Article: Mass marketers dress up image with brands, updated fashions.

BOSTON -- Mass market chain are building muscle -- and respect -- in the athletic footwear category

While athletic footwear special chains and sporting goods store continue to boast the newest hottest brands and styles -- resorting to red letter "sale signs" when product doesn't move quick enough -- many mass market retailers, such as Wal-Mart, Target, Kmart and Ames, have quietly been dressing up their image, incorporating more brand names and improved merchandising.

Consumers hunting for branded status can buy athletic footwear boasting names such as Rawlings, Spalding, Jordache, Chic, Voit, Franklin, Dunlop, Riddell and P.F. Flyers.

In addition, ...

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