Fans gobble up Pacman's collectibles

Manila, Philippines - As a certified Nike global icon, WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao is a top attraction in the sports apparel and footwear market. He now ranks alongside stars like Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Cristiano Ronaldo, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, LeBron James and Maria Sharapova in the business of endorsing Nike which generates revenues of over $18 billion a year.

Whenever Pacquiao fights, Nike churns out a new line of apparel and footwear to commemorate every step of his career. Pacquiao has been a Nike endorser since 2006 and is on his second contract. He’s not just a Nike athlete from the Philippines but a Nike global icon. It was rumored that his existing contract with Nike runs for five years.

A source said the Nike limited edition shoes produced to celebrate a Pacquiao fight often end up on e-bay, selling for five figures in US dollars and even for six if autographed. That’s because only a few pairs are manufactured and easily become collectibles.

For Pacquiao’s fight against Sugar Shane Mosley in Las Vegas tomorrow night (Sunday morning, Manila time), Nike has rolled out two shoe models – the Nike Zoom Huarache Trainer Low at P5,495 a pair and the Nike Trainer 1.3 Max at P7,995 a pair. The shoes hit the market last April 27 and the shelves are nearly wiped out. Only 50 pairs of the Nike Trainer 1.3 Max were made available.

“As Manny’s long-time partner, we at Nike recognize his dedication and discipline for each fight,” said Nike Philippines country marketing manager Mae Dichupa. “Manny’s passion and commitment comes from his strong faith, family ties and love for the Philippines so we decided to celebrate all that in our latest Nike-Pacquiao collection.”

The Nike Zoom Huarache Trainer Low shoe is geared for the versatile athlete with a supportive fit, comfortable cushioning and durable traction. The huarache was a popular woven sandal that traces its roots to Mexico in the 1930s and Nike designers have modernized the shoe with enhanced cushioning, flexibility and lighter weight. Like Pacquiao’s jab, the huarache is second to none in terms of support, traction and durability. Literally, the shoe fits like a glove with the lock-down comfort necessary for training.

The shoe has a dazzling design with a large Nike swoosh at the heel. The shoe “sleeve” is in blue and red, encased in a white body. The tongue is branded by a red rubber seal with Pacquiao’s MP logo and the date of the Mosley bout – May 7th, 2011. In the inner foot cushion of each shoe is a graphic rendition of Pacquiao’s history – there’s a note of the time and round of his knockout over Ricky Hatton (2:59 of the second), a sketch of the head of the Philippine eagle, a tribute to “the people’s champ” and “the fighting congressman,” “BOOM” in capital letters, and more interesting inscriptions. The sole is on white with the MP logo imbedded in red and blue, “NIKE” on the arch at an angle and an innovative design for the ball of the foot.

The blue Nike Trainer 1.3 Max is Pacquiao’s daily workout shoe and provides a soft and comfortable ride after hours of rigorous high-impact conditioning in the gym. There are mesh zones for cooling to make the shoe ideal for year-round use in warm climates such as Los Angeles and General Santos, depending on the season.

“If you practice hard, you can win every battle,” said Pacquiao. Dichupa noted that the mantra holds true for athletes throughout the world who realize winning starts with training.

The collection also includes four Nike-Pacquiao T-shirts at P995 each and a special Pacman KO ZP Hoody at P3,795.

The T-shirts showcase Pacquiao’s Filipino heritage and inspirational elements with bold and classy graphics. One design screams out with the words “MANNY KNOWS TITLES” in bold letters in front and a list of Pacquiao’s eight world titles in different divisions at the back. Another design has the word “BOOM” with the MP logo in black, yellow, rust and grey colors. A third design shows a gaint MP logo in blue outlined in gold on a red background. A fourth design features a fireball, a blazing meteor like a Pacquiao punch, on a black background.

“Graphic elements reflecting Manny’s personal life such as his beloved Jack Russell terrier dog, gym, love for darts, national pride and home city are incorporated into the T-shirt designs for fans to enjoy,” said Dichupa. “The footwear is built for Manny’s speed, agility and power while representing the pinnacle of Nike’s training innovation with designs and materials fit for the intense training regimen of multi-sport athletes.”

A collector’s item in high demand is the Nike golden 8 T-shirt that Pacquiao wore in the ring immediately after he was declared the winner over Antonio Margarito for the WBC superwelterweight title in Arlington, Texas, last November. The win marked Pacquiao’s eighth world title in an eighth division, an unprecedented feat.

So far, Nike has produced nine Pacquiao shoes – the 2006 Nike Free 7.0 for the Erik Morales rubber match, the 2007 Nike Free Trainer 7.0 for the Marco Antonio Barrera rematch, the 2009 Nike special edition 259 Pacman Knows Trainer 1 Mid shoe to celebrate the win over Hatton, the 2009 limited edition Nike MP Trainer 1 Low for the Miguel Cotto bout, the 2010 Nike MP Trainer SC Low for the Joshua Clottey fight, the 2010 red-and-black Nike Trainer 1.2 Low and the limited edition gold Nike Trainer 1.2 Low for the Antonio Margarito duel and the 2011 limited edition Nike Zoom Huarache Trainer Low and Nike Trainer 1.3 Max for the Mosley encounter.

“Manny is part of the Nike roster of athletes and Nike is very proud of the success that Manny has had in the sport of boxing,” said Dichupa. “From experience, when we sell the Nike MP products, there’s a mix of collectors and just regular fans who want to wear the shoes and tees. Manny likes all the designs and wears them all.”

Dichupa said Pacquiao is the model Nike endorser. “Manny’s tremendous boxing ability coupled with his immense passion and discipline for the sport epitomizes the essence of Nike’s ‘Just Do It’ spirit,” she said. “Not only is he recognized internationally for his boxing prowess but he is also considered a modern-day hero of the Filipino people.”

The Nike Pacquiao collection was designed by Nike’s global product team in Beaverton, Oregon.