• International Herald Tribune/Bloomberg News, Friday, March 23, 2007 12:13 PM

Mark Parker, a designer who became Nike's CEO in January 2006, has created a new marketing structure.Teams are focusing on six main categories: running, soccer, basketball, men's training, women's fitness, and sports culture, which the company defines as products for casual wear rather than athletic performance.

The shift came as Nike lost market share to Under Armour, which sells tight-fitting, sweat-wicking athletic clothes. Under Armour gained ground by focusing on high-school football players year-round, while Nike wooed them only during football season.

In 2005, Parker called Apple CEO Steve Jobs with the idea of synchronizing running shoes with iPods. The result was Nike Plus, a sensor that attaches to shoes so runners with iPods can monitor how far they have gone and how many calories they have burned. Parker is also promoting new basketball uniforms that are tailored rather than baggy. And in January 2006, Nike unveiled the Air Max 360, a shoe whose development Parker guided. It deploys full-length air cushioning without any foam in the sole.

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