When over 500 Australian athletes march into the Olympic Stadium in Beijing next year they will be wearing shoes designed by Mileno.

The Australian Olympic Committee today announced an agreement with Mileno as the official supplier of Fashion Footwear to the 2008 Australian Olympic Team.

Under the agreement Mileno will design all Opening Ceremony and Formal shoes.

“As footwear manufacturers for over 25 years, our aim is simply to be the best in our industry. There is no better way to express this than by working and associating with the best athletes in Australia, the 2008 Australian Olympic Team,” said Kenneth Tang, Mileno Sales Director.

“Like elite athletes who heavily invest their time in training and the right gear in the pursuit of excellence, we do much the same when we invest in our people and state-of-the-art machinery. Our entire organisation is thrilled to be involved with the Australian Olympic Team and to be recognised as a leader in our field,” Mr Tang stated.

In the lead-up to the Beijing Games Mileno will produce two thousand pairs of shoes for potential members of the Team.

Processing sessions, where athletes vying for selection are measured for their Olympic uniforms, including shoes, have already begun.

Mileno’s Creative Director, Truddy Cheung, is looking forward to the challenge of designing something special for the athletes to wear.

“To be able to design fashion shoes for the 2008 Australian Olympic Team is an extremely exciting opportunity. Mileno represents tasteful and wearable fashion footwear and by applying the same philosophy I will design these shoes to complement the athlete’s uniforms, ” she said.

The Opening Ceremony will be held at 8pm on the 8/8/2008, with the number eight considered lucky by the Chinese. But athletes marching in the Opening Ceremony are standing for as long as four hours and Truddy Cheung is well aware of the comfort factor.

“Mileno is a 25 year-old footwear brand where the comfort factor has long been practiced by our technicians at the factory. It is very important that the shoes we produce offer all day comfort and still make a fashion statement. My inspirations are driven by personal instincts and seasonal trends, and our growing sales figures are evident that the Mileno collections are heavily recognised in the marketplace. I'm very confident that the athletes will want to wear the shoes time and time again after the Olympic Games” Truddy said.

Mileno has a very strong presence in Beijing with 40 retail shops and Kenneth believes the Beijing residents will be barracking for the Australian Team because of their connection.

“Mileno was established in Beijing 1989 and now has over 120 outlets in China and 40 outlets in Beijing alone. With our instantly recognisable brand, we believe our large consumer base will embrace the spirit of the Australian Olympic team and cheer them on! GO AUSSIES!!!"

AOC