Looks like my running shoe story, a few days ago, was well-timed. 

Today, The Wall Street Journal reports Nike expects to show a ten percent increase in its share price “thanks in part to strong sneaker sales.  Foot Locker already said Nike running and basketball shoes were among its top sellers in the February quarter.  Sportscan data, meanwhile, show Nike sales are up about 15% so far this year over 2010.” 

The WSJ also reports “total dollar sales of athletic footwear were up nearly 12% the first two months of this year from the same period in 2010, according to market researcher NPD Group.”

This is interesting if you follow the business side of running shoes.  It’s also interesting to learn that there are still people who use the word “sneaker” to describe shoes.