Business Notes

The flashy shoemaker L.A. Gear, which jumped quickly into the No. 3 spot behind Nike and Reebok, is winding up with a disappointing season. Last December a Marquette University basketball player tumbled to the ground when one of his L.A. Gear high-tops collapsed. Michael Jackson's L.A. Gear line flopped; many pairs were sold at a hefty discount. Last week the company projected that it would lose as much as $6 million in the fourth quarter. For all of 1990, it expects profits of $33 million on revenues of $900 million.

To rebuild L.A. Gear's momentum, chairman Robert Greenberg signed singer Paula Abdul to endorse her own line. The company also hopes youngsters will go for Sun Blossoms tennis shoes, which sport white vinyl flowers that change color in sunlight. To top it off, the company will launch Catapult, a $100 shoe designed to compete with Nike's Air Jordan and Reebok's the Pump.