Champion Partners With Steel Sports

Steel Sports has selected Champion as the Official Apparel Partner for the 35,000 youth players, families and coaches who participate in the company’s baseball programs.

Foot Locker’s Shares Pop As Q1 Shows Some Recovery

Shares of Foot Locker Inc. jumped 20.2 percent on Friday after the sneaker leader reported first-quarter blasted past Wall Street’s targets. Management credited the arrival of more on-trend footwear styles from top vendors. But the makeup is changing, led by a resurgence for Nike, with many of styles as well as strength in Vans and Fila, offsetting some softening at Adidas, Puma and Converse.

Hibbett Sports Q1 Operating Earnings Slide

Hibbett Sports Inc. reported operating earnings slid 16 percent in the first quarter as comps dipped 0.3 percent and both margins and the chain’s expense rate eroded. Hibbett said results exceeded the company’s internal plan and gross margin improvement was seen in April.

Foot Locker Q1 Blows Past Q1 Estimates

Foot Locker Inc. reported earnings before charges slid 3.3 percent in the first quarter, but came in well ahead of Wall Street’s targets. Dick Johnson, Foot Locker’s CEO, said in a statement, “The flow of premium product continues to improve, with increasing breadth and depth in the most sought after styles from our key vendors.”

Nike Acknowledges Diversity Shortfalls In FY16/17 Sustainability Report

In the company’s just-released FY16/17 Sustainable Business Report, Nike Inc. stated that leadership representation for women globally and underrepresented minorities (URM) in the U.S. “have not evolved as fast as we would have liked” since the company’s last sustainability report arrived in 2016. The report also lists an extensive number of steps Nike is taking to improve diversity and inclusion efforts.

Deckers Brands Crushes Income, Revenue Estimates

Footwear, apparel and accessories company Deckers Brands reported fourth-quarter net income of $29.7 million, or diluted earnings per share of 66 cents, up from last year’s Q4 loss of $12 million, or (49) cents per share, and beating analysts’ estimates by 31 cents per share.

Report: Nike To Replace Under Armour In MLB Deal

Nike Inc. is close to striking a deal to continue as Major League Baseball’s on-field apparel suppler in the 2020 season, according to a report from SportsBusiness Daily. Under Armour was expected to assume on-field rights from Nike in 2020.

Outdoor Project Announces Women In The Wild 2018 Series

Outdoor adventure and travel media platform Outdoor Project has announced the expansion of the company’s Women in the Wild series for summer 2018. The series, which celebrates femininity in the outdoors, is a collaboration of individuals, organizations and brands from across the outdoor industry. Women in the Wild will focus on fostering community over competition and redefining what it means to be a woman in the outdoors.