Serena Williams Debuts New Nike Collection for Australian Open The Serena Williams Collection From Nike Available for First Time at Retail MELBOURNE, Australia, Jan. 13 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- For her return to the 2005 Australian Open in Melbourne, Australia, Serena Williams will debut The Serena Williams Collection by Nike, an apparel and footwear collection available at retail for the first time. (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/19990818/NIKELOGO http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050113/SFTH057-a http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050113/SFTH057-b ) This global collection includes apparel and footwear and is about the art of transformation -- designed to help players transform their look -- and their game. Fitting of Serena's personality, the colors are bold and include Lymon (lime) and Imperial (blue). Serena Williams Transform Dress The "transform dress" is the signature piece of the apparel collection. Inspired by the woman who transformed the game, the Transform Dress easily transitions from a tank and short to a dress with shorts underneath. The mix-and-match pieces include a tank with keyhole cutouts and Nike Sphere Cool Mesh; a Dri-FIT short; and a dress featuring Dri-FIT fabric and Nike Sphere Cool mesh. The Dri-FIT and Nike Sphere Cool Mesh technology ensures that Serena will stay cool and dry while playing in the soaring heat of Melbourne. This revolutionary dress will be showcased in Australia and will offer Serena maximum versatility and visual impact. Nike Show Glamour SW The Serena Williams Collection also includes the Nike Shox Glamour SW, which she wore for the first time in August 2004 in New York. Designed for power players like Serena, the Nike Shox Glamour SW shoe applies Nike Shox technology to tennis for the first time ever. A low-profile Nike Shox platform provides ultra-responsive cushioning, a "Momentum Control System" that supports the foot during quick cuts and an upper that offers maximum breathability with mesh quarter panels. Nike Shox Transform Boots Serena will once again debut custom-made "boots" for her pre-game warm up. Designed to match her key apparel pieces, the Nike Shox Transform Boots also feature the key colors of Lymon and Imperial. The boot, being tested by Serena and not yet available at retail, provides muscle compression, offering protection from muscle vibrations that can travel up the leg during high impact movements on the court. The boot is also light-weight with breathable mesh for cooling benefits. About Serena Williams: Serena Williams is ranked 7th in the world in singles and will play in the Australian Open starting next week -- At her last Australian Open appearance she won, achieving the historic "Serena Slam" winning all four Grand Slam tournaments in a row. About Nike 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/19990818/NIKELOGO http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050113/SFTH057-a http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050113/SFTH057-b http://photoarchive.ap.org/ DATASOURCE: Nike, Inc. CONTACT: Alexis Patterson of Nike Media Relations, +1-212-367-4447 Web site: http://www.nikebiz.com/

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