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New Nike Line Targets Women Dancers

Nike, long dedicated to trawling territory occupied by the likes of Michael Jordan and other high-flying male basketball stars, is trying to find its feminine side. The company is launching a new line of shoes and sexy sportswear targeted primarily to female fans of aerobic activities such as fitness dance, a high energy workout steeped in hip-hop and upbeat dance music. The new product line includes tank tops, low-rise baggy pants and flirty short skirts that Nike says look good in the gym and at the nightclub. Pants and tops can be tucked up or left long, and many of the pieces can be layered on top of each other, allowing dancers to customize their look. Two different footwear styles offer arch support for dancers who often push up onto their toes and specially designed leather and rubber soles for sliding dance moves. Nike's core fitness-dance consumer is a 22- to 28-year-old woman who "won't sacrifice fashion for function," says Mindy Grossman, Nike's vice president of global apparel. "She wants both."

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