by Kevin Moore, MMARated.com Contributor The 2008 Olympics are right around the corner and many manufacturers have begun showcasing their new lines designed for the athletes performing in Beijing. As usual, Nike has blown the competition out of the water with an assortment of new technologies including the ones featured in it's combat sports shoe line. Let's take a look at the best they have to offer: For the future pugilists there is the Nike Machomai means "fight" in Greek. Nike is well-versed in designing boxing shoes for heavy hitters like Roy Jones Jr., however, the Olympic stage awards speed and points rather than knockouts. With that in mind, Machomai was credited to become the lightest boxing boot ever produced by Nike. The gum soles provide the fighter with a superb lightweight grip thus resulting in a superior shoe. Expect US boxers to wear a mid-cut Air Jordan variant of this shoe this summer. The ancient martial art of Wushu is attempting to be recognized as an official Olympic sport and the Nike Shaolinquan is designed with a minimal feel to not deter from the function of the shoe. Enscribed on the heel is the phrase "Hero inside. Release it." Wrestling's involvement in the Olympics can be traced back centuries to the original games. Unfortunately, the design of the Nike Inflict 2 seems just as old. It's an updated version of the 1997 edition, however, it doesn't really provide anything innovative to the highly competitive world of grappling. One positive note is that this shoe has improved since its previous model by removing unnecessary weight and paneling providing hopefuls with a more lightweight shoe. Also, the low profile midsole allows grapplers to have a lower stance. Sooner or later, Nike will enter the world of MMA. This seems to be inevitable. If an MMA fighter would want to train in a Nike shoe my best suggestion would be to try the Nike TKV. Initially designed for the Taekwondo event at the Olympics, the TKV is an open bottom shoe that allows for natural contact between foot and mat. In fact, Nike had Chinese team members, Luo Wei and Chen Zhong, help design this innovative shoe. If the rumors of Nike sponsoring Quinton "Rampage" Jackson are true, I would expect a similar signature model to hit stores sometime in the Fall or Winter.