WSJ.com - When Nike Met iPod

WSJ.com - When Nike Met iPod

: "Wireless technology has delivered another way to marry music to exercise: a sneaker that talks to your iPod.
Apple Computer Inc. and Nike Inc. yesterday said they have teamed up to create a wireless system that connects Apple's iPod nano digital music player to certain Nike sneakers. Using a small sensor that's inserted into the sole of a new Nike running shoe -- the $100 Air Zoom Moire -- the system lets runners record the distance, time, pace and calories burned during each workout. Nike is also rolling out workout clothes that are made to carry iPods, and other compatible shoes will be launched later in the summer.

Apple and Nike are offering a $29 kit that connects the iPod nano to the new Air Zoom Moire.
The Apple/Nike partnership is the latest attempt by sporting-goods makers to cram electronics gadgetry into sport shoes and apparel. Germany's Adidas AG this October will release a heart-monitoring transmitter from Polar Electro that can be clipped onto Adidas footwear and apparel like sports bras. The transmitter sends data to a wristwatch that records the heart rate and measures a runner's speed and distance. Adidas also produces the Adidas 1, a running shoe with a computer chip that customizes the cushioning for each stride a runner takes. Adidas's technology has been rolled out to another recently released running shoe and a basketball shoe due out next month."