The Filipino boxing icon recently signed a rich two-year endorsement contract with giant sports apparel company Nike and last Sunday had a quick feel of how it is to be part of its family.
In a brief meeting with Nike Philippines’ Tony Atayde at the Sheraton Hotel, Pacquiao was presented two bagfuls of Nike products, some of which are not yet out in the market.
Pacquiao was gifted with two pairs of Nike fighting shoes, which Atayde said are worth $1,000 a pair. This lace-free type of shoes will only be released in 2008.
"There are only three pairs of these Nike boxing shoes in the world today. Two of them are now with Manny and the other one is at the Nike headquarters in Portland," said Atayde.
Pacquiao said he liked the shoes, except that he preferred those that are cut just a few inches above the ankle. He also said he wanted his name embroidered on its sides.
"I don’t like them too high because all the sweat during the fight add up inside the shoes and they get heavier. With a lower cut, it’s easier to wipe the sweat off my legs," Pacquiao said.
Also in the bag were three other pairs of shoes, one for running, one for walking and one for basketball, the latest Kobe Bryant design. Pacquiao said he couldn’t wait to put the basketball shoes on.
"I like this. I love playing basketball," he said.
There were also sets of jogging pants, jackets, shirts and even bandanas. But whether Pacquiao can wear them in public remains a question since he still has a live contract with No Fear apparel.
"It’s okay for Manny to wear those shoes because his contract with Pony expired last January. But with those jackets or shirts, he still has a contract with No Fear, and it’s good for until next year. I don’t know what they will do with it," said a Pacquiao insider.
Terms of the Nike contract were not divulged. But what is clear is that Pacquiao has officially joined Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Roger Federer, Maria Sharapova and Bryant as Nike’s biggest endorsers.
According to Erik Pineda, one of Pacquiao’s marketing strategists, Pacquiao just became the first Filipino athlete to be paid, both in cash and in kind, to endorse Nike.
And it’s quite a sum.