Runner Meets Running Back: Clinton Portis to Meet Northern Virginia Teen

WASHINGTON, DC--(Marketwire - October 25, 2007) - "Running is my addiction," 15-year-old Dakota Umbel wrote in her prize-winning entry to The Athlete's Foot (TAF) nationwide In My Shoes contest. On Tuesday, October 30th, she will meet a pro athlete who shares her need for speed, Redskins running back Clinton Portis, at The Athlete's Foot at 147 West Lee Highway in Warrenton, Virginia.

"The In My Shoes contest rewards aspiring young athletes who have shared their performance goals. The Athlete's Foot wants to encourage and motivate these everyday athletes by providing the opportunity for them to interact with pros from their communities who may serve as an inspiration," commented Robert W. D'Loren, President and CEO of NexCen Brands, Inc., parent company of TAF.

Dakota's written contest entry was one of hundreds submitted by teens around the country. In it, she eloquently expressed the power of individual sport, describing "herself" as her "toughest opponent" and her desire to "break the tape that separates the leader from the pack." A runner on the Fauquier High School cross country and track teams, Dakota has been a lifelong sports enthusiast who played volleyball before getting hooked on running.

"I'm excited about the chance to meet a pro-athlete like Clinton Portis," commented Dakota when she was notified she had won the opportunity. "I'm looking forward to talking with him about how he trains, his nutritional regimen -- anything that will help me improve my performance."

Clinton Portis and Dakota Umbel have quite a bit in common. As a high school student in Gainesville, Florida, Portis was a standout in track and field, clocking a 10.6 in the 100 meters and participating on a state-record 4x100 meter relay team and state champion 4x400 meter relay team. After playing college football at the University of Miami, he was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the second round of the 2002 draft and was named NFL Rookie of the Year. Traded to Washington in March of 2004, Portis has made his mark with the team, setting a franchise record for the most rushing yards in a season with 1,516 yards in 2006.

Clinton Portis and Dakota Umbel will meet on Tuesday, October 30, at Dakota's local Athlete's Foot store located at 147 West Lee Highway, Warrenton, VA 20186. There, Portis will make a public appearance, greeting fans and posing for pictures, from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. and will meet Dakota and present her with a gift card prize from 7:30 to 8:00 p.m. There will be no autographs at the event.

"We are thrilled to provide one of our local teen athletes with the unique opportunity to meet a pro-athlete from our area," said Linda Cook, local franchisee, The Athlete's Foot. "As a TAF owner, I am always pleased to encourage members of the community in their love of sport and their desire to perform at their personal best." The TAF In My Shoes campaign, which the retailer launched in late July invited students ages 13 to 18 nationwide to submit written or video (YouTube) entries stating their performance goals for the new school year. Local winners, selected from participating TAF stores, will receive a $75 TAF gift card.

In addition to the Warrenton event with Clinton Portis, nine other regional winners have won the opportunity to meet pro athletes from their communities, including:

-- Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver, Reggie Brown

-- Chicago White Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle

-- New York Knicks forward David Lee

-- Atlanta Falcons running back Warrick Dunn

-- Denver Broncos wide receiver Brandon Stokley

-- Detroit Lions quarterback Jon Kitna

-- Carolina Hurricanes goalie Cam Ward

-- Houston Texans running back Ahman Green

-- New Orleans Saints receiver Marques Colston

One national winner will have a one-on-one coaching session with one of the premier professional athletes in the country. The winner and athlete will be announced in late October.

About The Athlete's Foot (www.theathletesfoot.com)

The Athlete's Foot® (TAF) is the world's first franchisor of athletic footwear stores and is recognized today as the world leader in athletic footwear franchising. Robert and David Lando opened the first The Athlete's Foot store in 1971 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was the first athletic footwear specialty store of its kind in the United States. Soon thereafter, TAF began franchising domestically, with the first franchise store opening in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The first international franchise store opened in 1978 in Adelaide, Australia, the beginning of TAF's expansion into over 45 countries. In June, 2007, NexCen Brands launched a global re-branding effort for TAF. Plans for reinvigorating the 36 year-old brand to include an innovative new modular merchandising system, new in-store design, a modernized company logo, and a line of TAF branded apparel.

About NexCen Brands, Inc. (NASDAQ: NEXC) (www.nexcenbrands.com)

NexCen Brands, Inc. is the premier 21st century brand acquisition and management company focused on assembling a diversified portfolio of intellectual property-centric companies operating in the consumer branded products and franchise industries. The Company owns, licenses, franchises and markets a growing portfolio of consumer and franchise brands including The Athlete's Foot®, Bill Blass®, MaggieMoo's®, Marble Slab Creamery®, Pretzel Time®, Pretzelmaker® and Waverly®. The Company licenses and franchises its brands to a network of leading retailers, manufacturers and franchisees that includes every major segment of retail distribution from the luxury market to the mass market in the U.S. and in over 50 countries around the world, and consists of more than 1,500 franchised stores. NexCen, through its information technology, franchisee support systems and advertising, marketing and public relations team, markets its brands to continually drive greater consumer awareness and brand equity for each of its brands. NexCen touches nearly every aspect of a consumer's lifestyle from the food they eat to the furnishings in their homes and the clothes and footwear they purchase.