Dive Brief:

• The new running-shoe line by skate and comfort sneaker company Skechers got a swift boost Monday from Boston Marathon winner Meb Keflezighi, the first American to win the event since 1983.

• Nike had dropped Keflezighi three years ago because he was too old, the runner told news outlets.

• Nike also announced this week that it is ending its FuelBand development in favor of working with Apple to develop smart wearables for athletes. 

Dive Insight:

Managing an endorsement roster is tricky for any retailer or brand, a calculation of how an athlete might benefit it to make endorsement a worthwhile investment. It’s hard to know how much Skechers really thought over Meb Keflezighi’s potential or what went into Nike’s decision to drop him, but Skechers certainly looks like the smarter brand today.

Indeed, Nike is suffering somewhat from the news that it dropped Keflezighi because of his age — did anyone pay attention to his performance? But it's Skechers who lucked out big time, with America’s first Boston Marathon winner in years running in its newly available elite running shoes.