Sales of Nike shoes scored a strong home run

The firm, which also owns the Nike Golf and Converse brands, said profits rose to $301m (£171m) on strong sales in the US of its upmarket athletic footwear.

Growth was also buoyant in China and Latin America, but sales slowed in Europe and Japan.

Future orders rose 2.5% compared with the same quarter last year, to $5.2bn.

However, this figure did not match forecasts.

"Future growth looks a little less robust than analysts had been expecting," said analyst Jamelah Leddy at McAdams Wright Ragen.

Competition builds

Nike is facing increased competition in light of a pending merger between Adidas-Salomon and Reebok International.

However, on domestic turf the Oregon-based firm has benefited from large retailers such as Foot Locker reallocating shelf space away from rival Reebok's products in favour of Nike Air Force 1 footwear and Puma's European-style shoes.

Additionally, Nike's expansion beyond traditional athletic shoe stores into general merchandise chains and sporting goods stores has helped boost US sales, the company said.