All Nike Running Shoes to be iPod Compatible

It seems that no one can get enough of the iPod -- including Nike. Last week, Nike President and Chief Executive Mark Parker announced that the company plans to make all of its running shoes compatible with Apple's iPod Nano line by the end of this year.

The news undoubtedly comes as a result of the smashing success of the Nike+iPod Sport Kits. The kits, which retail for about $30 each, allow runners to track their workout data -- such as distance, time and calories burned -- on an iPod Nano. The kit includes a wireless module that fits into Nike+ running shoe soles and a receiver that attaches to the base of an iPod Nano. (Source: appleinsider.com)

According to Apple, over 450,000 kits were purchased within the first three months of the product's launch. (Source: appleinsider.com)

Parker revealed the news as part of Nike's plan to make 2007 a year of new Nike concepts. He said, "We're grabbing the opportunity to... take Nike and our industry to someplace new, where consumers have experiences that are physical and digital and mobile." (Source: boston.com)

Further, Parker commented that consumers are now looking for a more compelling shopping experience. He plans to lead Nike into a new retail strategy that reflects these consumer needs -- and it seems that Apple is an important part of this new direction. (Source: techtree.com)

Years ago, a Nike-Apple partnership may have been an unlikely pairing. But the companies have proven that a successful partnership between a technology giant and a retailer can indeed be a good fit.

... Either that, or the iPod really does have the Midas touch.