Nike fitness app, new products get more personal

Nike, the world’s biggest sportswear firm, is launching a new version of its Nike+ running app that offers users preferential access to the hottest new sneakers, raising its game as competition heats up in the fitness tracking business. Nike made the announcement at a glitzy event in New York at which it also launched a series of new products including self-lacing shoes, transparent air-filled soles and football cleats made from a polymer that prevents mud from sticking to the sole. Nike was a pioneer in fitness tracking, teaming up with Apple on Nike+ running programs for the iPod and iPhone. Nike itself created the new version of the app, in a field that is now crowded, with rivals Adidas AG and Under Armour both buying running apps last year. Nike Chief Executive Mark Parker said the new version of the app - set to be launched in the U.S. market in June and later elsewhere - would offer a more tailored service, including personalized product recommendations and customised training tips. “Athletes want more than a dashboard and data – they want a more personal relationship,” he said. Nike+ users also will have exclusive access to new products such as HyperAdapt 1.0, a shoe with an in-sole motor that can tighten and loosen laces to respond to an athlete’s motion. Ahead of the Rio Olympics and the European football championships, Nike debuted sportswear made from lighter-weight and faster-drying fabric, while U.S. 200 meters gold medallist Allyson Felix modelled “AeroBlades,” tiny plastic points on socks and sleeves that are designed to reduce drag for runners. Reuters