating Hitler and Nazi Germany.

Was it the shoes that propelled him to 9.68 seconds?

Tyson’s gear certainly appealed to historically-minded fans. The 2007 World Champion at 100 and 200-meters, also sported a custom designed spike that were also inspired by Jesse Owens called “The Trinity.” The spike is named for Tyson’s daughter and it has another synergy as Gay is known for his strong religious beliefs.

It includes an X on the heel, reflecting the adidas Olympic heritage and the name Trinity embossed in gold on the side of the shoe.

“Winning is a great feeling. When you do win you can sit back and look at hard practices you went through and really appreciate the victory,” Gay said. “I wear the Trinity shoe out of respect for Jesse Owens. It’s like a new school and an old school put together. It’s my way of showing respect back to him.”

Adding another dynamic to the relationship, in 2007 Tyson Gay was awarded the prestigious Jesse Owens Award by USA Track and Field namely for his stunning 100 and 200-meter performances at the World Championships in Osaka.

Like the man he sought to pay honor, Tyson is also a man of few words and big actions. This uniform and shoes are a personal expressing of who he is and what is important to him. While at the same time adding a hip, stylish trend to today’s sports scene.

It all depends on who you ask about the significance of gear to athletes."We need to get some type of flame-retardant uniform in case he catches on fire," said Drummond, no stranger to hyperbole. "He's running so doggone fast."

I couldn’t sum it up any better than that.

By Jay Hicks.

Adidas – ZX800s Jesse Owens Shoes!

Adidas has dropped these sick ZX800s in commemoration of famed Olympic runner Jesse Owens. The kicks are in a patriotic red, white, and blue striped colorway. Owens had a historic 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin by winning four gold medals. He is one of the most famous American athletes of all time.

These shoes pay respectful homage to him. The ZX800s feature a portrait of Jesse Owens on the inside, while maintaining the earlier mentioned red, white, and blue colorway on the outside to celebrate his triumphs for America. Look for these now at select Adidas retailers near you.

By Jay Hicks.

Photos courtesy Sneakernews.com.

WCSN.com Offers First Ever Global Webcast of Boston Marathon

Our good friends at WCSN.com are making news again.

World Championship Sports Network (WCSN), the premier destination of Olympic and lifestyle sports, announced today it is joining forces with adidas and Marathonguide.com to provide a free, first-ever global webcast of the 112th Boston Marathon. Through this partnership, fans worldwide can logon to WCSN.com to watch the live and on-demand webcast on April 21, beginning at 9:25 a.m. EST.

"We're excited to partner with adidas and Marathonguide.com in offering this free webcast and to help foster worldwide awareness for this major race," said Carlos Silva, president and COO of WCSN. "Now, for the first time global road racing fans will have unprecedented coverage to see the top marathoners square off in one of the world's most prestigious sporting events."

On WCSN.com, running fans can also access Marathon Madness, a special editorial package that features original content, articles from road racing experts, interactive maps, results, highlights and more. Furthermore, WCSN.com will be offering special commentary from running legend and four-time Boston Marathon winner Bill Rodgers.

"Adidas is proud to join WCSN.com in providing a free internet broadcast of the 112th Boston Marathon," said Spencer Nel, head of global sports marketing for running and track and field at adidas. "As a Boston Marathon sponsor, adidas is especially pleased to help bring the oldest continuing annual marathon in the world to as many viewers as possible in every corner of the world. With its proven track recordWCSN.com is the ideal partner to make that happen."

"Since 2000, Marathonguide.com’s mission has been to promote the sport by providing comprehensive coverage of and information about marathons and distance running. As part of that mission, we are proud to work with WCSN.com and adidas to ensure that the Boston Marathon broadcast will be available at no cost and can be enjoyed by as many marathon enthusiasts as possible," said John Elliott, founder and president of Marathonguide.com.

Deemed one of the world's most prestigious and oldest annual road racing events, the Boston Marathon is the second stop on the World Marathon Majors, a marathon series offering a $1 million prize purse to be split between the leading male and female marathoners in the world.

WCSN.com is the home of the 2008 World Marathon Majors with complete coverage of the London, Boston, Berlin, Chicago and New York City races. Marathon fans around the globe can catch the action on http://www.wcsn.com.com/ where they can be part of the more than 500,000 spectators anticipated to be cheering on the runners as they dash through the streets of rural Hopkinton to the beautiful Boston Back Bay finish line at Copley Square. Fans will also have access to complete live and on-demand video footage plus free access to news, race results, photo galleries, behind-the-scenes features and more.

About World Championship Sports Network (WCSN)World Championship Sports Network (WCSN) is the premier destination for fans of Olympic and lifestyle sports, delivering an immersive experience via exclusive live and on-demand coverage of world class competitions, interaction with top athletes and in-depth access to sports news and information year round.

By Jay Hicks, a.k.a. Track Evangelist.

Run Like Hell: Anthony Famiglietti is the Man!

If you don’t have Anthony “Fam” Famiglietti’s dvd, Run Like Hell, then you should order a copy today because you’re sorely missing out. This dvd gets your heart pumping.

“Fam” is a pro steeplechaser, but what's interesting about the distance runner is that he lives and trains in New York City. How wild is that? The ’04 Olympian is track’s renaissance man with the skills of a musician, visual artist, and filmmaker.

Now, he can add shoe designer to the list. Famigilietti recently discussed on a FinalSprint.com running podcast that he designed Belligerence, a new Adidas cross country spike coming out in time for fall running. Fam’s tattoo is even stamped on the bottom of the spike plate.

By Jay Hicks, a.k.a. Track Evangelist

Bianca Knight Waiting For Shoe To Drop

The University of Texas sprint sensation Bianca Knight has recently signed with agent Mark Wetmore of Boston-based Global Athletics, Inc. Global Athletics also represents pro athletes such as Tyson Gay, Dee Dee Trotter, Jenn Stuczynski, and Liu Xiang.

Pro runners typically earn the bulk of their income on shoe contracts. The track world is waiting to hear the winner of the sneaker battle to woo the services of Bianca Knight. Word is that Nike and Adidas are duking it out to win over the women who blazed the second fastest American time ever in winning the NCAA crown in 200-meters.

If it’s any indication of the market, in 2003 Allyson Felix signed a signed a six-year, six-figure endorsement contract with Adidas just out of high school. Bianca’s legs will make her mad money.

By Jay Hicks, a.k.a. Track Evanglist

Nike, Adidas Gear Up For Sneaker War!

These shoes are made for running.

The bar for spikes was set sky high by Michael Johnson running into history sporting Nikes at the Atlanta Olympic Games, where he clocked 19.32 seconds in 200-meters and won gold in the 400-meters. Millions still remember Johnson’s custom spikes, and that’s exactly why Nike customized the shoes for him.

Sneakers are more than functional footwear. They need to feel good, look good. They represent our individual style and taste.

Shoemakers have long battled for the Chinese market, but the Beijing Olympics are the battle ground for bitter rivals, Nike and Adidas. The Chinese market, made up of mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong, is the second largest market in the world and is worth a whopping $1 billion a year in sales.

Nike is hedging their bets on Asafa Powell. They imprinted his feet and studied his running style to deliver the lightest and strongest kicks ever for the 100-meter world record holder.

Powell will wear a different shoe at meets before the Olympics. The prototype will be tweaked after each meet leading up to the Beijing Games, and then Nike will present Powell with the final pair just before the opening ceremony.

Whew! What color will the shoe be? Will they sport the black and yellow Jamaican colors?

Adidas is also betting hard on Beijing and paid roughly $80 million to win the Beijing sponsorship, in addition to sponsoring elite athletes such as Allyson Felix and Jeremy Wariner. The German shoe company is also spending millions on the “Impossible is Nothing” ad blitz and is opening about two stores a day in China.

While not an official Olympic Games sponsor, Nike is spending millions sponsoring 22 of the 28 competing Chinese federations.

The athletic apparel companies promise this to be the biggest Olympics ever, and it is almost guaranteed to be the most commercial ever. It will be interesting to see who wears the illest gear, while throwing down the most memorable feats.

By Jay Hicks, a.k.a. Track Evangelist

Adidas Superstar - 2008 Beijing Olympics

The shoe war between Nike and Adidas in Beijing will be fierce, and the hype surrounding the Olympics will undoubtedly inspire loads of sneakers and gear.

Not to be out done, Adidas revealed another pair from the vault today. This shoe is a true classic. The Adidas Superstar matches the colors for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. The kicks are said to be available now, so keep your eyes open.

Hmmm…I wonder what fly gear Gilbert Arenas, Jeremy Wariner, and other Adidas athletes will showcase in Beijing.

By Jay Hicks, a.k.a. Track Evangelist

J Dub Definitely Over Coaching Spat

Olympic and world champion Jeremy Wariner is preparing to break Michael's Johnson's 400-meter world record.

Jeremy Wariner has the track world talking again!

The 400-meter sprinter spoke with the press on Monday at a promotional event set up by Adidas in Beijing.

Jeremy refused to talk about last month’s coaching change, however he did take the opportunity to proclaim that his agent, Michael Johnson, might lose his status as the 400-meter world record holder in Beijing or possibly sooner. Last season, Wariner ran a personal best time of 43.45 and is rapidly getting closer to Johnson’s world record of 43.18.

"I'm looking forward to defending my title and hopefully breaking the world record," he said on Monday. "Honestly, if I haven't broken it before the Olympics, I know I can break it at the Olympics."

He and long-time Coach Clyde Hart split ways over a contract dispute in which Hart was offered less money to work in 2008. Despite what has been said by critics, J Dub does not regret the decision to train with new Baylor Assistant Coach Michael Ford.

Jeremy is currently preparing for his 2008 debut next week in Australia. He is no amateur at the Apollo.

He knows what it takes to win big.

By Jay Hicks, a.k.a. Track Evangelist

Allyson Felix: The Graduate

Congratulations, Allyson!

Sponsors take note: Allyson Felix is continually proving she is role model material. Even while she was running around the world setting records and winning medals, she kept her nose in the books.

That’s right – one of my favorite Glamour Girls of track and field is getting ready to graduate from the University of Southern California with a degree in Elementary Education.

Adidas is one sponsor who took note early. While many athletes finish paying for their educations by running on the college circuit, Felix cut to the chase. She turned professional out of high school and let Adidas pay for college.

It’s all paying off. In addition to her college degree, Felix just came off the best season of her life. In September, she won three gold medals at the 2007 World Champions in Osaka with victories in 200 meters, 4 x 100 meter relay and 4 x 400 meter relay.

Allyson will accept her degree in May 2008 . . . only a few short months before the world finds out if her good decisions and hard work will pay off in gold at the 2008 Olympic Games.

By Jay Hicks, a.k.a. Track Evangelist