Nike/Apple To Announce Partnership Tuesday?

[MacRumors]

http://www.macrumors.com/images/macrumorsthreadlogo.gif (http://www.macrumors.com)

Multiple users claim that CNBC reported at 7 p.m. EST that Apple and Nike would issue some sort of announcement on Tuesday, May 23, 2006 relating to the iPod and Nike Apparel. Details are unclear at this time, as a link to the story could not be found on CNBC's site (hence page 2), but readers indicate that the announcement could range from a Shuffle-replacement iPod in Nike shoes (with accompanying bluetooth headphones) to a clothing line with special pockets for iPods.

A recent page 2 rumor claimed (http://www.macrumors.com/pages/2006/05/20060519153208.shtml) that the iPod Shuffle was being discontinued. Nike and Apple were previously rumored (http://www.macrumors.com/pages/2004/03/20040318115647.shtml) to be involved in some sort of relationship in 2004, when a blurb on Apple's retail site appeared for a short time indicating a cross-promotion was in the works.

Update: (moved to Page 1) Steve Jobs and Nike CEO Mark Parker announced (http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2006/may/23nike.html&t=1148402818) a partnership today at a press event in New York City attended by Lance Armstrong and Paula Radcliffe.

The first product in the "Nike+iPod (http://www.apple.com/ipod/nike/)" partnership is called the "Nike+iPod Sport Kit" which will allow Nike+ footwear to wirelessly communicate with iPod Nanos. The specialty shoes will be able to communicate time, distance, calories burned, and pace on the Nano and store the information on screen and via audible feedback through headphones. The Sport Kit will be available in the next 60 days with a suggested retail price of $29 USD, and will require a Nike+ shoe and an iPod Nano.

This announcement appears to not have any bearing on the iPod Shuffle, as the product remains on Apple's website and online store.

[Freg3000]

"Nike is a evil company which uses child labor to make its cheap products" rants coming in 3....2....1....

More partnerships with big companies is a good thing for Apple.

[Jackie.Cane]

Ridiculous.

Click your heels together three times to pause??

[rockandrule]

"Nike is a evil company which uses child labor to make its cheap products" rants coming in 3....2....1....

More partnerships with big companies is a good thing for Apple.

Well, to start you off. Yuck, yuck, yuck. But I do agree that partnerships with large cooperations are obviously important and a good thing, but with Nike? I don't think so.

[EricNau]

I could understand the clothes (maybe), but iPod shoes, that is ridiculous.

[capone2]

yuck! Adidas yes.

but you what i believe it.

[Shananra]

Ridiculous.

Click your heels together three times to pause??

Yes, and for play one must utter "There's no place like home..."

[BlueRevolution]

"Nike is a evil company which uses child labor to make its cheap products" rants coming in 3....2....1....

happy to oblige. all I can say is it would pain me to have to extend my boycott to Apple...

http://www.blackspotsneaker.org/

[Kingsly]

You know, the human body could probably power one of those ultra low power intel processors... perhaps a small generator in the heel of a running shoe? :D

[pincho]

Apple is about to make a deal with one of the largest Companies in the world for us consumers and you guys are complaining? seriously...

[mproud]

At the Apple Store, Nike sells crappy quality headphones, pieces of **** I could never recommend. The only thing that may actually be decent would be their elastic nano/shuffle armband. Not sure why there aren't more elastic armbands out there, but it is nice, perhaps a tad overpriced in my opinion but on par when compared to Apple's armbands.

[Koodauw]

sweet. Two of my favorite companies, coming together. Although I bet its nothing more than iPod sized pockets.

[Doctor Q]

The iPod shuffle isn't being discontinued after all. It's simply being replaced with the iPod swoosh!

[fowler.]

I know what it is :p Finally, I'm on the inside!

[BakedBeans]

Nike/ Apple

''Just Do It Different"

[bloodycape]

If anything it will be like the Philips Nike Sport Mp3 that were out back in 2000-2001 era. Those were supposidly good for a mp3 player that like maxed out at 512. Or they could be making and Mp3 sunglasses like Oakley has. What I would like to see it this nike shoe with a built in 10gig flash mp3 drive. http://us.st11.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/yhst-66264313298116_1898_75776700

[1984]

No way! New Balance is supposed to be the official shoe for Apple fans!

[javanate]

No way! New Balance is supposed to be the official shoe for Apple fans!

New Balance still sells American made (non-sweatshop) shoes, too bad Apple isn't partnering with them.

[neocell]

It'll probably be something like the burton (http://www.burton.com/ca/gear/products.asp?productID=133) ipod jacket

[maxterpiece]

New Balance still sells American made (non-sweatshop) shoes, too bad Apple isn't partnering with them.
Not to mention more comfortable and better quality shoes... even if they are usually pretty ugly.

[emotion]

yuck! Adidas yes.
.

Adidas are worse than Nike in terms of sweatshops.

http://www.ethiscore.org/report.aspx?id=249615&free=true

[BRLawyer]

Nike shoes really suck and last less than they should...why not make a partnership with Salomon, Apple?

Oh well, yeah...MTV-loving kids still use Nike...I see your point now...:rolleyes:

[iGav]

Apple and A Bathing Ape (http://www.bape.com/). ;) :D

[vollspacken]

Apple x Nike Dunk SB

c'mon Phil, gimme dat iPod powered "Steve Jobs" signature Dunk Hi

vSpacken

[emotion]

Nike shoes really suck and last less than they should...why not make a partnership with Salomon, Apple?

Salomon = Adidas. So my comment above applies.

[BRLawyer]

Salomon = Adidas. So my comment above applies.

Well, I was talking about quality, and Salomon rules on that...

As for "sweatshops", anyone with minimal background on economics knows that they are a natural consequence of open international trade, and a result of usually lower productivity levels in lower wage countries...this gets balanced over time as interactions and market demands become more intensive among countries...that's why, in many poorer developing countries, salaries have gone up pretty fast.

And low wages are better than NO wages, by the way...as long as international labor standards are enforced, I am perfectly fine with that.

[emotion]

Well, I was talking about quality, and Salomon rules on that...

As for "sweatshops", anyone with minimal background on economics knows that they are a natural consequence of open international trade, and a result of usually lower productivity levels in lower wage countries...this gets balanced over time as interactions and market demands become more intensive among countries...that's why, in many poorer developing countries, salaries have gone up pretty fast.

And low wages are better than NO wages, by the way...as long as international labor standards are enforced, I am perfectly fine with that.

If you are aware of a bad deal for foreign workers then morally you should exercise your power as a consumer and not support that abuse. That's the bottom line.

Wheeling out standard economic reasons why it happens doesn't excuse it.

[BRLawyer]

If you are aware of a bad deal for foreign workers then morally you should exercise your power as a consumer and not support that abuse. That's the bottom line.

Wheeling out standard economic reasons why it happens doesn't excuse it.

Well, a "bad deal" for foreign workers is not really the case...we're talking about standard U.S. protectionism here...this is the main reason behind the "sweatshops" claim...trust me.

[emotion]

Well, a "bad deal" for foreign workers is not really the case...we're talking about standard U.S. protectionism here...this is the main reason behind the "sweatshops" claim...trust me.

I trust what ethiscore and others say.

[iJawn108]

iHope not. Nike just isn't... cool anymore.

[aswitcher]

Maybe the new shuffle would make sense...

[fixyourthinking]

Doesn't Steve Jobs like New Balance?

I would suppose Nike has the bigger branding though.

Also weren't the Nike MP3 players rebranded Diamond Rios? This would make sense as Diamond doesn't exist anymore. From what I know ... the Nike players actually sold pretty well.

[Abstract]

New Balance still sells American made (non-sweatshop) shoes, too bad Apple isn't partnering with them.

I like New Balance, but according to that Ethiscore website, Saucony and Brooks are probably the best on the list for making runners that don't suck for running. They also happen to be higher on the list of ethics.

[dtfitzp]

The shoe concept is plainly riddiculous. It will be shirts with shuffle sized pockets. Anyone who has tried to run with a shuffle on a lanyard will recognize the value of a close fitting pocket.

[maxi]

This is my first post here (after lurking for years).

Take this for what it's worth, but around october-november last year a nike representative gave a special presentation on a "product design" class. I didn't attend because I had already done those credits the year before. The thing is that the nike guy said that they where involved with apple in something involving ipod and shoes, where they could be connected to your computer and apart from transfering music, you could download some stats about your workout.
This is what a friend of mine who was there told me (knowing I'm an apple freak). I cannot be 100% sure because I wasn't there, but hhe mentioned apple, iPod and nike.

When I was attending that course, in 2004, a guy from motorola gave the same type of lecture the nike guy did, and he showed us some designs of future nextels that were indeed released a couple of months later.

[RodThePlod]

...something involving ipod and shoes, where they could be connected to your computer and apart from transfering music, you could download some stats about your workout.


Sounds very intriguing!!

Special iPod pockets on clothing would be cool - but special iPod footware would be even cooler :D

Can't wait to see if this pans out...

RodC
--
www.expodition.com - for iPod users who love to travel

[octoberdeath]

maybe what the partnership will entail is a new ipod shuffle that is more "sporty" like those nike mp3 players. the design will become "shock" ressistant and all that jazz... and giving you your workout stats sounds like a pretty cool idea since thats what many people use the shuffle for, to work out. i wouldn't think the shoes would be the player but that there would be a small zip up pocket on the side you could place it in. my friend has had shoes with small pockets on them before, kind of trendy.

[Gasu E.]

If you are aware of a bad deal for foreign workers then morally you should exercise your power as a consumer and not support that abuse. That's the bottom line.

Wheeling out standard economic reasons why it happens doesn't excuse it.

Absolutely. Don't buy the products, enduring workers lose their jobs. Then the workers can starve or turn to the sex trade. But then that wouldn't be YOUR problem, would it?

Perhaps it would make sense if you became a prostitute yourself, or starved yourself to the point of malnutrition in empathy with the workers. Now that would be a protest we could ALL respect.

[Gasu E.]

I trust what ethiscore and others say.

I understand; they gave Nike a BIG BLACK DOT for using Nanotechnology.

Nanotechnology, of course, is evil due to the possibility of nanobots entering your body and forcing you to eat bioengineered frankenfoods against your will.

[BRLawyer]

Absolutely. Don't buy the products, enduring workers lose their jobs. Then the workers can starve or turn to the sex trade. But then that wouldn't be YOUR problem, would it?

Perhaps it would make sense if you became a prostitute yourself, or starved yourself to the point of malnutrition in empathy with the workers. Now that would be a protest we could ALL respect.

Yep...as I said, most people have no clue about the mechanics of international trade, and just follow the trend of some NGOs that love to scream how lower wages in poorer countries mean "sweatshops". Most of these movements are, indeed, inspired by protectionist lobbies which would so much prefer that work is given back to "civilized" workers in the west...

Labor standards are a matter of national politics, and companies just do what they legally can in each location...lower wages are better than NO wages...period.

[emotion]

Absolutely. Don't buy the products, enduring workers lose their jobs. Then the workers can starve or turn to the sex trade. But then that wouldn't be YOUR problem, would it?

Perhaps it would make sense if you became a prostitute yourself, or starved yourself to the point of malnutrition in empathy with the workers. Now that would be a protest we could ALL respect.

No need to be rude about it.

Where in my posts was I rude to anyone?

I'm sure it suits some of the purposes of some western parties to campaign to keep jobs there instead of going to the east.

What I'm saying is that working conditions (sweat shop means more than just low wages) are poor in a lot of developing countries and some organisations point this out to western consumers who have a conscience so they can act on that.

[emotion]

Labor standards are a matter of national politics, and companies just do what they legally can in each location...lower wages are better than NO wages...period.

I don't pretend to be an economist. The above is no reason to agree with what those companies are doing.

This is the kind of excuse that people give for not boycotting people like Unilever (for having no environmental conscience). If people didn't buy the products they would soon change. I have more power to make that kind of change than I do changing the way governments think.

[emotion]

I understand; they gave Nike a BIG BLACK DOT for using Nanotechnology.

Nanotechnology, of course, is evil due to the possibility of nanobots entering your body and forcing you to eat bioengineered frankenfoods against your will.


So, whilst I don't pretend to be an economist I do know quite a bit about physical chemistry and, as it happens, I agree that a blanket mark down for nanotech is not that helpful.

Nanotechnology though is perhaps not being approached with quite enough caution as it should be (I firmly believe it will change civilization as we know it when it is eventually ubiquitous). In much the same way as GMOs (which I also boycott but see less value in).

[MovieCutter]

Here it is...

http://www.coolhunting.com/archives/2006/05/nike_x_apple.php

[DTphonehome]

Well, you can all start eating crow....according to Engadget:

"Maybe the third time's the charm. After rolling out branded MP3 players with Rio and Philips, Nike has now partnered with Apple for its next music-on-the-go solution. But instead of launching another Nike-branded player, the sneaker company is focusing on athletics by working with Apple to roll out the iPod Sport Kit, a $29 device that includes a sneaker-based sensor that combines with another sensor attached to the iPod to allow users to enter and view workout data using the iPod's menus. Audio prompts can also be configured to provide workout info such as distance and time, and workout data can be uploaded to a Nike web site for analysis and comparison with other runners. The iPod Sport Kit is expected to be available within 60 days and will work with most recent model iPods (though we really hope you're not working out with a hard-drive based audio player)."

Sounds really cool! And the price is pretty hot!

[Freg3000]

From the iPod nano page:

http://images.apple.com/ipodnano/images/nikepromo20060523.gif

[Koodauw]

Looks good to me.

And to those New Balance wearer's out there, check your shoes, NB makes shoes in Asia as well.

[iGary]

Too bad Nike makes crap running shoes.

[bcsmith]

This actually looks pretty cool...

http://www.apple.com/ipod/nike/

Would allow your Nano to track all of your runs and logs all of your information. Interface looks really slick...

[DTphonehome]

Too bad Nike makes crap running shoes.

Unless the sensor is smart enough to know what shoes you are wearing, I don't see why you can't use this with any shoe. The only thing special about the Nike+ shoe is that it has a little pocket beneath the insole for the sensor. I'm sure you can clip it on to your shoe another way.

PS, I used the word "shoe" a lot of times in this post. Awesome.

[lifeboy001]

http://www.apple.com/ipod/nike/sync.html

notice in the bottom right that iTunes 6.0.5 will be required. Here's hoping for a few enhancements other than those involved with nike.

Richard

[gnat]

While everyone argued about whether or not Nike uses sweatshops to manufacture their shoes, Apple announced the new promotion.

As already said, it looks like a pretty sweet deal. Of course, since my last apple came from Shanghai, I can't really complain if Nike outsources...

I'll wait until they make it backwards compatible with the 3G ipods and then have the shoes at the local outlet mall...

I have to say that it was a sweet deal though; a lot of the iPod's popularity comes from runners who don't like CD skips. The Nano just adds to that.

The next promotion should be Apple/Schwinn. There's something into which I could buy.

[ifjake]

this actually sounds pretty neat.

[RodThePlod]

Unless the sensor is smart enough to know what shoes you are wearing, I don't see why you can't use this with any shoe. The only thing special about the Nike+ shoe is that it has a little pocket beneath the insole for the sensor. I'm sure you can clip it on to your shoe another way.

Yep - this will add to the iPod ecosystem in a big way! I'm sure we'll see *loads* of third party sensor clips/suits/jackets/wotsits over the next few months.

:)

RodC
--
www.expodition.com - for iPod users who love to travel

[man2525]

If these don't skip, can I get a refund?

[gerlitzappel]

regardless of the sweatshops, it is an ingenious idea. How does it know your pace? Is it simply a pedometer? That would be very unimpressive. I want something that small that works using GPS.

[QCassidy352]

Too bad Nike makes crap running shoes.

well, they used to. Their shoes have actually improved a lot in the last few years. I still can't wear 'em because Nikes are all narrow and my foot is on the wide side of average, but while I never would have worn Nikes in the past, I might now, if I could.

As a runner and an apple enthusiast, I must say that I find this really cool. I have Nike's own speed and distance monitor that goes on your shoe and talks to your watch, and that's always worked well for me. I'd definitely give this new "sport kit" a try... again, if Nike shoes fit me. Very interesting news, this. :)

It's essentially a pedometer, decently accurate. It uses an accelerometer apparently.

Assuming it's the same tech as the Nike SDM I've owned for years, then it's quite accurate as compared to either a car's odometer or http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/ (which is fabulous, btw). Nike's tech is usually dead on to within a couple hundredths of a mile over a long run. I wouldn't use to to do measured intervals if I really needed to hit an exact pace (say, repeat 400s), but for regular runs, it's way better than decently accurate.

[Makosuke]

Product-wise, it sounds like a decent deal. It's not that expensive, and it sounds like a way for health nuts to monitor their workout. I did notice that the battery in the little shoe transmitter isn't replaceable, though--that's kind of stupid, even if perhaps necessitated by sealing issues.

As for Nike as a company, here's why I don't like them: They are a marketing company, plain and simple. They "make" nothing--their shoe production is subcontracted to low-cost Asian manufacturers, and I don't even know if they do product design. They make massive markups on their products (probably 80-90%, yet why don't they net more money? Because the bulk of the profit made on each pair of shoes or piece of branded gear goes into advertising--commercials, sponsorship, branding, celebrity endorsement deals. Nike people have been quoted as saying as much during the 90s.

That is, you pay $90 for a pair of not-so-good Nike shoes that cost maybe $10 to make for one reason, and one reason only--most of the rest of your $90 goes to advertising so that people who look no farther than what Michael Jordan tells them is cool will think Nike is cool.

Personally, if I'm going to buy shoddy shoes produced by underpaid and poorly treated workers, I'm at least going to get the economic benefit of it and buy a no-name brand for $20 or $30, instead of giving $70 of my hard-earned money to pay rich sports stars and buy ad time just so my shoes have a Swosh that says "corporate America has paid to make you think I'm cool".

If you want to get into the raw economics of it, there's also something to be said about production in the country of sale, since it leads to reinvestment in the economy and, on the grand scale, better wages and conditions for all in that country.

Personally, though, I wear Red Wings, which as far as I know are made in the US. At the very least, they're built to last, and the soles are replaceable--it's nice to be able to re-sole a pair of shoes instead of chucking a perfectly good, broken-in leather upper just because you wore out the sole.

[jelloshotsrule]

Labor standards are a matter of national politics, and companies just do what they legally can in each location...lower wages are better than NO wages...period.

yeah, and physical abuse along the lines of rape and murder are also an economic issue, right? thought so. :rolleyes:


nike's running shoes aren't highly regarded, but perhaps something like this will be translated to other things as well. overall i think it's not a bad thing, but doesn't do much for me either.

[AJ Muni]

Too bad Nike makes crap running shoes.

On the contrary I think they make GREAT running shoes. I've been using thier running sneakers for years and the innovation only gets better. This is a cool product, I will defnitely pick it up.

[mpw]

I wonder if the range will expand to things like cycle computers / rowing machines / HR monitors all syncing with your iPod so you can store you workout info. Not being a runner a pedometer is no biggie but a cycle computer that synced with my Mac to record workouts would be cool.

And to take it a step(sic) further what if you had say a rowing machine at home in front of your Mac and your iPod syncing from rower to Mac, you could have rowing races with other MR users!

[cypherpunks]

I actually did some research about this recently to find out if Nike changed their ways. 5 years ago their contract companies in Indonesia were reported by the AFL/CIO chapter there as having by far the most complaints.

Nike now has an entire department staffed with many people whose job it is to make sure their contract factories meet the Fair Labor Association's standards and in 2003 they received the status of "Participating Company." You can read the most recent report on them at the FLA website.

In case you think the FLA is just some front company for corporate interest, please check their board of directors:

http://www.fairlabor.org/all/about/board.html

While I think any corporation with unfair labor practices should be slammed, companies with good ones, or companies who reform their practices should be rewarded and praised. I'm sure it feels good to slam the big guys but make sure it's still warranted instead of retaining an outdated knee-jerk reaction.

Reference:
http://www.fairlabor.org/2004report/companies/participating/index.html

[fblack]

" thanks to the Nike+iPod sensor and receiver, iPod nano also transfers your workout data to the Internet as soon as you sync. Connect your iPod, and iTunes takes over, automatically syncing all your run data and sending it to nikeplus.com."

-interesting promotional strategy to bring people to your website and increase viewer traffic.

-What i'm curious about is the wireless factor, who's technology is being used for this, apple's? If so then we might see wireless integration in new ipod's soon!

[Eniregnat]

regardless of the sweatshops, it is an ingenious idea. How does it know your pace? Is it simply a pedometer? That would be very unimpressive. I want something that small that works using GPS.

I wouldn't expect a super cool gadget. It is likely a pedometer and a clock. It can sense you pace, and dynamically changes the distance per count based off your movement, i.e. walking= smaller distance per step, running, longer step, or reverse. I wouldn't expect a GPS like device.

I am afraid of magic shoes since Porky Pig was sentenced to wear The Green Dancing Shoes in The Wearing of the Grin (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0044198/).

From Wearing of the Grin
O'Nike: O'Jobs!
O'Jobs: What is it, O'Nike?
O'Nike: He's after our pot of gold, he is. Oh-ho-ho-ho!
O'Jobs: The devil you say, O'Nike.
O'Nike: The devil I don't. O'Jobs!
O'Jobs: And *now* what is it, O'Nike?
O'Nike: We must hide the pot of gold, we must, we must...


Run away from the shoes now.

[Over Achiever]

Won't be available until July 13th, perfect. I can use this to train for the TC Marathon =)

[corywoolf]

I wouldn't expect a super cool gadget. It is likely a pedometer and a clock. It can sense you pace, and dynamically changes the distance per count based off your movement, i.e. walking= smaller distance per step, running, longer step, or reverse. I wouldn't expect a GPS like device.

I am afraid of magic shoes since Porky Pig was sentenced to wear The Green Dancing Shoes in The Wearing of the Grin (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0044198/).



Run away from the shoes now.

I like how they even let you sync & analyze (http://www.apple.com/ipod/nike/sync.html) your workouts on your computer.
I may end up getting one of these, I am trying to get in better shape and this setup looks pretty cool. I just hope the shoes aren't insanely expensive. *smacks himself in the face, "Must resisssssst, brainwash by Apple!"*

[baleensavage]

YES! Now my shoes will require batteries too! ;)
Seriously, though. Bluetooth shoes?

[evoluzione]

sounds pretty cool to me...

and she's rather hot...

[Over Achiever]

I just hope the shoes aren't insanely expensive. *smacks himself in the face, "Must resisssssst, brainwash by Apple!"*
If you go with the Nike+ shoes, looks like they start at around $100

[fblack]

On the contrary I think they make GREAT running shoes. I've been using thier running sneakers for years and the innovation only gets better. This is a cool product, I will defnitely pick it up.


-Used to be, great. I switched to NewBalance because Nike & Reebok became incredily inconsistent with their sizes.

[p0intblank]

I have to ask... why?

I guess Steve Jobs stayed in NYC over the weekend. :D Or he flew home and then back here...

[cornfedgrowth]

For all the negativity on the boards, I think this is a pretty cool product. Maybe not something i would personally use, but a product that wirelessly communicates with your iPod Nano for only 29.99 is pretty amazing.

I wont get into the whole debate over nike being a horrible company or not, but regardless, this is a pretty awesome idea. I just hope that there is some way to plant this in regular shoes... maybe clip on somewhere, or could other manufactureres start making a little niche for it in their shoes and call it something else? Does the shoe have any part of it, or is the little pocket for the button the only difference in shoes?

[joepunk]

Apple and A Bathing Ape (http://www.bape.com/). ;) :D
That's a pretty cool flash site/download.

Oh, an ishoe, Umm... No not very cool. Jackets Yes! Shoes No.

[jelloshotsrule]

I like how they even let you sync & analyze (http://www.apple.com/ipod/nike/sync.html) your workouts on your computer.
I may end up getting one of these, I am trying to get in better shape and this setup looks pretty cool. I just hope the shoes aren't insanely expensive. *smacks himself in the face, "Must resisssssst, brainwash by Apple!"*

wow, that does seem pretty neat, and while i don't run a ton, i could see how runners would enjoy tracking how far they've gone in the last month, 6 months, etc... cool

also, good point raised about how the high visibility of nike's sweatshops has actually caused them to have to clean things up, whereas smaller companies can slip under the radar.

[feffer37]

Just you all wait - Kobe & Lebron's shoe sales will be eclipsed when Steve Jobs comes out with his #84 running shoes. When those hit the streets, it will be h-u-g-e! Air Jobs anyone? :)

On the product itself. I heard the CNBC report on XM last night, and this is WAY cooler and more practical than what they were talking about. I'm very pleased. Looks like I'll have a good excuse to get rid of my old New Balances and get some new running shoes - oh wait, if Nike didn't specialize in making shoes too narrow for the majority of mankind to wear :P

[avensis087]

i think this shows us how the iPod will grow in the next several years with added functionality outside of just music and video. we could be seeing an iPod + Cingular partnership where one could make calls from an ipod...who knows, i won't be buying these shoes, but i'm excited about where apple is headed!

mr

[mpw]

-Used to be, great. I switched to NewBalance because Nike & Reebok became incredily inconsistent with their sizes.
:confused: Surely inconsistent sizes shouldn't stop you buying their shoes?

I mean I normally try a size 12* on and if it's too small I go up to a 13 or down to 11 if it's too big. Once I find the right size I buy the shoe and from then on the size stays consistent, although sometimes my feet swell.

[m-dogg]

Cool concept. I don't run, but I'd like to see something like this to attach to my bicycle...

Also, I wonder if this would work with an iPod video? I can see how they would promote the nano since that is smaller/lighter/flash-based, but what if someone wanted to bring thier ipod video out running? Would the functionality exist, or would they restrict it to the nano?

[Dunepilot]

The arguments above, between 'emotion' and 'BRLawyer' and others, reminded me of how Thomas Sowell demolishes the idea of 'solutions' to sweatshop labour and the like, in 'The Vision of the Anointed'. Whether you buy Nike products or not, I'm reminded of Unicef's study from the 1990s that lots of right-minded people stopped buying carpets from Nepal because of child labour.

What was the result? The children were forced into prostitution instead of carpet-making.

For environmental arguments, The Skeptical Environmentalist by Bjorn Lomborg is equally valid.

Back on-topic: anyway, I think this Nike+iPod thing is going to be huge. Much more appealing to your average consumer than the specific iPod car kits or whatever.

[mainstreetmark]

"The sensor’s battery is not replaceable. Battery life will vary considerably based on use and other factors."

http://www.apple.com/ipod/nike/run.html

[gregarious119]

"The Nike+iPod system requires iTunes 6.0.5, available soon for free download."

[rock711]

So you have to buy a nano, new $100 shoes, and a $30 kit that has to be re-bought every time the battery dies because the sensor and adapter are not sold separately? And it doesn't work with a 5G?

Talk about a niche segment.

[dizastor]

Regardless of what you think of Nike, this is a really cool product. More importantly it shows that people are actively seeking ways to extend the functionality of the already great iPod in many new and cool ways, which is great for product longevity.

I think however that this is a very bad sign for those Shuffle fans out there. Good for everyone else though, as I see the nano moving into the entry level position, with the "traditional" iPod moving into the mid range and the guns blazing touch screen "true video" ipod taking the high end position.

I think it would be smart for Apple to keep a 1gig shuffle at the low end, say $79. However in my years following rumors and Apple's moves, holding onto older products to keep customers happy or to retain a good cheap entry level product has never been a priority. And to my knowledge has never happened.

Hell, they even have started the trend of discontinuing a hot seller to replace it with something new.

[hexcalibur]

That's a pretty cool flash site/download.

Oh, an ishoe, Umm... No not very cool. Jackets Yes! Shoes No.

Not a lot of runners on this thread, I think.

This product ain't a huge deal, but most runners I know (me included) like to keep track of distance and speed and so on. For $30 this is a really cool gadget. Every recreational runner with an iPod nano will be getting this as a gift -- whether they ask for it or not. :)

If it's implemented well it'll be a hit. Note that you _need_ to have an iPod nano, but with a bit of duct tape the sensor could work with any pair of shoes you want. A pretty clever way to drive iPod sales. It'll probably sell some Nike shoes too.

Oh -- joepunk: great sig!

[Orlando Furioso]

Who the hell would buy this?

If it was not blatantly clear already... running enthusiasts/weekend warriors who don't flinch dropping money on such trinkets.

[glowingstar]

that little pocket in the insole could useful for stashing, uh, stuff in your shoe that you can't normally bring into clubs. :cool:

[susannahyork]

If you want to see some pics of the partnership go check out www.coolhunting.com

[TMay]

Cool concept.

I don't run, but I'd like to see something like this to attach to my bicycle...

I run, and ride, and it would be hard not to notice Lance at the promo. I would expect an interface to an ipod from a bike computer at some point. Mostly, I would like bluetooth capability so that the ipod on the bars isn't connected to the earphones by a cable.

Also look for medical interfaces (heartrate, respiration, bloodpressure) from companies like Johnson & Johnson and Medtronics.

Next up, Fluke builds a digital voltmeter interface, and program your car's computer from your nano.

3rd party accessories and a flexible operating system are the reasons that Apple and ipod have a solid future.

[Mehmet]

Absolutely. Don't buy the products, enduring workers lose their jobs. Then the workers can starve or turn to the sex trade. But then that wouldn't be YOUR problem, would it?

Perhaps it would make sense if you became a prostitute yourself, or starved yourself to the point of malnutrition in empathy with the workers. Now that would be a protest we could ALL respect.

Stop trying to justify sweatshop labor. You know it's wrong, therefore stop sitting on your ass in front of your shiny screen and do something about it.

[corywoolf]

Can anyone find this page on the iTMS?
:confused:

[amac4me]

The ubiquity of the Apple brand is taking shape. Apple products are making their way into more parts of our lives.

When do we get the Media Center???

[corywoolf]

Stop trying to justify sweatshop labor. You know it's wrong, therefore stop sitting on your ass in front of your shiny screen and do something about it.
enough of this flame war, this is not the right place for those, got to the politics sub forum under Community Discussion.

[baleensavage]

"The sensor’s battery is not replaceable. Battery life will vary considerably based on use and other factors."
http://www.apple.com/ipod/nike/run.html
Oh that's even better! So you don't have to change the batteries, just buy a new $30 kit every time the batteries run down!

Seriously though, I think the idea is kind of cool for serious runners, especially the sync thing. For me, though, I think I'll just stick with the "Okay, I'm gonna walk for an hour today" and hold off on the battery-powered Nikes.

[fblack]

:confused: Surely inconsistent sizes shouldn't stop you buying their shoes?

I mean I normally try a size 12* on and if it's too small I go up to a 13 or down to 11 if it's too big. Once I find the right size I buy the shoe and from then on the size stays consistent, although sometimes my feet swell.

-Width became a serious issue for me. I used to love my air max, but Nike shoes became too narrow. Going up 2 or 3 sizes to get the right width might be ok if you just walk around and you like the style, but running in them leaves too much space for your foot to slide around in. That means blisters and twisted ankles. Then the sizing from one model to another was pretty bad, it made shopping tedious. "oh, i'm 11 in air maxes (still too big) but 11 1/2 in their trail shoes?" New Balance doesn't have the same style, but my cross trainers, running, and basketball shoes are all size 10 2E. That's consistent, convenient and the right fit.:)

[emotion]

I actually did some research about this recently to find out if Nike changed their ways. 5 years ago their contract companies in Indonesia were reported by the AFL/CIO chapter there as having by far the most complaints.

Nike now has an entire department staffed with many people whose job it is to make sure their contract factories meet the Fair Labor Association's standards and in 2003 they received the status of "Participating Company." You can read the most recent report on them at the FLA website.

In case you think the FLA is just some front company for corporate interest, please check their board of directors:

http://www.fairlabor.org/all/about/board.html

While I think any corporation with unfair labor practices should be slammed, companies with good ones, or companies who reform their practices should be rewarded and praised. I'm sure it feels good to slam the big guys but make sure it's still warranted instead of retaining an outdated knee-jerk reaction.

Reference:
http://www.fairlabor.org/2004report/companies/participating/index.html

All I'll say here is that this reform is, in part, due to Nike knowing of the bad PR and loss of sales that using "sweatshops" could mean for them and they've got onto it.

Boycotting companies can work. Though I'm not convinced they've changed and I'm not sure what would convince me either.

[joepunk]

Not a lot of runners on this thread, I think.

This product ain't a huge deal, but most runners I know (me included) like to keep track of distance and speed and so on. For $30 this is a really cool gadget. Every recreational runner with an iPod nano will be getting this as a gift -- whether they ask for it or not. :)

If it's implemented well it'll be a hit. Note that you _need_ to have an iPod nano, but with a bit of duct tape the sensor could work with any pair of shoes you want. A pretty clever way to drive iPod sales. It'll probably sell some Nike shoes too.

Oh -- joepunk: great sig!
Yea, not a runner here. But I guess I could see those who would want a shoe/music player. My only questions would be how would one listen to the music. Through a wireless head set? What happens when your cat pees in your shoe? What happens when it rains? Or what if a dog gets ahold of it?

Oh, and thanks for the sig comment. It is actually in reference to the AV image. You can't see it but in the background is a huge computer and on top of it is I think tape containers or something.

Edit: nevermind about "how would one listen to the music." I just checked Apple/Nike link

[ChrisA]

[At first I thought an iPod that "talks" to a shoe - that's weird. But then I think "what really is an iPod. It's a general purpose computer with a USB and audio interface, LCD scren and some storage space. There is no reason you couldn't run a web server on an pod or connect it to a GPS and have it display your location on a map.

So if you think of an iPod as just a computer who's only (current) appliocation is to run a media player, adding al kinds of other applications to it makes some sense. One the larger screen video iPods with touch sensitve screen come out more applications will be possable.

Taking this further I'd love to have a general purpose media player, cell phone, computer, pda that is the size of my mini-iPod.

[oliverlubin]

http://www.macrumors.com/images/macrumorsthreadlogo.gif (http://www.macrumors.com)
The Sport Kit will be available in the next 60 days with a suggested retail price of $29 USD, and will require a Nike+ shoe and an iPod Nano.

This announcement appears to not have any bearing on the iPod Shuffle, as the product remains on Apple's website and online store.

on the website it lists July 13 for availability. very cool. nice price point but shoe costs are rough.

edit...
it would be really nice if Apple made iTunes able to automatically calculate song BPM. you could then create smart playlists for different paces. at the same time, with this Nike+ setup, you could have dynamic workouts, for example that got faster or sprints, but also adjusted to your current pace by selecting songs automatically with similar BPMs while you're running. if only...

[beatle888]

that little pocket in the insole could useful for stashing, uh, stuff in your shoe that you can't normally bring into clubs. :cool:


big price to pay, wearing nike shoes to a club.

[Gasu E.]

Stop trying to justify sweatshop labor. You know it's wrong, therefore stop sitting on your ass in front of your shiny screen and do something about it.

And you are contributing to child prostitution. Too bad you can't think a bit more before you act.

[Jovian9]

:confused: Surely inconsistent sizes shouldn't stop you buying their shoes?

I mean I normally try a size 12* on and if it's too small I go up to a 13 or down to 11 if it's too big. Once I find the right size I buy the shoe and from then on the size stays consistent, although sometimes my feet swell.


It's not that easy. When running long distances over and over throughout the year you have to find the proper sizes for your feet or you will develop all kinds of nagging little injuries/pains. I no longer wear Nike/Adidas for running b/c of that. I now go with Asics.
For a runner I think this is a great idea......though I'm not going to buy Nike shoes, the device, and a nano to do it.....they need to make this compatible with my 5g.

[autrefois]

As for Nike as a company, here's why I don't like them: They are a marketing company, plain and simple. They "make" nothing--their shoe production is subcontracted to low-cost Asian manufacturers, and I don't even know if they do product design. They make massive markups on their products (probably 80-90%, yet why don't they net more money? Because the bulk of the profit made on each pair of shoes or piece of branded gear goes into advertising--commercials, sponsorship, branding, celebrity endorsement deals. Nike people have been quoted as saying as much during the 90s.

That is, you pay $90 for a pair of not-so-good Nike shoes that cost maybe $10 to make for one reason, and one reason only--most of the rest of your $90 goes to advertising so that people who look no farther than what Michael Jordan tells them is cool will think Nike is cool.

Personally, if I'm going to buy shoddy shoes produced by underpaid and poorly treated workers, I'm at least going to get the economic benefit of it and buy a no-name brand for $20 or $30, instead of giving $70 of my hard-earned money to pay rich sports stars and buy ad time just so my shoes have a Swosh that says "corporate America has paid to make you think I'm cool".

If you want to get into the raw economics of it, there's also something to be said about production in the country of sale, since it leads to reinvestment in the economy and, on the grand scale, better wages and conditions for all in that country.

Personally, though, I wear Red Wings, which as far as I know are made in the US. At the very least, they're built to last, and the soles are replaceable--it's nice to be able to re-sole a pair of shoes instead of chucking a perfectly good, broken-in leather upper just because you wore out the sole.

This is an issue I've read tons about, and I don't think I've ever seen anyone put forth better reasoning for not buying from Nike and the like. You don't come off as holier-than-thou or as a raving lunatic (which *both* sides sound like sometimes when they get emotional).

I think the Nike-Apple partnership is a bad move for Apple's die-hard faithful customers; since many of them are pretty liberal they will either be less faithful (and stop "evangelizing") or stop buying Apple products altogether.

However, I think a number of the Mac faithful and most of Apple's newer customers are not aware about and/or don't care enough about such issues for it to change their buying habits. Unless a massive boycott movement started (highly unlikely with uncertain results), this fortunately or unfortunately will not likely be an issue except on boards like this.

Economically, this partnership will almost certainly be a good move for Apple. It's understandable that they would create such a partnership. That doesn't mean everyone has to like it, though. Since I doubt I could put things more eloquently than Makosuke did in his post, I'll just leave my comments at that.

[MacMyDay]

To me, this is the most conclusive proof yet that there will be in fact be PowerBook G5's next Tuesday.

[vsack]

I wonder if the range will expand to things like cycle computers / rowing machines / HR monitors all syncing with your iPod so you can store you workout info. Not being a runner a pedometer is no biggie but a cycle computer that synced with my Mac to record workouts would be cool.

And to take it a step(sic) further what if you had say a rowing machine at home in front of your Mac and your iPod syncing from rower to Mac, you could have rowing races with other MR users!

....and I'd like to see the ipod/nike concept do more: Ipod connected to cadence, miles & speed for bicycling, altimeter for backcountry skiing & GPS for those hikes in Canyonlands NP, heart rate monitor & all data to sync to my mac (Polar's HRMs still don't seem to connect to macs).

Perhaps this will motivate some kids and adults to put down the nofriendo and actually get outside. . . but I'm way off base now...

[Phobophobia]

If only some of you people could listen to yourself.

[imaswitcheryeah]

Can anyone find this page on the iTMS?
:confused:

I do believe that the page will be available in iTunes 6.0.5 when it comes out, or Apple has not added the link anywhere in the current store since the new products are not out yet.

I for one am very excited about this. I've just started getting into running and the community aspect on the nikeplus.com website is going to be quite the motivator. I also was about to buy new gear and the $100 shoes are nice (and simply designed, I don't like all that crazy shock stuff anyway) and a much lower price than i expected, even if you say the total purchase is $130 for the shoes and the sensor kit. Maybe they will have contests on the site to win cool prizes at some point?? Amazing..

[Sean Gadoury]

What happened to the good old days, when people would just run for no reason, a la Forrest Gump?

DID YOU HEAR THAT NIKE'S PRODUCTS ARE MANUFACTURED IN SWEATSHOPS?!

[AdeFowler]

Can't believe I'm on MacRumors reading about people's shoe buying habits :confused:

Anyway, politics aside, I think this is a marketing masterstroke.

[Leesure]

Would I rather it be Asics or Saucony or anyone but Nike? Sure, but it starts there. If it takes off, and it will, then other shoe makers will start incorporating the little well in the sole and you'll be able to choose.

As a distance runner and triathlete, this is a great tool and adding the playlists with coaching to iTMS is brilliant. If it only incorporated a HR monitor, it'd be perfect.

Despite what's been said by a few here (all marathon runners for sure :rolleyes: ) Nike does make some very good shoes...I may have to try a pair.

[slffl]

Great product. I hope you can listen to music while you get the audible cues.

As far as working with faceless corporations, goodbye Apple, looks like you're becoming the next Wal-Mart or Dell.

As soon as Jobs is gone, the board will drive Apple into the ground.

[Felldownthewell]

Product-wise, it sounds like a decent deal. It's not that expensive, and it sounds like a way for health nuts to monitor their workout. I did notice that the battery in the little shoe transmitter isn't replaceable, though--that's kind of stupid, even if perhaps necessitated by sealing issues.

As for Nike as a company, here's why I don't like them: They are a marketing company, plain and simple. They "make" nothing--their shoe production is subcontracted to low-cost Asian manufacturers, and I don't even know if they do product design. They make massive markups on their products (probably 80-90%, yet why don't they net more money? Because the bulk of the profit made on each pair of shoes or piece of branded gear goes into advertising--commercials, sponsorship, branding, celebrity endorsement deals. Nike people have been quoted as saying as much during the 90s.

That is, you pay $90 for a pair of not-so-good Nike shoes that cost maybe $10 to make for one reason, and one reason only--most of the rest of your $90 goes to advertising so that people who look no farther than what Michael Jordan tells them is cool will think Nike is cool.

Personally, if I'm going to buy shoddy shoes produced by underpaid and poorly treated workers, I'm at least going to get the economic benefit of it and buy a no-name brand for $20 or $30, instead of giving $70 of my hard-earned money to pay rich sports stars and buy ad time just so my shoes have a Swosh that says "corporate America has paid to make you think I'm cool".

If you want to get into the raw economics of it, there's also something to be said about production in the country of sale, since it leads to reinvestment in the economy and, on the grand scale, better wages and conditions for all in that country.

Personally, though, I wear Red Wings, which as far as I know are made in the US. At the very least, they're built to last, and the soles are replaceable--it's nice to be able to re-sole a pair of shoes instead of chucking a perfectly good, broken-in leather upper just because you wore out the sole.

The product sounds good. It makes sense. It may never catch on but I like it.

Now:

My dad works for Nike and I am at the World Campus all the time. I also have interned, so I will adress your concerns as someone with more than just an opinion. First of all, nike DOES design their own products. All of them. The biggest building on campus- Mia Hamm houses a huge top-secret design facility.

Secondly, Nike makes the shoes for $20. They are then sold by a re-seller (footlocker, for example) for $40. Footlocker then sells them for $80. That is how you get the crazy prices. Nike is not a retailer, they make the shoes then sell the shoes to the retailer.

Nike also has some of the strictest regulations for their factories. First of all, Nike does not own the factories. They are owned by other companies; Nike just rents them or subcontracts them to make product. This means that Nike has no immediate control over the factories and their practices. However, when it is found out that a factory has unagreeable practices, that factory looses its Nike contract, which is a major blow to the subcontractor. this means that the better they treat their workers the more likely they are to keep their contract, which leads to better worker conditions.

Next is your adversity to brands selling themselves as brands. Which you are writing about on an Apple computer. Hmm. Oh. And aren't Apple products made in China?

[gelbin]

As for "sweatshops", anyone with minimal background on economics knows that they are a natural consequence of open international trade, and a result of usually lower productivity levels in lower wage countries...this gets balanced over time as interactions and market demands become more intensive among countries...that's why, in many poorer developing countries, salaries have gone up pretty fast.

And low wages are better than NO wages, by the way...as long as international labor standards are enforced, I am perfectly fine with that.

As for "sweatshops", anyone with minimal background on economics knows that they are a natural consequence of open international trade, and a result of usually lower productivity levels in lower wage countries...this gets balanced over time as interactions and market demands become more intensive among countries...that's why, in many poorer developing countries, salaries have gone up pretty fast.

And low wages are better than NO wages, by the way...as long as international labor standards are enforced, I am perfectly fine with that.[/QUOTE]
anyone with a minimal background in nike would know that it is not that simple, mr BR. Nike and other major companies have forced the indigenous people out of their previously sustaining existence. Most of them were farmers or the like in agricultural based societies. then NIKE or some other imperialist company comes in and in some backdoor dealings with local government forces the people from their land and current way of life, giving them no option of sustaining themselves, and leaving them with a horrible position in a nike contracted factory floor. On these floors, they are beaten, raped, humiliated, and taken out and killed when they try to organize.

Organizing labor is a human right. not in a sweatshop it is not. There is nothing "free" about a sweatshop. and there is nothing fair about subsidized american agricultural products going overseas complete with pesticides and growth hormone at the expense of local agriculture that does not use monsanto's gmo corn/soybeans, pesticides, or growth hormone in their milk. when you have successfully devalued their agriculture, and taken their land, you are right, their only choice is to slave for you in a factory. thanks, nike, and all your kin. and thanks BR for promoting this ignorance further than those who continue to profit from it.

[jelloshotsrule]

Despite what's been said by a few here (all marathon runners for sure :rolleyes: ) Nike does make some very good shoes...I may have to try a pair.

igary actually has run tons of marathons...

i'm sure nike's shoes are improving, just as they're wedging themselves into other markets previously dominated by other brands (golf, soccer, etc), but i do find some humor in the fact that you joke about people who have criticized nike shoes as not being marathon runners, then go on to say that you may have to TRY a pair... hah


i'm still excited about the sync/analyze stuff. no plans to buy nike shoes anytime soon though.

[chukronos]

Talk about a niche segment.
Not really. The health and wellness industry is looking to increase from around 240 billion a year to about 3 trillion annually over the next 10 years. This type of product is the future. People are becoming obsessed with products that are associated with health. Polar HR is making a killing in devices similar to this. My Polar watch downloads my workout info to my computer. Now, Nike and apple are positioning themselves to make major profits from the next big business sector.
-Chuck

(Polar's HRMs still don't seem to connect to macs).


This aspect of polar HR monitors ticks me off! I have to download my stats to a PC. I called Polar 2 years ago and they said they may have something out soon for macs. Today, still nothing, that I know of. I wish someone with programming kowledge would get it done for a mac.
-Chuck

[gelbin]

Nike also has some of the strictest regulations for their factories. First of all, Nike does not own the factories. They are owned by other companies; Nike just rents them or subcontracts them to make product. This means that Nike has no immediate control over the factories and their practices. However, when it is found out that a factory has unagreeable practices, that factory looses its Nike contract, which is a major blow to the subcontractor. this means that the better they treat their workers the more likely they are to keep their contract, which leads to better worker conditions.



Companies like NIKE use subcontractors so that they can limit their liability and not be personally responsible for the reprehensible behavior in their factories. They either know what is going on or they turn a willfully blind eye to the practices that make their shoes cheaply, and efficiently, on the backs of beaten and abused workers. Why don't you have dad take you over to indonesia to see the work camps for yourself? It will be nothing like "world headquarters" where you accompany dad on bring your child to work day. Facts are facts, i would pay my way to visit these factories if your dad would take me to some of his sweatcamps for a tour.

[jbembe]

I would love to see a similar device that would monitor bicycling perhaps through an already made bike computer that would sync with the iPod and some kind of statistic analysis software to track distances, speeds, etc. That would be awesome!!!!!:cool:

[BRLawyer]

yeah, and physical abuse along the lines of rape and murder are also an economic issue, right? thought so. :rolleyes:


nike's running shoes aren't highly regarded, but perhaps something like this will be translated to other things as well. overall i think it's not a bad thing, but doesn't do much for me either.

Huh? Rape and murder? What does that have to do with the current thread? Now you're gonna blame companies for what people suffer on the streets too?

p.s.: by the way, I DON'T buy Nike, and I probably WON'T in the near future as well...they are CRAPPY shoes, don't last more than 6 months and are extremely overpriced, especially in other countries. Salomon has BY FAR the best shoes, rugged, durable and made to last at least 3 years, as the ones I currently have...

[Menhir]

Did someone notice the tech specs sheet on this page .. http://www.apple.com/ipod/nike/run.html .. ? It says at the bottom that the sensor's battery is not replaceable! So does it come with a charger? Do you have to buy replacement sensors when the battery runs out?

I understand that the sensor has to be as light and compact as possible, but it would really suck if you have to buy replacement sensors when you run out of charge (no pun intended!)

Edit: Sorry about the duplicate post. Didn't see that MainStreetMark had already posted about this.

[jelloshotsrule]

Huh? Rape and murder? What does that have to do with the current thread? Now you're gonna blame companies for what people suffer on the streets too?


no, it's the crimes that take place in their factories. and whether they rent them or own them, they are responsible. not usually by law, but we're not just talking about abiding by laws here.

this should be taken to the political forum.

[Leesure]

i do find some humor in the fact that you joke about people who have criticized nike shoes as not being marathon runners, then go on to say that you may have to TRY a pair... hah


Not sure what's funny here. I'd be interested in TRYing a pairsince I currently run in Asics...not Nike. Before that I was running in Brooks. I have quite a few training partners who run in and enjoy their Nike's.

Good for iGary, but I'm guessing that the majority of the people complaining about the quality of Nike sneaks are not distance runners.

FWIW and not that I think you'll care, but I've finished 3 marathons...one as part of an Ironman...and am training for another IM in June and wish I had this cool tool for my nano right now.

[Aeolius]

I loathe Nike and will never purchase any product bearing their logo. It all started with this ad they ran in 2000 (http://www.snopes.com/politics/business/nikegoat.asp)

[Felldownthewell]

Companies like NIKE use subcontractors so that they can limit their liability and not be personally responsible for the reprehensible behavior in their factories. They either know what is going on or they turn a willfully blind eye to the practices that make their shoes cheaply, and efficiently, on the backs of beaten and abused workers. Why don't you have dad take you over to indonesia to see the work camps for yourself? It will be nothing like "world headquarters" where you accompany dad on bring your child to work day. Facts are facts, i would pay my way to visit these factories if your dad would take me to some of his sweatcamps for a tour.

Interestingly enough, I HAVE seen factories in China (The eastern coast). Granted they probably cleaned up for us when we came through, so I don't pretend I have ever seen a Chinese factory when they didn't know I was there. However Chinese factories are the not the hell holes they are cooked up to be. Yes, they are factories. Working in factories is hard work. I am not trying to present some USSR-esque picture of the smiling factory worker. These people are poor and they will die with bent backs, bad eyes, and leather-tough hands. That is life.

This does not mean that the workers are abused in any way. Granted, they may be, but it is not condoned by Nike. Nike does not own factories because it is expensive, and if they bought factories in China (where the supply of cheap labor is) they would be accused of trying to put local factory owners out of business. Face it, when you are a fortune 500 company you can do nothing without being blamed for something.

What Nike DOES own are various warehouses around the world, which have workers who are NOT abused or anything like that. I know this because I have met several of them and talked to them outside the factory setting.

If the workers are abused or beaten, they would quit. There are over 1 billion people in China and a nearly endless supply of people coming in from the countryside looking for factory jobs. It is cheaper to fire the uppity worker and get a new one then to beat someone and loose valuble production time. China is a developing country. Workers make more in a week at the factory than they would all year on a rural farm. The right to organize, the 8 hour day, and the ban on child labor will come with the rise of the middle class, just as it happened here in the US and all over the developed world. In the mean time, they have to develop on their own; our intervention in their development is not our place. We are not the moral police of the world.

[jelloshotsrule]

We are not the moral police of the world.

does that mean that our companies need to be the moral rapists of the world?

[Ugg]

I wonder if the range will expand to things like cycle computers / rowing machines / HR monitors all syncing with your iPod so you can store you workout info. Not being a runner a pedometer is no biggie but a cycle computer that synced with my Mac to record workouts would be cool.


Yeah, I'd be all for that and I can't help but wonder if it might happen given that The Spear was at the Apple/Nike promo. I'd also like a decent way to attach my iPod to my handlebars. I usually put it in the middle back pocket of my jersey but it's sort of awkward when changing the volume. This way, I could keep track of my daily ride statistics on my Mac instead of writing it down after each ride. Of course, I never do it anyway but...

[jelloshotsrule]

Not sure what's funny here. I'd be interested in TRYing a pairsince I currently run in Asics...not Nike. Before that I was running in Brooks. I have quite a few training partners who run in and enjoy their Nike's.

Good for iGary, but I'm guessing that the majority of the people complaining about the quality of Nike sneaks are not distance runners.

FWIW and not that I think you'll care, but I've finished 3 marathons...one as part of an Ironman...and am training for another IM in June and wish I had this cool tool for my nano right now.

i just found it interesting that you were defending products (nike shoes) that you said you wanted to try... clearly some like them, some don't.

a lot of the people who like nike sneaks aren't distance runners too, it doesn't prove anything really. a lot of distance runners use new balance, asics, brooks, saucony, etc... those are brands that (generally) are running oriented, vs. nike's widespread footwear. obviously nike has the resources to throw in all the various areas of footwear, but they haven't totally taken it over yet.

hah. forget it, i don't really disagree with you, just found your initial post ironic. overall, i like the idea and the product too, just prefer not to buy nike for various reasons.

[topher]

Anyone have first hand experience with sensors like these?

I know it's not as elegant, but if you could fashion an ankle strap of some kind, could you use this thing without dropping it into a pair of Nike shoes.

It's been years since I've found a pair of Nikes I could run in...

[Felldownthewell]

does that mean that our companies need to be the moral rapists of the world?


No, of course not. I am anti-WTO and anti-IMF/World bank, don't get me wrong. I wish that there was an international organizationt hat would enforce labor rights for everyone, but it is not the job of the US. Also, I don't see how employing thousands of otherwise starving farmer Chinese is "raping". I agree that conditions should be improved and so on, but in the meantime I don't see how throwing thousands of workers out on their asses will help the situation.

[Keebler]

you can debate the merits of the partner being nike, saloman or addidas blah blah blah, but for people who run, i think this is great. personally, i don't run b/c of bad knees, but i ride my mountain bike like a madman (about 90 miles a week recreationally)

in terms of 'training' or 'goal setting', i actually carry a Garmin GPS 76C in my backpack to track time, distance travelled and top/average speed. for anyone serious about keeping fit, i could see the nike iglobal shoes being a good thing.

i understand that marathoners have specific gadgets to do exactly those things as they goal train every week towards the overall full marathon goal.

So, if apple is tapping into that market, they are very smart. let's face it, i would say that the majority of 'runners' out there, have large enough back accounts and good paying jobs so they can run b/c they don't need to be working all the time. therefore, they have the cash to spend on goodies and the time to use them and to run....

now, if they could only tap into the bicycle market for me.... :)

[Leesure]

I'd also like a decent way to attach my iPod to my handlebars. I usually put it in the middle back pocket of my jersey but it's sort of awkward when changing the volume. This way, I could keep track of my daily ride statistics on my Mac instead of writing it down after each ride. Of course, I never do it anyway but...

You have GOT to be kidding me. running with headphones I can see...hell I do it all the time, but cycling? BAD idea. I mean REALLY bad. If you're riding on the road, you NEED to have all your senses at their unencumberd best. PLEASE tell me you wear a helmet at least.

Consider this my PSA of the day. I speak from experience.

[puuukeey]

https://home.comcast.net/~puuukeey/evil2.gif
rants coming in 3....2....1....
being ethical can be predictable. infact it should be.

[runninmac]

I know it's not as elegant, but if you could fashion an ankle strap of some kind, could you use this thing without dropping it into a pair of Nike shoes.


Yeah thats what Im wondering, I haven't had a pair of Nike shoes since my Pegasus made my toes bleed since one peace kept jabbing into my toe. (and they haven't changed that part of the shoe) Even though Im not a huge fan of music on runs It would be a nice change on hour long runs.

[Leesure]

i just found it interesting that you were defending products (nike shoes) that you said you wanted to try... clearly some like them, some don't.

Well, since the sneaks for this device are new, everyone will be 'trying' them, won't they.:p

a lot of the people who like nike sneaks aren't distance runners too

Yes, but distance runners are the target market for this product, wouldn't ya say?

As to Nike's domination of the running shoe market, just take a look at www.roadrunnersports.com and see how much of their site/catalong space goes to Nike. I don't think that'd be the case is runners weren't buying them. Again, I look forward to the day I can use this with my Asics, but I may have to 'TRY' a pair of the new Nike's until then.

Glad we agree that this is a pretty cool new development.

[wordmunger]

Did someone notice the tech specs sheet on this page .. http://www.apple.com/ipod/nike/run.html .. ? It says at the bottom that the sensor's battery is not replaceable! So does it come with a charger? Do you have to buy replacement sensors when the battery runs out?

I understand that the sensor has to be as light and compact as possible, but it would really suck if you have to buy replacement sensors when you run out of charge (no pun intended!)

I suspect the shoes will wear out before the battery does. Running shoes only last 3 months or so.

[gelbin]

Interestingly enough, I HAVE seen factories in China (The eastern coast). Granted they probably cleaned up for us when we came through, so I don't pretend I have ever seen a Chinese factory when they didn't know I was there. However Chinese factories are the not the hell holes they are cooked up to be. Yes, they are factories. Working in factories is hard work. I am not trying to present some USSR-esque picture of the smiling factory worker. These people are poor and they will die with bent backs, bad eyes, and leather-tough hands. That is life.

This does not mean that the workers are abused in any way. Granted, they may be, but it is not condoned by Nike. Nike does not own factories because it is expensive, and if they bought factories in China (where the supply of cheap labor is) they would be accused of trying to put local factory owners out of business. Face it, when you are a fortune 500 company you can do nothing without being blamed for something.

What Nike DOES own are various warehouses around the world, which have workers who are NOT abused or anything like that. I know this because I have met several of them and talked to them outside the factory setting.

If the workers are abused or beaten, they would quit. There are over 1 billion people in China and a nearly endless supply of people coming in from the countryside looking for factory jobs. It is cheaper to fire the uppity worker and get a new one then to beat someone and loose valuble production time. China is a developing country. Workers make more in a week at the factory than they would all year on a rural farm. The right to organize, the 8 hour day, and the ban on child labor will come with the rise of the middle class, just as it happened here in the US and all over the developed world. In the mean time, they have to develop on their own; our intervention in their development is not our place. We are not the moral police of the world.


this is sick. and you are factually incorrect. nike gets its products from over 700 factories. yes, they have some that would meet some standard of decency. yes, those are the ones that they show to folks like you and your dad. no, they are not the ones that have women menstruating on the factory floor and being raped in the bathrooms. but yes, that does happen. and if you want to ignore it and choose to see the company through its own pr, then fine. there was no simple "rise of the middle class" read your history. there were people shot and beaten for not working. ultimately they unionized. how can you say we are not the moral police? it is our own morality we are talking about here, profiting on the backs of slaves, who are brutalized, raped, beaten, and left for dead. in addition, their environment is equally ravaged, and yes, by nike that burns their shoe rubber in their villages, bellowing black carcinogenic smoke for all the children to breathe.

it is expensive to own factories, because of things like liability, and benefits. two things that nike does not want to have ownership of. yes.

have fun hanging out in capitalist, fantasy land.

http://www.educatingforjustice.org/nikewages/

[Keebler]

You have GOT to be kidding me. running with headphones I can see...hell I do it all the time, but cycling? BAD idea. I mean REALLY bad. If you're riding on the road, you NEED to have all your senses at their unencumberd best. PLEASE tell me you wear a helmet at least.

Consider this my PSA of the day. I speak from experience.

i agree... my shuffle is on my head, but off until i hit the trails..then it goes full bore...then again with all the wildlife around, maybe i shouldn't :)

[gelbin]

No, of course not. I am anti-WTO and anti-IMF/World bank, don't get me wrong. I wish that there was an international organizationt hat would enforce labor rights for everyone, but it is not the job of the US. Also, I don't see how employing thousands of otherwise starving farmer Chinese is "raping". I agree that conditions should be improved and so on, but in the meantime I don't see how throwing thousands of workers out on their asses will help the situation.


nike gets land, once owned by people farming it and sustaining themselves in an agricultral sustainable way. the land gets taken from the, by the government that gets big money from the business that nike brings in, the people lose their farms, lose their means of existence, and then have no choice. they are not "otherwise starving". you are wrong.
in other examples, look at jamaica, their economy was dairy and agriculture, primarily bananas. the wto forced them to take in pesticide laden bananas and powdered milk made on us subsidized farms with bgh. the combination of these things ran their entire economic base out of existence, and then they had no choice but to work on sewing up your brooks brothers button down.
enjoy it, chumps.

[fblack]

No, of course not. I am anti-WTO and anti-IMF/World bank, don't get me wrong. I wish that there was an international organizationt hat would enforce labor rights for everyone, but it is not the job of the US. Also, I don't see how employing thousands of otherwise starving farmer Chinese is "raping". I agree that conditions should be improved and so on, but in the meantime I don't see how throwing thousands of workers out on their asses will help the situation.

-I see your point and what BRlawyer is saying. At the same time people and businesses have to be careful of moral relativism. Saying that its not our country, or our factories, its the subcontractors fault does not mean we dont have responsibilities to other human beings in the world. Otherwise, you can justify any behavior even genocide and say hey it ain't our problem.

-I dont think the only alternative is throwing workers out of work. Large companies that do business overseas bring alot of jobs and that's leverage that could be used with foreign governments for better conditions. This does not make us moral police, it makes us good human beings and its also good public relations not just for the company but America as well.

[milatchi]

Nike? Bleh!

I'm an Adidas man --4-Life!

[BenRoethig]

New Balance still sells American made (non-sweatshop) shoes, too bad Apple isn't partnering with them.

How I'd love to have that sensor in my 600s. However, NB doesn't have Nike's cash. Hopefully these will be available in wide widths.

[mark!]

Nike shoes really suck and last less than they should...why not make a partnership with Salomon, Apple?

Oh well, yeah...MTV-loving kids still use Nike...I see your point now...:rolleyes:

UHM more like adidas.
i havent seen nikes for like a week.

[Thomas S]

As a distance runner I enjoy tracking my stats etc. (yes, I'm strange :p).

That is, when I remember to log 'em :p. Anyhow, this is pretty interesting. (even though I'm a Brooks kind of guy I'm sure I can rig something up :p). Of course, I'm still wondering as to exactly how customizable the workouts are.

[sam10685]

an ipod for ur feet? intriguing.

[Aeolius]

Now HERE'S a partnership ;)
http://www.aeolius.com/images/applespeedo.jpg

[buffalo]

Being a fairly avid HS runner, I'm not to impressed with this. For runners who want time, distance, pace... there are better options avaliable like the Garmin Forerunner 205 (http://www.garmin.com/products/forerunner205/) which I run with. This uses GPS to track your run and also includes more computer data. (Example (http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/invitation/accept.mb?senderPk.pkValue=18123&unitSystemPkValue=2&episodePk.pkValue=733391) of computer data)

Also, seeing as how it will just work with Nike shoes (correct me if I'm wrong), it leaves out a large percentage, and most won't go out and buy a special pair of Nike shoes just to use this product. I personally run in Asics and have never run in a pair of Nike's so I can't speak for their quality, but I don't plan on buying Nikes any time soon.

[combatcolin]

WHY THE FUNK DO I NEED NOR WANT A BLOODY COMPUTER IN MY TRAINERS TELLING ME TO RUN FASTER?

MOVE OVER MICROSOFT, NIKE ARE NOW AMERICA'S MOST EVIL COMPANY.

(Combatcolin walks away mumbling to himself and kicking the table leg)

[Pancake]

Looks like I'll have a good excuse to get rid of my old New Balances and get some new running shoes - oh wait, if Nike didn't specialize in making shoes too narrow for the majority of mankind to wear :P

I'm with you, though I'm problaby in the minority of very wide feet. New Balance are the only company I can easily find affordable EEEE wide shoes from.

[alec]

they're getting all 1984 up on my shoes.

let's just hope those fat cats in washington aren't snooping on my bloated-american ass trying to exercise

[longsilver]

I'd quite like to see this extended to cycling as well. Having Lance Armstrong on board does suggest that they might have this in mind. Although I agree with the comments made about the dangers of listening to music while cycling, I think a handlebar mount for the Nano and a scrolling display of stats would give cyclists the option of leaving the earbuds for the off-road (i.e., no traffic to listen out for) sections of a ride. And yes, I do wear a helmet while cycling :)

[cmoney]

Just caught up with all the previous responses. Here's some answers that hopefully help.

Re: accuracy. I used to have the Nike kit with distance and heart monitors that synced up to Mac software. (http://www.nike.com/nikerunning/index_usa.jhtml?loc1=products&loc2=equipment&loc3=pdp,SM0019) Even cooler than this stuff actually. If the distance/speed sensor is based on the same tech (and it probably is), it's pretty accurate. At least with the watch kit you can calibrate it by running a lap around a standard track then it calibrates for your stride, etc against a standard known distance. After that, I've seen it accurate to within a dozen or so meters over a 5 mile run.

Unfortunately lost that kit in Katrina last year and been wanting to replace it without spending as much.

This looks cool, but it'd be nice if it had a few features:

Heart rate monitor. This is so obvious I wonder why it wasn't included.

Different training programs, support for training segments so you could have long and short days, warm up and cool down segments, etc. (Of course this really only makes a difference with a heart rate monitor so you make sure you stay under 50% max heart for your warm up. And yeah you probably don't NEED all this stuff to run, but it's sure fun to play with!)

Then you can tie in the various segments to the voice feedback system so it gives you an audible cue to switch up your running, change your pace, whatever.

And running with music usually isn't that good an idea since you usually end up running to the beat instead of keeping pace. So the previous idea where music could be matched up with your pace is an awesome idea! (Actually, that sounds like a good patent idea. Thanks! Gonna go patent that now.)

For $29 though, this is really cheap.

[gauriemma]

an ipod for ur feet? intriguing.

So that would be...an iPed?

[gauriemma]

The arguments above, between 'emotion' and 'BRLawyer' and others, reminded me of how Thomas Sowell demolishes the idea of 'solutions' to sweatshop labour and the like, in 'The Vision of the Anointed'. Whether you buy Nike products or not, I'm reminded of Unicef's study from the 1990s that lots of right-minded people stopped buying carpets from Nepal because of child labour.

What was the result? The children were forced into prostitution instead of carpet-making.

Wow. That could win the award for the most desperate rationalization for child labor that I've ever seen. We HAVE to exploit children in sweatshops, or they'll just turn to prostitution? Using that 'logic,' I suppose women who are being beaten by their husbands should just take it, and be happy they're not being raped instead.

[Mitch1984]

yuck! Adidas yes.

but you what i believe it.

Yeah Adidas look way better than nike also Adidas own Reebok, Soloman & Converse so what a combo.

[Over Achiever]

I suspect the shoes will wear out before the battery does. Running shoes only last 3 months or so.
Depending on how much you run. Training for a marathon I go through two pairs of shoes over a course of four months. Regular runners can have running shoes last for a couple years, it's all about the mileage on the shoes. I think it's around 400-500 miles per pair of shoes, so for the casual runner 3 miles a day 3x a week, that's about a year.

Come to think of it, a pair of shoes a year sounds about right for a lot of people =) I feel crazy going through a pair in 2 months =/

[Dr.Gargoyle]

cool...
I can see it now... In a year from now, all macgeeks will be able to qualify for the Boston Marathon.
Who said this obession of ours wasn't healthy? ;) :D

[longsilver]

HRM capability would be great. Polar make good HRMs (including cycle-specific models) but they don't sync very well with Macs.

Ugg (I think was Ugg, anyway) mentioned rowing machines: with something like a Concept II the standard computer gives you pretty good detail but it might be useful on a more basic model. Also good would be some way of mounting it on an actual sculling or rowing boat to measure rating etc.

A cycling model (iPedal? :) ) would be useful on indoor trainers (and without the risk of the music drowning out the pick-up truck that's about to knock you onto your a**).

[mozmac]

I can't keep up with this fast enough. I skim the posts and by the time I click next, a new page or two have been posted.

First off, this whole "sweatshop" thing is rediculous. I lived in Mozambique, Africa for two years and saw my close friends over there as they went from day to day looking for work, wondering where they would get money for their next meal. A huge Nike factory would have been a blessing upon the whole country. Remember, these people aren't FORCED to work there. They would gladly choose it over...nothing. I don't mind supporting companies that make products overseas, because it's helping people put food on the table that otherwise wouldn't be able to.

Now, the product. I think it is really cool. The greatest feature, imo, is the nikeplus website that tracks everything. Everything in running is based off of times and beating your PR. To have this product take care of it for you is ingenious. As I run around the track, I am constantly making calculations in my head to figure out what my pace is. With this, I'd have it all in front of me, including ALL of my runs over the past year. My times would improve so much.

Now, I believe we're all in agreement that this sensor could be used with virtually any shoe, correct? Great! Just need to get a Nano now. :)

[Mitch1984]

Apple and A Bathing Ape (http://www.bape.com/). ;) :D

Ooh what's this, I nearly downloaded it but noticed it was an app and got cautious.

Not normally paranoid about viruses but you know what happenned on here before.

[mozmac]

And the moderators are deleting posts like crazy! They're probably trying to get rid of some of the sweatshop talk. Come on! Why must you sensor us? We're talking about real life issues that have intermingled with our beloved Apple. Let us talk. I imagine that we're opening the eyes of a lot of people, including younger readers.

[cheekyspanky]

Sounds pretty good to me, I just wonder what the price is - and the "battery is not replaceable" warning worries me a little...

[beomac]

This isn't doing much for me. Seems like a glorified pedometer and I can't stand Nike running shoes.

I just order a GPS powered audio training device that works with ANY shoes and ANY iPod/mp3 player. It's $149, but at least I don't have to buy new shoes!

Here's a link:
www.motionlingo.com

[KREX725]

Anyone have first hand experience with sensors like these?

I know it's not as elegant, but if you could fashion an ankle strap of some kind, could you use this thing without dropping it into a pair of Nike shoes.



As long as your neighbors don't mistake your ankle bracelet for being issued by the Department of Corrections rather than Apple/Nike!!! :p

Apple + Corrections: Turns your iPod into a "screw" :)

[BWhaler]

Well, I'm a New Balance guy. I like the sneakers more and don't like the Nike Sweat shops.

But Nike wins my business here. Innovation does pay.

This will help me be healthier--I don't run, but I do like to 'power walk' for exercise. And the online tracking and goal setting will fit my life style well. I always walk with my iPod, so the feedback will push me.

I am very excited about this product.

So congratulations Nike. Despite your lack of corporate ethics and mostly marginal products, you have found yourself a new customer.

(Apple, you had me at hello...unless the quality issues continue.)

[piecewise]

So because I spent more money and bought the iPod video, I'm being penalized? I would grab this stuff in a heartbeat if it worked with the "bigger, better" iPod. The fact that they limit it to the nano is absolutely absurd and means they won't be getting my money.

[Doctor Q]

And the moderators are deleting posts like crazy! They're probably trying to get rid of some of the sweatshop talk. Come on! Why must you sensor us? We're talking about real life issues that have intermingled with our beloved Apple. Let us talk. I imagine that we're opening the eyes of a lot of people, including younger readers.Only off-topic posts have been removed from this thread, despite mozmac's claim to the contrary.

The issue of whether a Nike partnership is good for Apple or reflects badly on Apple based on Nike's often-challenged reputation is an appropriate topic for discussion. However, the discussion must be civil, so posts in violation of forum rules, should they occur, will be deleted as well.

[iMacazine]

Our resident runner (a former high school 800m PA State finalist) has taken a good look at the Nike+iPod websites and put together this preemptive review.

http://www.imacazine.com/index.html#unique-entry-id-20

[zap2]

i think it is terrible that Apple teamed with Nike.. i mean horrible, this is one thing i can't back Apple on, no matter how much i love them:eek:

[mark!]

i think it is terrible that Apple teamed with Nike.. i mean horrible, this is one thing i can't back Apple on, no matter how much i love them:eek:

I hate Nike.

But I never though a computer company would be teaming up with a shoe company.

[quigleybc]

I don't run

I've never worn Nike

I don't really care about this news....

I was excited at first, cuz I thought a new iPod had been released...

Then I found out it was this....

cool for runners, and Nike fans(are there any?)

But, meh for me.....:rolleyes:

[Felldownthewell]

this is sick. and you are factually incorrect. nike gets its products from over 700 factories. yes, they have some that would meet some standard of decency. yes, those are the ones that they show to folks like you and your dad. no, they are not the ones that have women menstruating on the factory floor and being raped in the bathrooms. but yes, that does happen. and if you want to ignore it and choose to see the company through its own pr, then fine. there was no simple "rise of the middle class" read your history. there were people shot and beaten for not working. ultimately they unionized. how can you say we are not the moral police? it is our own morality we are talking about here, profiting on the backs of slaves, who are brutalized, raped, beaten, and left for dead. in addition, their environment is equally ravaged, and yes, by nike that burns their shoe rubber in their villages, bellowing black carcinogenic smoke for all the children to breathe.

it is expensive to own factories, because of things like liability, and benefits. two things that nike does not want to have ownership of. yes.

have fun hanging out in capitalist, fantasy land.

http://www.educatingforjustice.org/nikewages/


A dead worker, a beaten worker, a raped worker, a worker with no fingers does not make the shoes come off the line any faster. It simply makes no sense that a capitalist factory would torture employees in ways that would inhibit their productivity. Of course some factories will do that- and that should be changed. Just because some factories do it does not mean that all factories do, and it does not mean that Nike factories do. $0.17 an hour is far more than the same guy would make farming in a week! As I have said, I am all for economic reform and human rights, but if the job was so terrible, people wouldn't be lined up outside the factory looking for work.

I also want to point out that unless you live in a formerly undisclosed utopia and are posting from a computer you made yourself from silicon and plastic you made yourself, are running your own OS, and are your own ISP, you are part of this "capitalist fantasy land."

[Freebart]

I was just shopping for heart rate monitors and I noticed a speed and distance feature of some Polar heart rate monitors. They have a "pod" that you put on your shoe. The technology is very interesting as it does not depend upon GPS and is supposed to be very accurate, despite your size and running style. I'm assuming the Nike+ product works in a similar way. Polar has a Flash demonstration of how their sensor can work whether you are walking, jogging, or running.

http://www.polar.fi/speed_distance/ (click on Measure Your Speed and Distance)

Since I didn't buy the $350 Polar HRM model, I've got money left over for a pair of Nike shoes, a nano and the sports kit, right?

[Peel]

It would be totally skookum if when your iPod determined the pace you were running at, it chose music with a tempo that matched it. I know that running (or biking) to music that is in sync with my workout really lets me forget about the individual steps/peddles and get in groove with the workout itself.

[rockthecasbah]

eek this just seems like such a tacky endeavor for Apple. How many people are they hoping to get to buy ugly shoes and run around all day? The shoes, sure. Exercise, that's a whole different market. Well I sure as hell will not waste my cash on this...:p

[Chef Medeski]

You have GOT to be kidding me. running with headphones I can see...hell I do it all the time, but cycling? BAD idea. I mean REALLY bad. If you're riding on the road, you NEED to have all your senses at their unencumberd best. PLEASE tell me you wear a helmet at least.

Consider this my PSA of the day. I speak from experience.

You want to hear something even worst. I have seen almost a dozen people driving on the road with iPod headphones.

Yet nevertheless. I ride a bike with headphones. However, I take a precaution. I bought "open" headphone that allow virtually all of the outside sound, so I don't lose much. Its sounds more like a speaker than a set of headphones. So, that is a solution for that problem.

Yet, I bet the exact reason why Apple didn't create a parallel product for bikes is that wearing a set of headphones on both ears while biking or driving is illegal. So, it would be hard to market a program that would be illegal unless I guess they either came out with portable speakers or a one eared headphone.

[regre7]

have fun hanging out in capitalist, fantasy land.

The only solution I see to your proposed problem, gelbin, is to initiate a worldwide communist regime. From each what he is capable, to each what he needs. That sounds great, until you realize that there is almost NO incentive to work hard or innovate. Of course, there's the everpresent problem of government corruption (and I'm not claiming that capitalists are free of this either).

[geeyesgee]

You want to hear something even worst. I have seen almost a dozen people driving on the road with iPod headphones.

Yet nevertheless. I ride a bike with headphones. However, I take a precaution. I bought "open" headphone that allow virtually all of the outside sound, so I don't lose much. Its sounds more like a speaker than a set of headphones. So, that is a solution for that problem.

Yet, I bet the exact reason why Apple didn't create a parallel product for bikes is that wearing a set of headphones on both ears while biking or driving is illegal. So, it would be hard to market a program that would be illegal unless I guess they either came out with portable speakers or a one eared headphone.

Maybe they could rehash the:
http://www.boingboing.net/images/bonefone.jpg

or a saddle that plays music though your ass :D

[sam10685]

So that would be...an iPed?

i guess. maybe the sound goes into ur heel and up to ur brain where it is then translated to audible sound by way of-- something.

[Doctor Q]

It would be totally skookum if when your iPod determined the pace you were running at, it chose music with a tempo that matched it.Or if it varied the tempo based on the exercise you were supposed to get, using pre-programmed sequences like many treadmills have, so you'd try to keep your steps in pace with the music.

Imagine the poor person trudging along to the first (slow) half of Proud Mary by Tina Turner and then having the music switch to the second half where the same song repeats twice as fast!

[morespce54]

Personally, if I'm going to buy shoddy shoes produced by underpaid and poorly treated workers, I'm at least going to get the economic benefit of it and buy a no-name brand for $20 or $30, instead of giving $70 of my hard-earned money to pay rich sports stars and buy ad time just so my shoes have a Swosh that says "corporate America has paid to make you think I'm cool".

Off topic, but soooo true! :D ;) :D

[JDOG_]

iPod nano- $199
Nike + iPod Sport Kit- $29
Nike+ shoes- ~$100
Being one step closer to man/machine cyborglicious homogeny- Priceless.

http://images1.fotki.com/v317/photos/1/115471/2865848/nano-vi.jpg + http://images17.fotki.com/v313/photos/1/115471/2865848/gear-vi.png
+ http://images16.fotki.com/v302/photos/1/115471/2865848/shoes-vi.png = http://images17.fotki.com/v311/photos/1/115471/2865848/borg-vi.jpg

[DoogieWoogie]

surely apple would have been better teaming up with a company like Garmin to come up with a product like this.

[stevieled]

If you download the PR images from apple's press release on this-specifically if you download the one that has the iTunes screenshot-you can see that the release dates for the nike run mixes are set to be released June 14th 2006


do you think there might be an event that day that announced the new iTunes, and new iPods??

there will be SOMETHING June 14th, just dont know what it is yet.

[Yossarian]

Just silly. Why would someone choose excercise kit based on fashion?

I've been wading through the marketing crap for 5 minutes and actual details on what running shoes are available and their characteristics (stablility? motion control? cushioned?) seem scarce. No-one who runs more than 10 minutes a week should run in anything but shoes which have been matched to their running style.

Sadly people will choose these shoes based on colour, or which ones match their shorts. Running in shoes which don't suit your style causes injury... and stress fractures in the shins really f'kin' hurt!

[chimerical]

Anyone know the names of the songs used in the Nike Plus ad?

http://www.nike.com/nikeplus/

It's under "Overview".

[mozmac]

Only off-topic posts have been removed from this thread, despite mozmac's claim to the contrary.

The issue of whether a Nike partnership is good for Apple or reflects badly on Apple based on Nike's often-challenged reputation is an appropriate topic for discussion. However, the discussion must be civil, so posts in violation of forum rules, should they occur, will be deleted as well.

Oh, okay. Thanks for the clarification. :) You guys maintain a great forum here. It's the only one that I contribute to regularly.

[gugy]

Wow, Very cool idea.

I hope Lance Armstrong will ask for a cycling solution. That would be nice.

Congrats Apple and Nike.

[Goliath]

"Nike is a evil company which uses child labor to make its cheap products" rants coming in 3....2....1....

More partnerships with big companies is a good thing for Apple.

Do you seriously care that Nike employ kids in sweatshops; that Apple contracts the building of their wares to some Chinese company employing underpaid workers. Hey whilst you're at it let's start a campaign against Coca-Cola for stealing vital water supplies from 3rd world countries for their beverage products.

Wait I'm sure Addidas, GAP, Microsoft, McDonalds, KFC, Burger King, Wal Mart, Costco, Best Buy and any other corporate company that operates in the global market don't do anything to undermine poor nations and their workforce.

[Stridder44]

Apple is about to make a deal with one of the largest Companies in the world for us consumers and you guys are complaining? seriously...


People on MacRumors? Complaining?? That'll be the day...

[MattyMac]

Good thing I just bought a 1gb nano! I dont know about everyone else, but I love this idea and cant wait for it to come out. I needed an excuse to start running again...Im slowly falling out of shape.

[Jay42]

Wow, I have to say, I really like this product! It is a little annoying that it is only limited for use on one specific model of running shoe. Hopefully I can find a way to use this with a pair of Asics. Any ideas?

The screen shots to the workout software look sweet. I like to run outside, but everytime I do, I miss the stats on the treadmill (well, that and the AC :rolleyes: ) Power song activation for the select button? That's frickin' awesome. How many times have I wanted to find that one song during a run? Man, this is one of the slickest ideas and implementations I've come across in a long time. Good job Apple and Nike, let's hope the product lives up to expectations.

EDIT: Sorry, after looking at the Nike site, it's compatible with more than one model, but still a limited choice.

[ironjaw]

It's not that easy. When running long distances over and over throughout the year you have to find the proper sizes for your feet or you will develop all kinds of nagging little injuries/pains. I no longer wear Nike/Adidas for running b/c of that. I now go with Asics.
For a runner I think this is a great idea......though I'm not going to buy Nike shoes, the device, and a nano to do it.....they need to make this compatible with my 5g.

I've been a runner for nearly 6 years and have used Nike and Adidas but I developed injuries and/or pains through them or they would just fail.

In my opinion Asics is far superior because of its quality. I've been running on avarage 20-25 km a week and they are fabolous. It is a quality running shoe and I cannot find any other shoe that beats it.

Shame though cus this nike+ipod is sweet deal and if nike shoes were good quality running shoes and not just a 'bling' shoe I would have gone for it. I really do think this deal is going to be BIG among the public, but NOT for serious runners. (Unless of course Nike gets its act together)

I'm going to wait and see if something similar comes up. It would be great if Asics were supported, but I guess that would never happen...

[wordmunger]

Depending on how much you run. Training for a marathon I go through two pairs of shoes over a course of four months. Regular runners can have running shoes last for a couple years, it's all about the mileage on the shoes. I think it's around 400-500 miles per pair of shoes, so for the casual runner 3 miles a day 3x a week, that's about a year.

A couple years? I only run 3 miles a day 5 times a week, and I'm lucky if I get 6 months. Regardless, if you're talking 500 miles, that's about 4000 minutes or 66 hours. I suspect given that all the thing has to do is send a little signal to the nano every step, there'll be no problem lasting that long.

[Jay42]

I'm going to wait and see if something similar comes up. It would be great if Asics were supported, but I guess that would never happen...

I wonder if you can simply find a way to attach the sensor to a different pair of shoes. Depending on the size of the sensor, you could even try removing some material under the footbed just as Nike has done.

I agree, it would be tough for me to ever give up my Asics, which fit like slippers. Well...supportive slippers.

[Over Achiever]

cool...
I can see it now... In a year from now, all macgeeks will be able to qualify for the Boston Marathon.
Who said this obession of ours wasn't healthy? ;) :D
Hey now, I'm actually aiming for a qualifying time this October so I can run Boston next year =)

[D0ct0rteeth]

OK.

First of all [I'm getting an iPod nano] just to try out this kit. I've been running 4-5 miles a day since October. Lost about 35lbs and this will work great.

The only question I have is why do I need to buy the Nike Shoes. Why not just tuck the sensor into your sock, strap it around your ankle, or whatever?

Is the UPC code on the Nike shoe box necessary to activate the connector kit or something?

- Doc

[Hummer]

I don't know if this has been said, but...

I'm thinking that there is nothing special about the shoe except for the holder. I'm wondering, could you theoretically tape it or mount it to any shoe and get it to work.

[boombashi]

What about walkers and hikers. I like this idea, but I don't run because of the impact on my knees. I don't want some fragile pair of running shoes for when I'm hiking on trails. Come on Napple (Nike+Apple) think some more...push it.

just push it.

[mkjellman]

why no 5G support??

[RodThePlod]

If you download the PR images from apple's press release on this-specifically if you download the one that has the iTunes screenshot-you can see that the release dates for the nike run mixes are set to be released June 14th 2006


do you think there might be an event that day that announced the new iTunes, and new iPods??

there will be SOMETHING June 14th, just dont know what it is yet.

Heheheheheeee - you do know what you're starting here, don't you?! :D

<Pulls out Newton, sets "unknown event" for 14th June...>

;)

RodC
--
www.expodition.com - for iPod users who love to travel
Check out my lens at Squidoo: http://www.squidoo.com/PodSnapShots/

[MB Buyer?]

sounds pretty cool to me...

and she's rather hot...

exactly how can anyone vote this negative? :D

[louiek]

I don't do very much running, maybe 10km per week, and I can't imagine that any stride calibration I make at the start of my run would have even a passing resemblance to my stride at the end of my run. I start quick, I finish slow. Are these things only accurate for a regular stride? I reckon my stride decreases by 50% over the length of my jog. Are these things accurate for the average slob?

[louden]

I have a stop watch to track my progress.

What I need from Apple is a pair of waterproof headphones. I'm tired of burning out headphones because sweat dripping from my head gets into the earphones - shortening their lives.

Anyone have a fix for that?

[Dr.Gargoyle]

Hey now, I'm actually aiming for a qualifying time this October so I can run Boston next year =)
I am officially impressed. I hope you'll make the cut.
I was more thinking of the computer-geek stereotype. Hardly the image of a fit athlete, right? ;)

[gugy]

I have a stop watch to track my progress.

What I need from Apple is a pair of waterproof headphones. I'm tired of burning out headphones because sweat dripping from my head gets into the earphones - shortening their lives.

Anyone have a fix for that?


That's true.
I have the same problem. i tried the ipod headphones that go way deep inside the ear and the problem still happening. Hopefully an Apple_Nike headphone will take care of that.

please a road cycling solution! Come on Lance, ask Steve and Phil for that!:D

[j-a-x]

Wow cool!
When I read the headline I couldn't figure out what Apple and Nike could possibly do together, but this actually sounds sort of cool.

[buffalo]

Good thing I just bought a 1gb nano! I dont know about everyone else, but I love this idea and cant wait for it to come out. I needed an excuse to start running again...Im slowly falling out of shape.

You'd better start running before this comes out. You'll be long out of shape if you wait untill July to start running again.


While this is a nice idea (and I did vote positive), I think it will fall short of many people's expectations. I don't have much experiences with foot sensors, but I can't see how a $30 pod will match the preformance of many $100-200 pods. I love running with my GPS because it provides much more data (example (http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/invitation/accept.mb?senderPk.pkValue=18123&unitSystemPkValue=2&episodePk.pkValue=733391)) than the Nike software will.

[weitzner]

this has got to be one of the most innovative uses for an iPod yet. Very cool.

[monke]

Two small things:

When you go to buy an iPod Nano at the online store, the product name is iPodx.

Another thing, you can no longer view the iPod Nano ad featuring Rinôçérôse, at the Nano site (http://www.apple.com/ipodnano/) click for the ad and it takes you to the new Wolfmother ad.

[Freebart]

I don't do very much running, maybe 10km per week, and I can't imagine that any stride calibration I make at the start of my run would have even a passing resemblance to my stride at the end of my run. I start quick, I finish slow. Are these things only accurate for a regular stride? I reckon my stride decreases by 50% over the length of my jog. Are these things accurate for the average slob?

I posted earlier that this looks like similar technology to what Polar is offering with their heart rate monitors. This flash demo attempts to show they've factored in for the different strides:

http://www.polar.fi/speed_distance/ (click on Measure Your Speed and Distance)

[knackroller]

but how is the shoe going to transmit to the ipod? Bluetooth? Radio?

[TheSailerMan]

Apple & Nike should definitely come up with a solution for cyclists. Maybe a handlebar speaker system instead of headphones?

I like this idea a lot, except for the fact that it was created for a specific line of sneakers and doesn't work on the 5th gen iPod (as far as we know). I hate to run, but there's a slight possibility that I will get this and start running (as long as this does work with the 5th gen).

[_bnkr612]

At the next keynote Jobs will be wearing Nikes. Like the kind Forrest Gump wore...

[MattyMac]

You'd better start running before this comes out. You'll be long out of shape if you wait untill July to start running again.


While this is a nice idea (and I did vote positive), I think it will fall short of many people's expectations. I don't have much experiences with foot sensors, but I can't see how a $30 pod will match the preformance of many $100-200 pods. I love running with my GPS because it provides much more data (example (http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/invitation/accept.mb?senderPk.pkValue=18123&unitSystemPkValue=2&episodePk.pkValue=733391)) than the Nike software will.
HAHA yes very true...I better get started soon.

[corywoolf]

but how is the shoe going to transmit to the ipod? Bluetooth? Radio?
It's going to be WiFi.

[dgaust]

Since the battery is sealed, is there any mention of it being recharged by kinetic energy?

That would be cool, otherwise it'll be $30 every time the battery dies.

[macnews]

It's going to be WiFi.

I tried to read most of the posts but too many were complaining about Nike.

I find the WiFi factor to be very interesting. I thought more people would post about this since a wireless capable iPod has been on the "I want list" for quite some time.

I just wonder other things we could do wirelessly or will it be hampered?

[mpw]

It's going to be WiFi.
Where'd you get that? I read on the Apple/Nike pages that it was proprietary tech.

[BRLawyer]

I have a stop watch to track my progress.

What I need from Apple is a pair of waterproof headphones. I'm tired of burning out headphones because sweat dripping from my head gets into the earphones - shortening their lives.

Anyone have a fix for that?

That's, uh...gross? Now I can imagine your headphones quickly decomposing in contact with the dripping sweat, creating a pool of decayed white plastic... ;)

[BRLawyer]

Where'd you get that? I read on the Apple/Nike pages that it was proprietary tech.

Exactly, it's a proprietary frequency of 2.4 GHz...

[G99]

Ridiculous...Nike don't even have anything about it on their website.

[mpw]

Ridiculous...Nike don't even have anything about it on their website.
Apart from the front page (http://www.nike.com/g1/na/usa/index.jhtml?ref=global_home) and subsequent pages (http://www.nike.com/nikeplus/?ref=uslanding) linked from it, wow tough crowd!

[gekko513]

:mad: Aaagh... I hate macromedia Flash sites.


I'm trying to find out what it measures and how accurate it is, but I have no luck. I hope they put out more info later on.

[barstard]

This is so-so. Not really exciting for me.

To weigh in on the other debate, factory labour can be bad or good in these countries, but what is the main problem, as has been touched upon, is that land that has been used by the locals for hundreds of years is sold off to these companies, even local companies, by the government.

This land can no longer be used by the locals, thereby the ability to make money for themselves is gone. Surely if more was paid to the adult workers, then the children would not need to work, and might be able to go to school, if one is available. Education is the real key to aiding a country to get on it's own two feet economically. Getting treated like crap only serves to anger and REDUCES productivity.

barstard.

[Savage Henry]

Surely if more was paid to the adult workers, then the children would not need to work, and might be able to go to school, if one is available. Education is the real key to aiding a country to get on it's own two feet economically.

Glad you said that. There has been too much garbage written in this thread so far about how paying children in foreign countires to make excessively premium priced plimpsoles is doing those kids a favour.

[Azurael]

sweatshoPod, anybody?

:( I'm disappointed with you, Apple. Parthner with companies who have a good reputation and products, not one which alienates your core market.

[macintel4me]

I'm much more excited about runner iPod shirts with cord management then the shoe sensor thing. I stopped using my iPod and arm band when I run because it's so frickin' cumbersome. I have to wear special shirts because the arm band rubs against my body and I get a scab so I don't even bother with it anymore.

[bigmc6000]

I'm a first time writer and the only reason I subsribed is because the comments on here as absolutely ridiculous I felt the need to address them.

1) Nike's sweatshops aren't any worse than any other company. Want to know why? They are doing what the US Gov't allows them to do - the exact same thing as every other shoe company and besides the point - we're talking about a new product and no, 99% of Americans DON'T GIVE A CRAP! (hence the massive popularity of Nike shoes)

2) A TON of people wear Nike shoes, it's the largest shoe company in America - they have a 47% market share (second place is all of 16%). Next time you go to the gym look at the brand of shoes people are wearing (yes, including the people on the treadmill), the overwhelming majority of them are Nike (I went last night and looked around to confirm this).

3) I am a runner (Cross Country, Track and still run today) and I've had Nike shoes for a very long time. I've tried asics and new balance and they don't work with how I run.

4) Nike shoes do last longer than 6 months, the current pair that I've been running in I've had for almost 4 years and i've logged a ton of miles on them and I wear them anytime I wear shorts - basically, I wear them A LOT.

5) Nike "makes" as much stuff as Apple does. Nike does all the research for their shoes and then has them made in other countries. When was the last time you got a Mac that didn't say "made in China" on it? Apple studies, researches and comes up with new stuff. Nike studies, researches and comes up with new stuff. While I don't really like the "Shox" shoes they spent about 10 years working on those and millions upon millions of dollars in R&D.

Now, I'm sure I'm going to get comments about how crappy Nike shoes are (don't care, they are the dominant shoe, much like how the iPod is dominant mp3 player but people still insist it's awful). How it's morally awful that Apple has joined with Nike because of sweatshop allegations and I'll just say that while you may be right, 99% of Americans really don't care (being completely honest with ourselves here). Base line is this - it's a really cool way to track your data and when my current pair of running shoes finally bites it I'll probably get a nike+ shoe since they cost about the same as the regular nike shoes.

link to share data "Nike is the industry leader, with a 47% market share"
http://www.unc.edu/~andrewsr/ints092/vandu.html

Oh yeah, lastly. Nike shoes are still "cool" - one of my friends buys them because he likes the look of them.

[gelbin]

A dead worker, a beaten worker, a raped worker, a worker with no fingers does not make the shoes come off the line any faster. It simply makes no sense that a capitalist factory would torture employees in ways that would inhibit their productivity. Of course some factories will do that- and that should be changed. Just because some factories do it does not mean that all factories do, and it does not mean that Nike factories do. $0.17 an hour is far more than the same guy would make farming in a week! As I have said, I am all for economic reform and human rights, but if the job was so terrible, people wouldn't be lined up outside the factory looking for work.

I also want to point out that unless you live in a formerly undisclosed utopia and are posting from a computer you made yourself from silicon and plastic you made yourself, are running your own OS, and are your own ISP, you are part of this "capitalist fantasy land."

re dead/injured worker - not completely true. the dead worker, yes. but the fear that one death or lost finger instills in the others that makes them work hard to meet their quotas, forcing them to pee their pants while working on the factory floor (literally) does in fact increase production. and yes, this does happen in nike factories. you clearly are not open to another take on the truth, so i will just rest at this.

you also have ignored everything i have said about the actions by the governmnet and the imf/world bank in this. the other opportunities are taken from them. yes, this is an option, and may, at this point, be the only remaining, hence "best" option, so they line up. that does not mean that it was not forced on them.


I do what i can to avoid participation in companies like nike. i minimize my own consumption, clearly, not completely. you are right. but you are wrong to think that it is to the same extent as everyone else. and i realize the limits and problems with capitalism and i am doing my part to fight those limits. what are you doing?

[corywoolf]

Where'd you get that? I read on the Apple/Nike pages that it was proprietary tech.
It's a proprietary 802.11 wireless format. Read it in the Macbytes section last night.

[corywoolf]

I wonder if Felldownthewell already has these shoes, his dad works for Nike (no, not in a sweatshop). Here is a post (http://forums.macrumors.com/showpost.php?p=2279385&postcount=77) he made for proof.

[G99]

Apart from the front page (http://www.nike.com/g1/na/usa/index.jhtml?ref=global_home) and subsequent pages (http://www.nike.com/nikeplus/?ref=uslanding) linked from it, wow tough crowd!
Wha!? The site's completely changed from when I went on. All it had when I went on, was choosing your country etc.
EDIT: The site you linked was the US site. Nothing about it is mentioned on the UK site.

[mpw]

Wha!? The site's completely changed from when I went on. All it had when I went on, was choosing your country etc.
EDIT: The site you linked was the US site. Nothing about it is mentioned on the UK site.
Probably not going to be available in the UK straight away. No great shock there esp. since Nike don't have the market share here that they appear to have in the US and also they'd want to launch Europe wide if they came to the EU so that's another hurdle to quick marketing campaigns too.

[law guy]

This does seem to be filling the need that doesn't exist, but aside from that it is just very gimmicky and seem almost ripe for a retrospective show already - "Next on I love the '00s - remember the shoes that talked to those devices called iPods?" It hits me as a little bit more waste being generated for no good reason... perhaps Apple will include the Nikes in their electronics recycling program.

[Mac Fly (film)]

http://static.flickr.com/55/152553364_428de3e9d7_o.png


Nike likes golf too! So in our next venture we intend to have the have an (optional) golf score keeper iPod software download. And you can also get the new water protective iPod sport case with climbing clip, to attach to your golf bag for keeping your score in check. I know the title is "no comment", so shoot me ;) :D

[wickermac]

as a marathoner, i think this is a fabulous thing. as a technology/marketing professional i say kudos to Apple. i admit i wish it was another shoe company, but for training i don't mind if i have to lace up a pair of Nike's. this partnership will make my training much easier.

[ArizonaKid]

Hmm...as a runner I am not at all exited by this deal. For me, and many runners I know, Nike shoes are horrid. I use the term most runners to refer to those that I know...about 15 or so. A decent pair of Nike shoes will cost me $140.00, but a great pair of New Balance running shoes may be found for $65.00 to $85.00.

From a marketing standpoint, its brilliant. Nike is huge, and this will gain the most attention.

I feel in love with New Balance in the Marines. Previously, as a wrestler, I ran three times a day and primarly used Asics. Asics makes great boxer/wrestling shoes.

In the Marines they issued us New Balance. It was a cheap shoe, but boy did it do an amazing job. I put at least 200 miles of running during boot camp on those New Balance shoes. They actually helped in my recovery of blisters from boots. After boot camp, in the "fleet", I purchased a higher end New Balance running shoe and never...never...looked back.

As a runner, I'll simply stick with my experience, known distances, and a good stop watch hidden behind a predetermined start/finish to analyze my performance. But I do hope Apple extends this to other running shoe companies. That would make my iPod Nano so much more enjoyable.

[Felldownthewell]

I wonder if Felldownthewell already has these shoes, his dad works for Nike (no, not in a sweatshop). Here is a post (http://forums.macrumors.com/showpost.php?p=2279385&postcount=77) he made for proof.

I don't have them; I don't run, first of all (4 ankle surgerys and a broken knee make it rather difficult...biking hockey and skiing are my sports) and second of all, this project was very hush-hush. To the extent that people have no idea where the product is or where it is going so they are having trouble shipping it.

To gelbin I think it is true that we are deadlocked. I just want to finish by agreeing with you that I am sure that there are factories that practices as horrible as you describe. I am even sure that some of these factories make Nike product. However this does not mean that Nike condones it or even that they don't try to stop it, and it does not mean that all or even most of the factories terrorize the workers. When the workers have had enough, they will rebel and fight for their rights. In the mean time, we need an international organization that will make international labor laws and then ENFORCE them, as opposed to the WTO, which makes terrible laws and declares every labor protection law a "barrier to free trade".

I don't remeber seeing anything you wrote about the IMF/World Bank, but I hate them because they indebt 3rd world countries to the US then use that leverage to control them. But that is neither Nike nor Apple related so I'll stay away from that.

Nike pays my bills, so I am not going to pretend that I am anti-capitalism. I know that out there somewhere is a better system, we just haven't found it yet. In the mean time, I do what I can not to fight capitalism, but to try and get organizations that exploit capitalism to be done away with and governments that condone torture to act. I take public transpotation, walk, and ride my bike because I do not believe in what oil companies are doing right now. I go to protests and I write letters and all that stuff that may not make a difference right away, but in the end needs to be done. It may not be up to your standards, but it is up to mine.

[electronboy]

I'm a first time writer and the only reason I subsribed is because the comments on here as absolutely ridiculous I felt the need to address them.

Yawn. Do you own their stock? No? Maybe you are a DIRECTOR for the company and participate in their profit sharing plan? No?

Then I'm at a loss as to why you are coming to their defense. I don't wear Nike products because I don't believe in paying $129 for a pair of shoes when Nike PAYS folks like Tiger and LeBron MILLIONS of dollars to wear their products.

[bigmc6000]

It has nothing to do with being a director or being a stock holder. No one is giving them a fair shake. The only person who has said anything to the contrary is the son of a Nike employee - like that's no biased. There's nothing in my post that isn't based in fact. Any good business man knows that your company is going to do what the powers that be allow you to do (ie the US Govt) and as many people have said these are the same factories that everybody else uses. Also, I think it's crazy that people are saying nobody wears Nikes and Nikes are crap blah blah blah. When I was in HS a good 70-80% of the people on the track and CC teams wore Nikes. When you go to the gym and look at the people on the treadmill, most of them also wear Nikes. I know people like their particular brand of shoe but saying something other than what you like is crap is pretty childish. I don't wear the other types of shoes because they don't cater to the needs of my feet and I feel very uncomfortable wearing them. Now how hard is it to say that rather than "they are complete crap and I talked to a couple people who said the same thing"?

I'm just tired of the absurd # of comments that really contradict what's actually going on in the US which is: A TON of runners buy nike shoes, a TON of people track their pace, distance, etc using devices that are rather uncomfortable to wear (bulky GPS devices), this is a great option for a lot of people and I really think nano sales will increase because of this. Most of the people in this forum are seriously underestimating the marketing prowess of the nike running shoe and the fitness agenda in general.

[bigmc6000]

has anyone else read this??

http://www.marketwatch.com/News/Story/Story.aspx?guid=%7B721FE2B2%2D2728%2D49F9%2DB399%2DD23CBC95D927%7D&symb=aapl&sid=609&siteid=NYT&dist=NYT&osymb=aapl

Umm, yeah 'cause ya know Steve never talks about the "geeky" side of the computer. Come on - the guy co-founded Pixar and NeXT. I'm thinking he's still got plenty of "geek" left in him.

[knackroller]

But our current ipods do not have any wifi or whatever right? Won't this mean we will have to buy ADDITIONAL attachments to wireless-enable our ipod or else buy the next gen ipod??!??


Where'd you get that? I read on the Apple/Nike pages that it was proprietary tech.

[octoberdeath]

all i know now is that i just found a great gift for my mom come this Christmas. she loves to run and has just started to get into rowing. i think she would love this.

[mpw]

But our current ipods do not have any wifi or whatever right? Won't this mean we will have to buy ADDITIONAL attachments to wireless-enable our ipod or else buy the next gen ipod??!??

The Nike product linked from their pages and from Apples IS a two part sensor/transmitter & reciever, the reciever part attaches to the iPod docking port. This would mean that as I and others have posted any future developement of this to allow the sensor part to be used to go online live and battle other rowing machine users across the internet would need either revised iPods or a link directly to your Mac. I don't know but it may just be an update to allow the WiFi equipped hardware to communicate with Nike's proprietory transmitter.

[Chopster]

I was dismayed to hear of the Apple-Nike partnership, and even more dismayed to read here so many arguments justifying sweatshops and global economic strategems that anyone who has spent real time in the Third World knows are a lot of hooey. I am, however, glad to read here postings of those who oppose this partnership--not that I think anyone is likely to rescind it (sigh). I love Apple products, and for a long time I admired the company. Now I just like the products. I am an avid runner, too, and wish Apple had partnered with New Balance instead--or anyone but nefarious Nike (ain't buying the 'Nike doesn't own those offending factories' argument). I am not going to give away my new MacBook Pro, but I'll never buy a Nike product, and may think twice about that rumored new higher capacity Nano when it comes out. And you can bet I'll stop preaching Apple to the world.

Does anyone think people from Apple actually read this forum? Or does anyone know how we CAN express our extreme displeasure to the company? I sure would like to let them know how really disappointed I am.

[verces]

Me for one, can't contain my excitement as to this new announcement. I just think its a fantastic idea. I want to run, and like running, but sometimes the motivation factor just doesn't kick in. If I have my iPod with the Nike+ apparel, I think nothing could be better, checking how I have done in the past week, differences in speed, etc. It will just be...greaaaaaaaaaat! When are they going international with this????

[zap2]

I'm a first time writer and the only reason I subsribed is because the comments on here as absolutely ridiculous I felt the need to address them.

1) Nike's sweatshops aren't any worse than any other company. Want to know why? They are doing what the US Gov't allows them to do - the exact same thing as every other shoe company and besides the point - we're talking about a new product and no, 99% of Americans DON'T GIVE A CRAP! (hence the massive popularity of Nike shoes)


4) Nike shoes do last longer than 6 months, the current pair that I've been running in I've had for almost 4 years and i've logged a ton of miles on them and I wear them anytime I wear shorts - basically, I wear them A LOT.



SO its ok because people don't give a damn? Thats stupid, Nikes don't last any long then any other brand. Assuming that was true i guess things lasting longer matters when 1) Your pay 2x as much as other brand 2) The people making them get treated like crap

It kills me that Apple team up with them, really it does.

[knackroller]

Yeah, sorry, saw that later. For a sensor AND receiver, seems quite a good price at $29. After all, the ipod radio thingy already cost more than that.


The Nike product linked from their pages and from Apples IS a two part sensor/transmitter & reciever, the reciever part attaches to the iPod docking port. This would mean that as I and others have posted any future developement of this to allow the sensor part to be used to go online live and battle other rowing machine users across the internet would need either revised iPods or a link directly to your Mac. I don't know but it may just be an update to allow the WiFi equipped hardware to communicate with Nike's proprietory transmitter.

[Koodauw]

there they go.
Can I ask where you got that phrase from? I work at a shoe store and my old buddy who used to work there used to always say that to mock the customers.

[dextertangocci]

When exactly did Apple and Nike annonce their partnership? I just saw it on their web site now.

[Doctor Q]

When exactly did Apple and Nike annonce their partnership?May 23 (http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2006/may/23nike.html). See also the MacRumors news story (http://www.macrumors.com/pages/2006/05/20060523003420.shtml).

[Skipernicus@mac]

No, of course not. I am anti-WTO and anti-IMF/World bank, don't get me wrong. I wish that there was an international organizationt hat would enforce labor rights for everyone, but it is not the job of the US. Also, I don't see how employing thousands of otherwise starving farmer Chinese is "raping". I agree that conditions should be improved and so on, but in the meantime I don't see how throwing thousands of workers out on their asses will help the situation.

The OBJECT is not to force NIKE out of business. It's to get NIKE to use some of their vast profits (over $14 billion per annum) to make it's overseas employees lives a little better. As it stands, you're right - work or starve, it's the only game in town. But by working, you're just starving slower - Nike wages are not of a subsistence level. It is said that if NIKE were to kick back .25 cents per clothes item, it could double it's overseas workers wages. They could pass that .25 cents off to you by raising the price. But they haven't. Nike factories overseas are dangerous places to work. You have no healthcare. Verbal and physical harassment are rampant. And by purchasing Nike products, you are paying them to continue this practice.

It wouldn't take much to clean up their act. They just won't do it (and NIKE is not the worst offender).

I think it's a mistake to partner with Nike based on their record. It tarnishes Apples image. And I've made my living with Apple computers for over 20 years now...