Li Ning to Enter U.S. Running Shoe Market

Li Ning, the Chinese footwear and apparel giant, debuted its first running shoe in the U.S. market this week. Called the Fremont, the 7-ounce style is named after Portland's Fremont Bridge.

The minimalist shoe will be available for purchase for $85 at the Li Ning store in Portland as well as Fit Right NW stores in Portland and Vancouver, according to a report in The Oregonian. The U.S. team then plans to sell the collection at specialty running shops in Oregon and Washington before looking to expand it to across the country at running specialty. Future models will carry names of other bridges in Portland, or in the company's native China.

In August, Champs Sports became the first U.S. retailer to partner with Li-Ning in the U.S. when it began selling basketball shoes and apparel endorsed by Baron Davis of the Los Angeles Clippers.

Li-Ning to Enter U.S. Running Shoe Market

Li Ning, the Chinese footwear giant, will debut its first running shoe in the U.S. market this week. Called the Fremont, the lightweight style is named after Portland's Fremont Bridge.

The 7-ounce Fremont will be available for purchase for $85 at the Li Ning store in Portland as well as Fit Right NW stores in Portland and Vancouver, according to a report in The Oregonian. The U.S. team then plans to sell to the collection at specialty running shops in Oregon and Washington with the next phase calling for expanding across the country at run specialty. In August, Champs Sports, a division of Foot Locker Inc., became the first U.S. retailer to partner with Li-Ning when it began selling basketball shoes and apparel endorsed by Baron Davis of the Los Angeles Clippers.

“We're the new kid on the block,” Mark Thompson, performance engineer for Li-Ning USA, told the newspaper. Future models Li-Ning shoes will carry names of other bridges in Portland, or in the company's native China.

According to the article, its Pearl District offices now count 28 employees, led by Paul Curran, business development manager for Li-Ning Sports USA.

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