¡T our News If personality sells, the Locker70 will be a big hit By Cameron Potts When analogies describing a new athletic shoe include characters like Moses and Anna Kournikova, you begin to expect a lot. But that's what officials at In-Stride, inc. are saying about the Next Up Locker70. The Next Up Locker70 racquetball shoe is unique in many ways, from its patented UFIT lacing design to the fact it was named after a player who has yet to crack the top-10 pro rankings. Mike Locker is the upper Midwest's long-reigning racquetball king, currently ranked 11th on the IRT lineup. The Next Up trademark is a direct reference to challenge courts, and the Locker70 is named after the player and his year of birth. It's been a whirlwind few months for Locker to say the least, from discussing product endorsements with a variety of companies, to having a shoe with his name on it.
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While Locker has been in and around the game for more than 15 years, traveling to national and international competitions that have gained him valuable name recognition, he isn't Sudsy Monchik or even Marty Hogan. But then again, they aren't Mike Locker, and maybe that's the point. In-Stride Inc. President Kent Anderson said Locker brings national name recognition, is ranked near the top-10 professionally, and at the time, was the top ranked amateur player in the coun-
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try. "What we saw was an athlete excelling at both ends of the spectrum," Anderson said. "He is charismatic, a good communicator and an established name. One of the things Mike has done professionally is to teach lessons. He has already proven he can talk to players and market to the everyday racquetball player." Through a Minnesota racquetball player and In-Stride investor, Locker was put in touch with company executives. They were looking to develop a new athletic shoe, and Locker threw in the idea of doing a racquetball shoe. Last Christmas, thinking a new shoe might benefit the sport and gain himself a new sponsor, Locker never envisioned his name on the canvas. By February 2000, Locker was looking at a prototype of the Locker70. Some might say it was luck; others timing. In reality, it was a bit of both. A product management firm in San Antonio, In-Stride is slowly breaking into various athletic shoe markets. Anderson says they aren't ike or another major conglomerate that can just punch out sneakers like cookie cutters, so they have to pick their spots. While they are working with professional basketball player John Starks and the CBA on a basketball shoe, they also market a new sneaker for the burgeoning sport of cheerleading. For a company targeting niche markets, racquetball seemed like a perfect avenue on which to "tread." At 30 years old, Locker has been around racquetball long enough to know that even Michael Jordan's name on the shoe wouldn't help if the product was less than stellar. Primarily a racquetball shoe, the Locker70 incorporates an reinforced toe to make the shoe more durable for players who drag their feet on serves, improved traction and added cushioning to prevent lower back inj uries. But the key to In-Stride's designs is the UFIT November- December 2000