The somewhat exaggerated bit at the beginning featuring the running shoes was product placement for Adidas, a sponsor thanked in the end credits.
The movie came out 2 years after Angel (1983), but was set 5 years later. Producer Keith Rubinstein and director Robert Vincent O'Neil felt that Donna Wilkes wasn't credible as a college graduate. The sequel's investors, however, insisted that Wilkes reprise her familiar role. Wilkes priced herself out of the market, and Betsy Russell was cast instead.