Intel and adidas Team Up For The Virtual Shoe Wall

It's an athlete's, techy's, sneakerhead's, brand whore's, gadget geek's, digi freak's MOST AMAZING DREAM COME TRUE!! This baby was unveiled at the 2011 National Retail Federation conference in NYC on Jan 11. The wall renders products in 3-D, and allows a shopper to spin and zoom in on the shoes, and call up specs from a touch-screen display. Particularly hot models, like adidas' F50 soccer shoe, have accompanying video and relevant information (like the fact that F50-clad feet scored 44 goals in last year's World Cup).



The wall was designed by Start Creative in the UK. "We've leveled the playing field for small retailers," says Chris Aubrey, VP, Global Retail Marketing for Germany-based Adidas. "They can now act like a big flagship store in a town like New York." Not to mention the fact that the installation turns flat walls into prime selling space.

Aubrey says a prototype store will likely roll out in about a year in the U.K. -- a country that's nearly as enthusiastic about e-commerce as the U.S., but close enough for executives from the company's European headquarters to keep a close eye on how the wall is working out. "Germany itself still lags a bit," in its appetite for online shopping, Aubrey says.

Footwear sales in general are bouncing back, he says, after taking a hit during the global melt-down of 2008. "We had a very good 2010," he says. "I think consumer confidence is back."

Friday Sneaker Picks...

Two Nike classics and an adidas exclusive....


adidas Y-3 Honja Low

My favorite nike's of all time AirMax '97s....shown here silver on white.

Super hot pair of Nike Blazer Hi's. Red sole, suede front, and an awesome print.

Love Watching Conan O'Brien Rip On NBC

Kobe Bryant Is Selling Ankle Insurance

As a die hard Laker fan, I could talk for hours about the love- hate relationship I've had with Kobe Bryant over the last decade. I could also go on about how I think he has put out some of the uglier shoes over his career, dating back to his horrid adidas sneakers in his early career.

But today, I want to praise him for fully stepping into his role as the most marketable basketball player of the modern era (enter Lebron James argument, which I could make too but for the sake of this post I needed to take a side). 

Nike has always been the king of viral vids starring their greatest athletes, and NotMyBrokenAnkles.com is just the latest installment of their creativity.

For a walk down memory lane, check out Kobe leaping over an Aston Martin an then a snake filled pool.

Pepsi and Beckham End Partnership After 10 Years

Courtesy of AdAge...

After 10 years, Pepsi won't be bending it with David Beckham anymore. The soft-drink behemoth and the celebrity soccer star agreed to part this week, a decision both sides described as mutual in statements.

But Pepsi's decision to walk away from Mr. Beckham, coming as it does on the heels of a disappointing, injury-riddled second season with Major League Soccer's Los Angeles Galaxy, raises questions over whether Mr. Beckham's marketability is fading along with his footwork.
The soccer celebrity -- who is married to former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham -- signed a much ballyhooed deal with MLS in 2007 that could be worth up to $250 million over five years.

Shortly after that deal was signed, Mr. Beckham split with one of his largest sponsors, Gillette. Reports on the cause of the split differed: Some said Mr. Beckham wanted more control over his image than Gillette would allow. Others said the move to the U.S., where soccer is a minor sport, made Mr. Beckham less useful to Gillette because it lowered his profile in Europe and Asia, where the brand used him most.

Adidas, Motorola deals
Mr. Beckham still has global deals with Adidas and Motorola, but his pact with the struggling handset-maker expires in June.

In a statement responding to questions, Motorola, which recently featured Mr. Beckham as part of its RAZR2 phone campaign in Asia, said it was "very pleased" with him and his global appeal. The company declined to comment about its interest in renewing Mr. Beckham's deal or whether talks were already in progress.

While the actual cause of Mr. Beckham's splits with Pepsi and Gillette is unknown, it's worth noting that he's among the most expensive sports endorsers in the world, which may make it more difficult for marketers to fit him in tightening budgets. His expired Gillette contract, for instance, reportedly paid him upwards of $10 million over a three-year period, and a fourth-year option declined by Gillette would have been for at least $5 million more. Given the performance of his team and the relative obscurity of the league in the U.S., it may not be as cost effective as it once was for marketers like Gillette owner Procter & Gamble and Pepsi to link up with Mr. Beckham when a strong player in a higher-profile league may come a lot cheaper.

Mr. Beckham's split with Pepsi comes after reports during the summer that he was weighing launching his own line of bottled waters.

'Nothing but good memories'
In a statement, Mr. Beckham said: "I have nothing but good memories of my 10-year association with Pepsi. Along the journey, I've played a gladiator, a cowboy and a surfer, and worked alongside Beyoncé and Jennifer Lopez as well as some of the biggest names in world football. I hope everyone who has seen the work Pepsi and I have done together enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed making it and, who knows, there may yet be another chapter in this long relationship."

Pepsi said: "We wish David well with the many projects he is pursuing and look forward to the possibility of partnering together with him again someday."

Sneaker Finds

I know I've been lagging on weekly sneaker picks, so I decided to make this one a bit more personal and find sneaks from my favorite spots around the country.

Dave’s Quality Meat in New York is my absolute favorite shoe store in this country. And since I’ll be in Manhattan in a couple weeks, I figured I’d give them a shout. They teamed up with Nike SB to design some Blazers and Dunks in honor of the upcoming Olympics, where BMX racing will be featured as an event. The gold is in tribute to famous BMX trick rider Woody Itson and his signature 24K Gold Hutch Trickstar bike.

I grew up scrounging through the high stacked piles of fire hazard worthy Sportie LA on Melrose down in Los Angeles, so I figured I’d check in with them and see what limited editions they were working with right now. Yes the NBA season is over, but they are featuring a classic pair of adidas Campus 2s decked out in Laker décor that really touches my gold and purple heart.

As a local San Franciscan, I had to bring up Huf down in Hayes Valley. And since I’ve been having some great laughs at the expense of Stuff White People Like, I figured I’d fulfill the stereotype of #96 and show off these TIER 1 NBJ A22s by New Balance.

*No offense to Undefeated in LA which challenges for the #1 spot, but your site is really bothering me today; the alignment of the content is off, the radio won’t turn down, and it’s a bit too frustrating for me right now.