Olympic Sneaker Wars Heat Up

Adidas and Nike are facing off in a sneaker contest of Olympic proportions. As reported in the Wall Street Journal, both companies are racing to provide Beijing Olympic athletes with sneakers and shoes designed for their specific sport -- boxing, basketball, fencing, you name it. The prime time international exposure will then lead to a demand for the kicks available in a line geared towards regular folks. Adidas, the official sportswear sponsor of the Games, already has all its Olympic sneakers available online; Nike plans to offer a partial line.

So far Nike is dominating, with 28 Olympic models; Adidas is close on Nike’s heels at 27 styles. And while you may not want a pair of table tennis sneaks or god-awful ugly gymnastic slippers, you just might have a thing for the horsey dominatrix look of the calf-high Olympic riding boot. In that case, Nike has you covered with the ”Ippeas." Yes, ma’am!