NEW YORK (CNN/Money) -
German athletic shoemaker Adidas-Salomon AG is preparing to come out with a $250 pair of running shoes, pushing prices for the product to a new level, according to a published report.
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| Smarter running shoes can be yours for only $250. |
The Wall Street Journal said that the shoes called the Adidas 1 will have a microprocessor under the arch of the foot that will measure the compression of a runner's stride.
The microprocessor will then use that reading to move cables in the shoe, making adjustments around the foot to make sure the shoe is not too firm or too soft.
The paper said that in the past 15 years, Adidas competitor Nike (NKE: Research, Estimates) pushed the envelope in basketball-shoe prices, culminating in 2002 with the $200 Air Jordan XVII, which it said sold poorly.
Nike has flirted with a $200 running shoe, the Journal reports, as has Puma AG, which it said attempted to make a running shoe in the late 1980s that could plug into a computer and calculate how many miles were covered and how many calories a runner burned.
Wednesday Adidas (ADDDY: Research, Estimates) reported improved first quarter earnings, despite lower sales, as it was helped by favorable change in currency exchange rates, the Journal reported.
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