Internally, Nike has been using their Environmental Apparel Design Tool for some time. The software is used by product developers from an early design stage, so they can at all times be conscious of ways to reduce waste and use recyclable materials throughout the development of a product. As an effort to make the whole industry greener, Nike is now releasing the tool for public use by anyone who chooses. The video above goes into a little more detail, and to read a little more or actually get your hands on the tool, visit nikeresponsibility.com.

Company Targets Revenues of $27 Billion and More than $12 Billion of Cumulative Cash Flow from Operations by 2015 [Text of Press Release Beneath the Cut]

NEW YORK (May 5, 2010) – Today NIKE, Inc. (NYSE: NKE) unveiled its strategy and key initiatives to achieve sustainable, long-term growth across its global portfolio of brands and businesses. During its investor meeting in New York, the Company announced a revenue target of $27 billion by the end of fiscal 2015 based on growth expectations across its portfolio, which includes the NIKE Brand, Cole Haan, Converse, Hurley, Jordan Brand, NIKE Golf and Umbro. Additionally, the Company believes it can generate over $12 billion of cumulative free cash flow from operations through 2015. Both goals extend NIKE, Inc.’s long-term financial model of high single-digit revenue growth, mid-teens earnings per share growth, and expanding returns on capital.*

“We’ve never been more inspired, innovative and aligned to achieve our goals,” said NIKE, Inc. President and CEO Mark Parker. “We have powerful competitive advantages in our portfolio – innovative and compelling products, brands that are distinct and relevant to their consumers, and the world’s greatest athletes and teams. Our focus is to build, fuel and accelerate the power of our portfolio.”*

The NIKE Brand is the most powerful asset in the NIKE, Inc. portfolio, accounting for approximately 85 percent of total revenue. NIKE, Inc.’s Other Brands continue to increase their contribution to the Company’s overall growth strategy. “With our acquisition of Umbro, NIKE has extended its position as the biggest football Company in the world,” Parker said. “Hurley continues to outperform everyone in its market; Cole Haan has tremendous opportunity for growth; and Converse, nearly a $1 billion business, has developed strategies to double its revenue by 2015.”*

NIKE Brand Overview
NIKE Brand President Charlie Denson provided an overview of how NIKE’s consumer-focused category strategy is driving growth through increased market place capacity and penetration, “NIKE is the most connected, authentic and distinctive brand in the industry.” Denson continued, “Our consumer focused strategy enhances our ability to deliver great product and elevated consumer experiences which will help grow the NIKE Brand to approximately $23 billion by the end of fiscal 2015.”*

NIKE Brand – Category Offense

• Action Sports – comprised of NIKE 6.0 and NIKE SB, is the fastest growing category within the Nike Brand. The Company anticipates doubling its current estimated $390 million business by 2015.**

• Athletic Training – started more than 20 years ago with the advent of NIKE cross training. This business, estimated at $1.4 billion, continues to redefine performance with key innovations like NIKE Pro base layer apparel and the Trainer1 shoe.**

• Basketball – led by the strength of the Jordan Brand and excellent opportunities in the United States and China, NIKE’s basketball business is currently at approximately $1.7 billion in revenue.**

• Football – with NIKE Brand Football revenue of approximately $1.7 billion, the Company is launching its largest-ever presence at a World Cup including new footwear, national team kits, and NIKE Football+.**

• Running – with approximately $2.1 billion in revenue, NIKE’s original category continues to be the source for key innovations including Flywire, Lunar Cushioning, and Nike+ enabled footwear. Nikeplus.com is the world’s largest running club with close to 3 million registered members and Lunar Glide continues to expand the category’s growth opportunities.**

• Sportswear – the Company’s largest category at about $4.9 billion continues leveraging new performance ideas from the six sports categories as well as franchise products like the Air Force 1 (which sells 15 million pairs a year 25 years after its debut).**

• Women’s Training – with nearly $740 million in sales and the number one position in women’s training footwear in the U.S. and the top five European markets, a new generation of NIKE Free footwear – designed to strengthen the body and improve fitness by activating the core – in concert with the Company’s strongest ever apparel offering continues to drive growth in this category.**

NIKE Brand – Geographic Opportunities
The Company announced plans to grow the NIKE Brand in all six of its geographies including driving mid single-digit growth through broader expansion in its developed geographies (North America, Western Europe, and Japan), targeting an additional $3.0-3.5 billion of annual revenue by the end of fiscal 2015. Additionally, NIKE plans to invest aggressively in its developing market geographies (Greater China, Central & Eastern Europe, and Emerging Markets) targeting low double-digit growth and an additional $3.0-3.5 billion of annual revenue by the end of fiscal 2015.

NIKE, Inc. – Direct to Consumer
In discussing its Direct to Consumer business, the Company outlined plans to open approximately 250-300 new NIKE-branded stores worldwide over the next five years to elevate the consumer experience and position the brand in the world’s premium shopping locations, as well as drive accelerated growth in digital commerce, leveraging the explosive growth of NIKEiD. Given these efforts, NIKE, Inc. expects mid-teens growth in its Direct to Consumer Business which should contribute an additional $2.2-2.6 billion by 2015.

Also highlighted was an increased focus on working with retail partners to create more elevated and differentiated consumer experiences including execution of category-segmented concepts within key markets. NIKE’s wholesale business model is expected to continue to be the primary driver of long-term growth, with retail partners still expected to account for more than 80 percent of the Company’s overall business by 2015.

To build and strengthen its global retail presence, NIKE, Inc. announced plans to invest $500-600 million in capital over the next five years to develop the Direct to Consumer business and build capabilities to support both owned and wholesale retail productivity and performance.

NIKE, Inc. – Other Businesses
In discussion of its Other Businesses, which includes Cole Haan, Converse Inc., Hurley International LLC, NIKE Golf, and Umbro Ltd., the Company announced a low double-digit growth target which should contribute an additional $1.5-2.0 billion of revenue by the end of fiscal 2015.

NIKE, Inc. – Long-term Financial Objectives
Chief Financial Officer Don Blair gave an overview of the Company’s performance against its long-term financial model, highlighting delivery of strong performance through good and bad market environments. “Our long-term financial model helps us stay focused on driving sustainable, profitable growth, powerful cash generation, and preserving a very strong balance sheet, all of which gives us tremendous flexibility to invest in our business and generate extraordinary shareholder value.” Primary financial objectives through 2015 included the following:

* High single-digit revenue growth (average annual rate)
* Mid-teens Earnings Per Share growth (average annual rate)
* Return on Invested Capital of 25%
* Increasing dividends within a target calendar year payout range of 25-35% of trailing four quarter earnings per share

Meeting Presenters and Content
Additional presenters from NIKE, Inc’s senior management included: Gary DeStefano, President of Global Operations; Trevor Edwards, Vice President of Brand and Category Management; Willem Haitink, Vice President and General Manager of NIKE China; Jeanne Jackson, President of Direct to Consumer; Eunan McLaughlin, President of NIKE Affiliates; Jan Singer, Vice President of Global Footwear; Michael Spillane, CEO of Converse; and Eric Sprunk, Vice President of Merchandising and Product.

NIKE, Inc. invites investors and the media to view the replay of Web cast and slides from the event at www.nikebiz.com/investors. An archived audio replay in downloadable MP3 format will also be available within 24 hours after the event on the Company’s Web site and will be accessible through midnight, August 5, 2010.

About NIKE, Inc.
NIKE, Inc. based near Beaverton, Oregon, is the world’s leading designer, marketer and distributor of authentic athletic footwear, apparel, equipment and accessories for a wide variety of sports and fitness activities. Wholly-owned Nike subsidiaries include Cole Haan, which designs, markets and distributes luxury shoes, handbags, accessories and coats; Converse Inc., which designs, markets and distributes athletic footwear, apparel and accessories; Hurley International LLC, which designs, markets and distributes action sports and youth lifestyle footwear, apparel and accessories; and Umbro Ltd., a leading United Kingdom-based global football (soccer) brand. For more information, visit www.nikebiz.com/investors.

* The marked paragraphs contain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. These risks and uncertainties are detailed from time to time in reports filed by NIKE, Inc. with the S.E.C., including Forms 8-K, 10-Q, and 10-K. Some forward-looking statements in this release concern changes in futures orders that are not necessarily indicative of changes in total revenues for subsequent periods due to the mix of futures and “at once” orders, exchange rate fluctuations, order cancellations and discounts, which may vary significantly from quarter to quarter, and because a significant portion of the business does not report futures orders.

** Category Revenue references are approximate, based on current estimated size and wholesale revenue only. The Company has provided these numbers to provide context regarding the approximate sizes of the businesses Forward looking growth statements are made only as of the date hereof, and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Nike unveiled the new US Men’s National Team home kit today, after a very clandestine delivery yesterday. It’s slightly disappointing, in that it looks very similar to the away kit just in white, but all in all the look is really clean and aesthetically pleasing. And as an added benefit, the uniforms are made using Nike Considered’s eco-friendly guidelines and were created primarily using recycles bottles. Can’t wait for that World Cup to get here! Check out more previews below the cut.

If you were loving the “State of Art” World Cup packs that debuted a week ago, this will be right up your alley. The Nike Sportswear World Cup “Brasil Black Pack” features black alternates to the apparel included in the standard blue and yellow Brasil Pack. And better yet, it’s on sale today at NikeStore.com. Check out pictures of everything after the jump.

Nike is at it again, redoing several team’s uniforms in advance of the 2010 World Cup, and doing it in the environmentally responsible, “Nike Considered” way. In order to create these team kits, fabric suppliers used discarded plastic bottles—nearly 13 MILLION—from Japanese and Taiwanese landfill sites and melted them down to create new jersey fabric.

And of course environmental sustainability wasn’t the only focus, as Nike ensured the uniforms are the best in the world from a performance standpoint. Dri-FIT material has again been improved, weighing 15% less than in previous incarnations, and the jerseys emphasize breathability by incorporating “ventilation zones,” made up of over 200 tiny, laser-cut holes on each side.

Last, the jerseys will feature a brand new, double-knit construction, giving it a less bulky appearance and allowing the wearer 10 percent more elasticity while also seeing a slimmer cut, such as we’ve seen on Nike basketball uniforms, to ensure a perfect fit for each individual and maximal air flow.

Behold, a good chunk of the 2010 Nike Winter Olympics Apparel Collection, designed for athletes and fans of the US Olympic Team. Included are US Winter Olympics Team shirts, hats, hoodies and the like. I just spent a lot of time saving these and ensuring that the file and caption name are the actual name of the product, in case you want get down on some of these, so I’ll get right to the gear. These should all be available at NikeStore.com and/or at a NikeTown near you. Massive picture gallery after the jump.

I’ve talked up the Nike N98 Track Jacket pretty significantly on NikeBlog, but it’s becoming abundantly clear that Nike just knows how to make track jackets, not just the N98. The Nike Vault Recyled Track Jacket—so named for its retro look and the fact that it was created using Nike Considered design standards, minimizing environmental impact—sports a similar style to the N98, but with some differences, most notably the logo of one of four NCAA teams on the chest. The jacket, which will run you a pretty reasonable $60 on NikeStore.com, is available for the Oregon Ducks, Texas Longhorns, USC Trojans and Ohio State Buckeyes. Check out the other three teams after the jump.

Nike Vault Recycled Texas Track Jacket

Nike Vault Recycled Ohio State Track Jacket

Nike Vault Recycled USC Track Jacket

The apparel that US Olympic and Paralympic athletes will wear during the medal ceremonies at the Vancouver Winter Games was unveiled by Nike and the US Olympic Committee in Beaverton today. The gear, which of course emphasizes warmth and the US Olympic team color blue, was designed via Nike Considered guidelines in order to minimize the ecological impact by reducing excess waste and toxics.

The performance of the clothing is designed with cues from Nike’s ACG line, the jacket using 100% recycled polyester fabric and 800-fill down insulation to ensure a light-weight and breathable shell that is still waterproof and warm. Also, the gradient fading on the jacket is unique to each athlete, so no two are the same.

The pants also use ACG considered technology, creating a waterproof bottom made from 100% recycled polyester fabrication again prioritizing light weight and breathability.

Last, the athletes will wear the Nike Air Blazer ACG on their feet, also created using Nike Considered Design to ensure a stylish shoe with a classic silhouette with an environmentally-friendly production.

SneakerCon is coming to NYC, Sunday, March 1st. The sneaker convention is the first of (hopefully) many. The  above flyer has any of the information I could really provide, so check it for info. NikeBlog will be there (and rockin some really sick shoes). It’s at the Times Square Art Center and admission is $10.

Nike and Jordan Brand got together to have a proper, public unveiling of the Air Jordan 2009 this weekend. While pictures of the shoe have been online for a couple of months, this is the first time that Jordan Brand has unveiled the shoe officially, this time using Michael Jordan himself for the photos. The shoe is apparently designed to be superb performance equipment, with Articulated Propulsion Technology in the heel which mimics the perfromance of carbon fiber prosthetics used by paralympians.

The Air Jordan 2009 also uses a blown glass-inspired technique on the TPU chassis, meaning each shoe is actually unique: no two are exactly alike. A limited edition of the shoe will drop on Januaryy 31st for $230, with a general public release coming Valentine’s Day (February 14th) for $190.

The shoe definitely looks much, much cleaner than the previous pictures we’ve seen, but $200 for what looks like an And1 is a bit much. Think of that as 2 pairs of Air Force 1s (you could even get a premium pair in there). Just not worth it. Although I am very interested to test out the performance aspects of the shoes.

Also, the Air Jordan 2009 was designed under the Nike Considered guidelines, minimizing negative environmental impact.

Air Jordan 2009 Limited Edition Release Date: 1/21/2009, price: $230

Air Jordan 2009 Release Date: 2/14/2009, price $190

Pictures from NiceKicks.com

Air Jordan 2009 in all black here

Previous post about the Air Jordan 2009 here

As any of NikeBlog’s regular readers know, we enjoy reporting on Nike Considered, the eco-friendly line of Nike products (according to Nike: “The goal of Nike Considered Design is to create performance innovation products that minimize environmental impact by reducing waste throughout the design and development process, use environmentally preferred materials, and eliminate toxics.  Nike designers are now expected to make smart, sustainable design choices at the start of their creative process which has led to Nike’s most extensive Considered Design range of product to date”). After an exhaustive search I’ve finally uncovered a few more items that will be in the 2009 Nike Considered spring line (thanks to SportingNews.com).

Pictured above is the Huarache, followed by–after the jump–the Pegasus SE, Tiempo Light soccer cleat, and finally the Dart VII. Among other methods the sneaker giant has used to “go green”, Nike is using less material in general per shoe, incorporating non-toxic inks when possible, and is using scrap materials created during earlier stages of the production process, just to name a few. Thanks to SportingNews.com for the pictures

As previously reported, the Nike Considered Design event took place on Tuesday, showcasing the future of Nike’s environmentally friendly movement. While Nike has, in the past, had certain products that fell under the umbrella of “Considered,” they intend to make it the rule rather than the exception by 2015. This showcase presented the first time Nike has had Considered Design in all 6 of their main categories (basketball, running, soccer, men’s training, women’s training, and sportswear).

Also at Nike Considered Design, the Nike Air Pegasus Considered was presented. Fitting, as it’s celebrating its 25th anniversary and this will mark the first time it has been made from reusable materials. The picture above is from Nikebiz.com

LAS VEGAS (Reuters) – The move to more sustainable, earth-friendly clothing, shoes and other consumer goods may be at a “tipping point” of mainstream acceptance, and major companies like Nike Inc and eBay Inc are recognizing their growing importance among global shoppers.

Kudos to Nike for acknowledging their social responsibility. Hopefully using sustainable materials doesn’t detract from the shoe and apparel quality.