The Daily 5

All About the Good News

John Mayer has been down with the game since day one, and is a consistent collaborator with hip hop’s finest. He’s tight with the ALIFE crew, and is known to rock a fairly solid stable of hard-to-get footwear.

Iconix Brand Group Inc. and an entity controlled by Madonna and the pop singer’s manager Guy Oseary are forming a joint venture to develop and acquire brands. Iconix, a brand manager whose holdings include Candie’s and Roca Wear, said the MG Icon venture entered into an exclusive license.

Keds and Gap collaborate for the fall ’10 release, which will deliver to select Gap stores in July, will sell for $40 to $50 for the classic Champion style for women and the Anchor style for men. Fabrications for the women’s Champion will include denim, metallic canvas and prints.

The U.S. athletic-footwear market is starting to show signs of a recovery, although two stalwarts of the market — basketball and running — continue to post declines, according to NPD Group.

Saucony, the athletic footwear and apparel brand based in Lexington, said it has signed Olympic triathlete Jarrod Shoemaker and Sarah Groff, a member of the USA Triathlon National Team, to multi-year endorsement contracts.