Serena Williams Debuts Custom US Open Nike Apparel That Pushes On-Court Cool NEW YORK, Aug. 26 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- In stark contrast to New York City's heat and humidity, Serena Williams will be comfortable and cool at the US Open. Utilizing the latest in cooling technologies, Serena will unveil her custom apparel collection at a special event at NIKETOWN on Friday, August 27. The collection features proprietary four-way stretch denim with moisture management properties created specifically for Serena's US Open appearance. Nike designers also built cooling details into the rest of the multi-piece collection -- from moisture-wicking fabric that pulls moisture away from Serena's body to Dri-FIT mesh designed to be breathable and to help keep her dry on court. (Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20040826/NYTH111 ) Serena will also debut a new groundbreaking shoe and boot with Nike Shox technology -- marking the first time the technology is being applied to tennis footwear. The highly anticipated shoe will be available in August 2004. The collection designed by Nike with Serena, reflects her strength, irreverence and femininity while celebrating a passion for iconic American styling with the use of fabrics like leather and denim. "For the US Open, we wanted to keep Serena cool and comfortable in the August heat. We built in many cooling details into the overall collection and are introducing a new performance denim," said Mindy Grossman, Vice President of Global Apparel for Nike. "At the same time, our designers took inspiration from Serena to create an exciting, edgy New York City look especially for her." NIKE, Inc. based in Beaverton, Oregon is the world's leading designer, marketer and distributor of authentic athletic footwear, apparel, equipment and accessories for a wide variety of sports and fitness activities. Wholly owned Nike subsidiaries include Converse Inc., which designs, markets and distributes athletic footwear, apparel and accessories; Bauer NIKE Hockey Inc., a leading designer and distributor of hockey equipment; Cole Haan(R), which designs, markets, and distributes fine dress and casual shoes and accessories; and Hurley International LLC, which designs, markets and distributes action sports and youth lifestyle footwear, apparel and accessories. http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20040826/NYTH111 DATASOURCE: NIKE, Inc. CONTACT: Ilana Finley, +1-212-367-4440, , or Rob Aldinger, +1-212-367-4438, , both of NIKE, Inc. Web site: http://www.nike.com/

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