Exploring the possibility of tapping into a lucrative new market, Nike has begun test-marketing its prototype "Nike Readers" line of book-themed casual shoes in several Paris bookshops. A Nike spokesman said the shoe line is "meant to expand the public's perception of the Nike lifestyle, while incorporating some of the more dynamic aspects of a reading life. Comfort and fashion make these shoes an intelligent choice for the well-read consumer, while generous margins give booksellers a high-end, internationally branded sideline option."
Paris was chosen as the initial test market for its literary heritage, beautiful librairies and renown as a great walking city with an incomparable sense of fashion. Among the first offerings on display in the bookshops are the already popular Nike Flâneur loafers ("for aimless strolling and sidewalk café reading"), Nike Ulysses walking shoes ("for those all-day roaming & reading odysseys"), Nike Great White boat shoes ("for slippery decks and epic reading quests"), soft-soled Nike 007 slippers ("for stealthy, late-night reading assignations") and the Stephen King signature edition Nike Chiller cross-trainers ("for scary-quick escapist workouts"). --Robert Gray
