Toe Jam

By Melissa August, Harriet Barovick, Autumn De Leon, Andrew Goldstein, Tam Gray, Daniel Levy, Michele Orecklin, James Poniewozik and Desa Philadelphia

SELLING SOLES The athletic-shoe biz is worth more than $10 billion a year, so there's no shortage of people trying to create the next Rollerblade, Air Jordan or even a whole new sport. Here are some contenders and their chance (ranked by Michael Jordan heads) of catching on.

CROSSKATES Gimmick: Meld in-line skates, skis and dirt bikes New fad? [rated 2 Michael Jordan heads] Look freaky and dangerous, which helps

STRENGTH SHOES Gimmick: Build calf muscle by redistributing weight New fad? [rated 1/2 Michael Jordan head] Had some fans for 13 years, but haven't caught on big

REEBOK SNOWSHOES Gimmick: Hip look for old, high-calorie-burning fave New fad? [rated 3 Michael Jordan heads] Way cool, but Reebok's last entry, sliding, was a flop

SALOMON GRINDERS Gimmick: Slide along stairs or banisters without skates New fad? [rated 4 Michael Jordan heads] Sport even has an edgy name: "freestyle walking"