Apple and Nike get sporty with Nike iPod accessories

Apple are hoping to ignite a running craze with the announcement it and sports maker Nike have announced a partnership bringing the worlds of sports and music together with the launch of Nike+iPod products.

The first product developed through this partnership is the Nike+iPod Sport Kit, a wireless system that allows Nike+ footwear to talk with your iPod nano.

The new Nike+ Air Zoom Moire is the first footwear designed to talk to iPod. Nike plans to make many of its leading footwear styles Nike+ ready, connecting millions of consumers to the Nike+iPod experience.

The new trainers promise to provide information on time, distance, calories burned and pace is stored on iPod and displayed on the screen; real-time audible feedback also is provided through headphones.

The kit includes an in-shoe sensor and a receiver that attaches to iPod. A new Nike Sport Music section on the iTunes Music Store and a new nikeplus.com personal service site help maximize the Nike+iPod experience.

The Nike+iPod Sport Kit is expected to be available within 60 days for a suggested retail price of $29. Apple has not yet set a price for the kit in the UK.

Nike CEO Mark Parker and Apple CEO Steve Jobs unveiled Nike+iPod at an event in New York attended by seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong and marathon world record-holder Paula Radcliffe.