ATHLETIC SHOE SALES NEED OLYMPIC BOOST

The nation's athletic footwear manufacturers could use a sales increase from their Olympic Games promotions: Growth in sales has slowed.

Even though retail sales of athletic footwear rose 5.3 percent in 1991 to hit $12.5 billion, this marked the fourth year that the rate of annual growth has dipped since the market's gain of 21 percent in 1988, according to Packaged Facts, a market research firm.