Rockport Runners Led by Dr. Andy Baldwin of "The Bachelor" Finish Strong at the 2009 NYC Marathon

Proud Team of Rockport Runners Wear DresSports Dress Shoes to put the Style to
the Test
CANTON, Mass.--(Business Wire)--
Today, a team of eight avid runners representing The Rockport Company
(www.rockport.com), led by Dr. Andy Baldwin of "The Bachelor: An Officer and a
Gentleman" ran the 26.2 mile 2009 ING New York City Marathon in their DresSports
2 dress shoes from Rockport. First introduced in 1983, the classic DresSports
are engineered with adidas performance inspiration. The marriage of athletic
innovation and sophisticated dress style carries through to today`s second
generation that was launched August 2009: DresSports 2.

The DresSports 2 collection provided unparalleled athletic innovation design and
comfort for the Rockport running team during the NYC Marathon. The team running
the marathon in Rockport DresSports is a testament to how the shoes can
withstand whatever daily marathon their wearer faces as a metropolitan
professional.

Clad in specially designed Rockport running outfits, the team, which represents
five different countries - the US, China, Sweden, South Korea and France -
completed the NYC Marathon with impressive finish times as follows:

* Luan Ye Mao (China) - 3:16:56
* Dr. Andy Baldwin (US) - 3:21:33
* Patrick Blary (France) - 3:34:57
* Simon Philippe (France) - 3:34:57
* YongTaek Kim (South Korea) - 4:00:23
* Kort Sonnentag (US) - 4:16:22
* Michael Bernsteen (US) - 4:16:24
* Robert "Jojje" Karlsson (Sweden) - 4:33:26

Rockport began run testing shoes in the 1990s, and takes wear testing to the
extreme by running in the dress shoes, and that tradition continues today. The
DresSports 2 collection includes four styles for men and is now available
worldwide at premium department stores, independent retail stores, Rockport
retail stores and on rockport.com. Furthermore, a Limited Edition DresSports 2
style with a limited run of 500 pairs, each individually numbered, and
celebrating the NYC Marathon with a uniquely designed heel logo and a unique
footbed that illustrates the NYC Marathon route, was made available globally at
retail on Saturday, October 31, 2009 as well as www.rockport.com. Heralding
Rockport`s commitment to fitness and comfort, even in one`s daily 7am to 7pm
marathon, twenty dollars from the sale of each pair of Limited Edition
DresSports (not to exceed $10,000) will be donated to ING `s Run for Something
Better program through the Orange Laces campaign.

About Rockport

The Rockport Company, LLC, is a leading brand within the adidas Group corporate
portfolio and the top brown shoe company in the United States. Rockport has a
heritage of innovation and offers comfortable footwear for men and women
worldwide. The Rockport Company, LLC, was established in the United States in
1971 and is headquartered in Canton, Massachusetts. The company currently
distributes footwear to more than 70 countries. For more information, visit
www.rockport.com.

About the ING Run For Something Better

The ING Run For Something Better is a fundraising campaign that supports
community and school-based youth running programs. Linked to ING's long-distance
race sponsorships, the program was created to introduce kids to the benefits of
sport, a habit of physical fitness, and a healthy lifestyle that prevents
conditions such as childhood obesity. In today's world of poor nutrition and
less-active lifestyles-which may contribute to childhood obesity-ING is using
its position as a sponsor of marathons as a platform for helping kids get fit
through free, school-based running programs. Nationally, ING has committed over
$2.5 million to fund grants and school-based running programs through ING Run
For Something Better. Since 2006, over a half a million dollars has been raised
by individual donors through the orange laces program. ING has also created a
special charitable fund to encourage others to support the cause by making their
own contribution. When someone donates $10 or more to the ING Run For Something
Better, ING will recognize their contribution by giving them a special pair of
orange shoelaces to wear showing that they are "tied" to supporting kids'
fitness. 100% of the proceeds from the sale of orange laces go to the ING Run
For Something Better fitness programs. For more information about the orange
laces, go to www.orangelaces.com.

For The Rockport Company, LLC:
Mark Tanno, 917-940-8143
Account Director
Mark.Tanno@mcsaatchi.com
or
Sandra Carreon-John, 212-518-7642
Senior Vice President
Sandra.Carreonjohn@mcsaatchi.com

Copyright Business Wire 2009