While the Fashion Athletic trend was on the horizon and a beacon of things to come in 2005, the performance business continued to please as well, particularly at the upper end. Nike fueled much of the energy at the beginning of the year with the re-launch of Air Max, but Asics was also in the winners circle in tech running. Nikes partnership with Apple on the Nike+ product that works with the iPod may be a precursor of things to come. And Under Armours entry into the cleated footwear market turned the market on its ear (and gave UA a solid foothold in footwear).
In apparel, the Under Armour influence was felt far and wide as an early focus on team athletes transitioned in 2006 to a more educated consumer that sought technical features in apparel. Performance attributes are now found in nearly every aspect of apparel, with even the basic white cotton t-shirt seeing a redesign from many companies. Stitchless, tagless, odor management, wicking, and body heat regulation all became staple terms as more vendors jumped on the performance train and began selling basic products at higher price-points through added technology. SportScanINFO reports that the branded apparel segment as a whole was down 10.6% for the 2006 YTD period, but Performance product was up 20.5% in dollars sold.
