House of Hoops is a new retail concept that has opened in New York City. It is a joint venture between Nike Inc. and Foot Locker Inc. and is devoted to basketball.

This first joint retail project by Nike and Foot Locker brings Nike, Jordan Brand and Converse products exclusively under one roof. The team plans to open 50 House of Hoops across the US over the next three years.

The New York House of Hoops flagship store features basketball products. It carries exclusive footwear, not available anywhere else in the US. Among them are limited edition, personalized performance shoes carrying the embellishments that such All Star players as Kobe Bryant, Jason Kidd and rookie, Kevin Durant, wear on the court.

Upper end athletic footwear sales lagged during the waning months of 2007. House of Hoops represents an apparent effort to jump start momentum in this category.