Nike+ SportBand (part deux) now ready for consumption...

NIKE, Inc. (NYSE: NKE) introduced the new Nike+ SportBand, giving runners real-time performance feedback on their distance, pace, time and calories burned with just a glance at their wrist. Nike also redefined the online running experience by merging the successful site nikeplus.com and its close to 2 million members together with nikerunning.com.

The Nike+ SportBand features a new screen with a white background to enhance visibility and a welded seal to improve water resistance. It will be available in grey with an interior pink band, anthracite (dark grey) with a yellow interior band, and black with a red interior band. Runners who enjoy listening to music may continue to hear their run details through the Apple iPod nano, iTouch or iPhone systems. The Nike+ SportBand will be available in the U.S. on July 15, with a suggested retail price of $59 USD.

(note: See article here on the original Nike+ SportBand written in April 2008)

“We’re giving runners a seamless, comprehensive, one-stop online destination for all their needs,” said Leslie Lane, Global Vice President and General Manager for Nike Running. “From finding the right gear, the latest event details, tracking progress and connecting to friends through Nike+, we’re helping runners hit a new stride.”

Nike has merged the popular nikeplus.com website and its close to 2 million members with nikerunning.com to give users a one-stop running destination online. In addition, nikeplus.com has added many new features and social media opportunities including:

Personalization – The new navigational system includes a customizable homepage for members providing at-a-glance views of your training, progress in goals and challenges, and your Nike+ Mini. Now runners can personalize every run to illustrate their mood, weather, terrain, route and more.

Find Your Friends – Runners will now be able to search for like-minded and similarly-skilled runners, accept new friend requests and initiate challenges in conjunction with their favorite social media platforms. And because no good run should go unpublished, runners can broadcast their own successes beyond Nike+, with automatic updates to Facebook status, Twitter feeds and much more.

Upgraded Challenges – Once runners tap into their own personal running network, Nike+ will now recommend challenges from the gallery to help inspire a little healthy competition with other runners who have similar running styles or profiles.

New Shoe Finder – This feature asks runners to answer a few simple questions in order to receive a customized shoe recommendation based on the latest shoe technology.

Improved Goals and Challenges – In addition to helpful news, training tips, and event details, the newly redesigned site also features new professional coaching programs from some of Nike’s top running coaches and athletes. Runners can choose from a pre-set coaching program, or personalize their own routine and goals with more flexibility.

Lastly, Nike is launching a Nike+ iPhone mobile site to give users access to Nike+ data anywhere.

With my purchase of an Apple iPhone 3G S a few weeks ago, I'm currently using the phone's built-in Nike+ function to track my mileage (or what little I'm doing, as I'm still having issues with my Achilles tendons). I hope to have a writeup on the next generation Nike+ SportBand soon, body willing...

NOTE: Special thanks to Jacie Prieto of Nike media relations for contributing to this article.