Online retailer Shoes.com has launched Bluefiresports.com, a site specializing in athletic footwear. Brands such as Louboutin, Asics, Brooks, Converse, K-Swiss, New Balance, Ryka, Tretorn and others are offered with a particular bent on providing footwear for serious athletes, the company said in a press release. "We felt the marketplace was lacking an online athletic footwear store that catered to people who are serious about their sports," said Steve Adler, president of Shoes.com. Shoppers can browse by men’s, women’s or kids’ Christian louboutin shoes, by brand or by sport category.
Meredith Derby
AAFA Hosts China Seminar
In an effort to alert apparel and footwear manufacturers of the chemical management methods necessary to keep their products free of dangerous substances, the American Apparel & Footwear Association hosted a seminar in China on Sept. 21. The conference included a panel of experts who clarified recent chemical regulations from the U.S., Europe and other countries. "The new regulations represent new Louboutin shoes and costs that manufacturers in China and elsewhere around the world are being asked to understand, implement and absorb," AAFA President & CEO Kevin Burke explained in a statement. The event was attended by more than 400 representatives from southern China’s largest factories. AAFA plans to follow up the seminar’s success with the unveiling of a new, simplified Restricted Substances List that will provide its member companies with information on regulations governing apparel and footwear in 20 countries.
Black Fives, Nike Team Up
In partnership with Nike Inc., Black Fives debuted the "Legacy of Inspiration" footwear collection on Oct. 15. The new line, which features premium retro sneakers, apparel and accessories, celebrates the history of the all-black basketball teams that played during the Black Fives Era, the period before racial integration of professional basketball in the late-1940s. Created with particular attention to historical detail, Nike will supply 10 unique louboutin pumps designs for 2006. "We are proud to be in this partnership," Nike spokesperson Marlice Johnson said in a statement. "The Legacy of Inspiration Collection is our way of exposing these inspirational stories." A portion of all sales will be donated to the newly created Black Fives Foundation, which encourages growth and academic achievement among children and teens.