Running Insight 11.01.18

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OUT OF L R O C NT O 2019 shoes are redefining the concept of stability.

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RUNNING INSIGHT

MOTION CONTROL

It’s time we broadened our concept of stability. / By Jonathan Beverly

S

omething is missing from the 19th version of Brook’s best-selling Adrenaline, released on November 1. This signature stability model

no longer has a medial post to reduce pronation. By Spring 2020, all of Brooks’ shoes, even the venerable Beast, will be post-less.

Whether you view this as a sign that the end

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RUNNING INSIGHT ® is a registered trademark of Diversified Communications. © 2018 all rights reserved. Running Insight is published twice each month, is edited for owners and top executives at running specialty stores and available only via email.The opinions by authors and contributors to Running Insight are not necessarily those of the editors or publishers. Articles appearing in Running Insight may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the express permission of the publisher.

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is coming or a harbinger of a new enlightened age, the departure, from a company known for motion control, marks a turning point in how we think about stability. Many say

RUNNING INSIGHT

The Stability Debate (continued)

it is about time.

Everyone in the industry agrees that the connection between motion and injury has been suspect for years.

Never A Control Issue

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poor job of controlling it, even if we wanted to. “In a motion control shoe, the foot is rotating very nicely on top of that platform — it’s not doing anything,” says Simon Bartold, podiatrist, shoe consultant and blogger @bartoldbiomecha.

Physical therapist and author Jay Dicharry says, “Do you really think an eight-to-13-ounce piece of material is going to stop or control or eliminate motion in a 180 to 200 pound skeleton? No.” What the Shoes Do

This is the type of evidence

and reasoning that led to the minimalist movement and on this point, the minimalists weren’t wrong. They also weren’t wrong that shoes are a source of the problem. Experts agree that control features in a shoe are solving an issue created by the shoe itself.

“I don’t think there are shoes that make our body more stable, but there certainly are shoes that make our body less stable,” says Geoffrey Gray, president of the Heeluxe biomechanics lab. “The closer we get a foot to the ground, in general the more stable it is going to be. But that’s also going © 2018 Diversified Communications

Photo: On Running

I n h i s 2 010 b o ok , “Biomechanics of Sports Shoes,” kinesiology professor Benno Nigg wrote, based on his studies over the previous decades, “Pronation is a natural movement of the foot and ‘excessive pronation’ is a very rare phenomenon.

Shoe developers, shoe stores, and medical centers should not be too

concerned about ‘pronation’ and ‘overpronation.’”

“The science has been around since well back into the ’90s,” says Spencer White, VP of Saucony’s Human Performance & Innovation Lab. “There is no correlation between how much the foot moves and who is getting hurt. It doesn’t matter how much you pronate, it matters whether your body can handle how much you pronate. It’s not a motion thing, it is a stress on the body thing.”

Not only is pronation rarely bad, but devices in shoes do a

RUNNING INSIGHT

The Stability Debate (continued)

The Spire 3 epitomizes 361°’s focus on providing mild stability without devices through geometries, materials and exceptional fit.

to exact a price on other features we like in a shoe.”

Shoes primarily provide cushioning — both impact reduction and spreading forces underfoot.

But cushioning and distance from the ground creates instability.

Some people have no problems with that instability, while others need or prefer additional structure underfoot to help counteract its effects.

A Signal to the Brain

The full-length guide rails on Altra’s Paradigm are an extension of the midsole, providing proprioceptive feedback only when the foot tires.

Brooks has dropped the medial post on the 19th version of its Adrenaline in lieu of “guiderails” to provide smoother and more holistic stability.

Through differently-sized “Cloud” pods on the medial versus the lateral side of their Cloudace, On gives the runner a few milliseconds more time to activate the body’s own stabilizing mechanism.

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Keep in mind, however, that even a structured shoe doesn’t physically control motion. “Your foot is an actively modulated spring. Your body controls what those bones do — they are not controlled by a shoe,” says Dicharry. “What you’re trying to do is find the right filter between you and the ground.”

“The shoe is providing a signal to the brain that enables the movement pattern,” Bartold adds.

Nigg agrees: “I think that the shoe is more a proprioceptive instrument than it is a mechanical instrument. It seems not to be the mechanical effect of the support, it seems to be the neuromotor effect that the supports provide.”

This doesn’t mean stability devices are entirely about feel and could be replaced with a well-placed thorn in your sock (although that would clearly reduce motion). “The shoe is actually doing some physical work, just not very much,” says White. “It doesn’t dramatically change how your body moves, but it does change how that force is distributed under your foot.

The body is adapting because of how load is being applied under the foot.”

And changing the loading of the foot helps some runners, even if it isn’t altering their motion

path. “Just because a shoe doesn’t control the motion of a foot doesn’t mean there aren’t some runners who really need a shoe that does have some added level of stability built in,” says White.

Nigg admits that even though we can’t prove they prevent injury, stability shoes work better for some runners. “Some people like to have support under the arch and some people don’t like that. And the group that likes support under the arch is not a small group,” Nigg says.

“To have a control shoe on the market is nothing bad, it just doesn’t control.”

Podiatrist and professor of applied biomechanics Kevin Kirby agrees that science hasn’t proven that dual-density midsoles work — but also hasn’t proved that they don’t, and in clinical practice he’s seen them help runners. “Anything that limits medial midsole deformation, for some runners, is going to be very beneficial and comfortable,” says Kirby. “It would be a mistake to totally eliminate some sort of stability or motion control shoes for those who need it.”

Why Change Now?

Regardless of why they work, if motion-control shoes with medial posts have helped runners, why should the industry change?

Bartold says, “The potential benefit in the dual density midsole shoe is durability. But the penalty is weight, the penalty is lack of feedback, the penalty is ride — there are so many different things.”

Brooks echoes these ideas when explaining why its new technology is an improvement.

“Moving away from a bigger, blockier post, you’re going to © 2018 Diversified Communications

The new Cloudflyer Waterproof.

Run on clouds.

RUNNING INSIGHT

The Stability Debate (continued)

The J-frame on Hoka’s Arahi 3 and Gaviota 2 adds structure and durability to the foot-cradling geometry that stabilizes the ride in all Hokas.

A thin piece of plastic adds a hint of stiffness to the medial side of Saucony’s Liberty ISO, while the easily compressed Everun foam reduces landing torques.

experience more of the cushioning you want underfoot,” says Jon Teipen, senior global footwear product line manager at Brooks. “Also, the shoe’s going to be lighter, transition better.”

Rather than a post, what you’ll find in the new Adrenaline and other Brooks stability shoes is called “guiderails”— firmer material on top of the midsole running along the perimeter of the heel and midfoot. In addition to being lighter and smoother, the guiderail promises to be less prescriptive than a full post, thus it should work for a wider range of runners.

“It doesn’t go all the way down to the ground, so gives the shoe a little bit of play,” says Teipen.

“It’s not going to be a firm block on the medial side of the shoe.

The more you evert, the more the guiderail will push back on you.”

The rail also provides support on the lateral side of the heel, designed to reduce sideways rotation of the heel that puts strain on the knee.

Many Roads to Stability

Salomon provides stability in ITS Sonic RA Pro with the geometry, adjusting how much shoe falls medially and laterally of a longitudinal decoupling groove.

Skechers uses a tri-density midsole in ITS Forza 3, but combines it with adjustments in geometry, fit and materials.

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Expanding the ways shoes provide stability is a welcome change. Bartold says, “What Brooks has done with the guiderails seems like a far more sensible design feature than any form of dual density, because, in effect, it will give a total footcradling effect.”

Brooks isn’t the only company using such a system. Altra has had guiderails on its Paradigm since it’s inception over five years ago, enhancing the stability inherent in their wider, foot-shaped and zero-drop geometry.

“The Guiderails do not affect the foot when it is functioning correctly,” says co-founder Golden Harper. “However, when

the foot starts to fatigue or collapse in too much, the foot hits the GuideRail, which then causes a proprioceptive reaction to track straighter.”

Hoka’s shoes, dating from their first model in 2010, have also provided stability through a cradling geometry. “When we sat the foot deeper down into the midsole and kept the platform wide enough, that seemed to create a more stable ride for a variety of runners,” says Hoka global product line manager Zack Paris. “Those sidewalls created the ‘active foot frame’ and they’re designed to act as rails to guide the foot, rather than push the foot outwards.” The J-frame you find on Hoka’s stability models simply reinforces this geometry cradling the heel and midfoot.

Beyond guiderails, brands are starting to explore a variety of strategies to improve both the holistic stability of shoes and their ride. White and Grey talk about landing zones that don’t increase the torque around the joints of the foot. Bartold mentions geometrical decoupling.

Dicharry discusses ground feel, last shape, plates, foams.

“Stability is a function of so many features such as sole geometry, stack height, midsole hardness, outsole, upper materials and how they are structured — not just medial posting,” says Kurt Stockbridge footwear development VP at Skechers Performance. “Each of these levers can be pushed and pulled to make a great stability shoe without it having to look like what we typically picture today.”

The move away from a simplistic, single-solution idea of motion control shouldn’t be a shock.

“The community is taking a large gasp of surprise that Brooks has © 2018 Diversified Communications

tptherapy.com

RUNNING INSIGHT

The Stability Debate (continued) Perpetuating a onedimensional sort for footwear has done a disservice to the running community. “The challenge is coming up with a simple way to communicate what is a very complicated set of physics and biology.”

SPENCER WHITE, SAUCONY

done this,” says Bartold. “I don’t think we should be surprised; it is a natural progression based on the science of the day, that’s where we’re going.

Evolution Has Been Slow

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If nothing else, the gradual elimination of the medial post should help the industry move away from the view that stability equals reducing pronation.

Perpetuating a one-dimensional sort for footwear has done a disservice to the running community.

Moving away from assessing pronation to talking about forces and levers and load attenuation can be overwhelming. “The challenge is coming up with a simple way to communicate what is a very complicated set of physics and biology,” says White. That is a challenge run specialty can embrace as we help consumers explore the increasingly complex – and exciting – array of workable options. n © 2018 Diversified Communications

Photo: 361

White says, “I wouldn’t say there has been a giant revolution in our understanding as much as a steady evolution that has consistently shown that it’s not a simple matter of measuring the motion of the heel to determine if you need some added stability.”

If anything, the surprise should be that the industry has been so slow to evolve. The knee-jerk reaction of minimalism and its backlash may have slowed progress in the public perception. But mostly, it comes down to inertia.

“We’ve got consumers who have had a positive experience and any time we’ve had a positive experience, we want to go back to that. It’s a big step for that consumer to say I’m going to derail myself from what I’m used to,” says Tom Garza, product VP of global footwear at 361°.

The simple solution has also been easy to sell. “You put a device in there, the perception is you’re controlling something,” says Garza. “It’s the first thing the consumer identifies with support — when you walk to the wall and turn that shoe around and see the medial grey matter, the consumer today has been educated enough to know, ‘That is my support shoe.’ That is the giant hurdle: perception is reality.”

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RUNNING INSIGHT

What Running Retail Apocalypse?

Running specialty has endured its share of punches, but optimism is here in 2018. / By Daniel P. Smith

W

e’ve seen the headlines and heard the warnings: The retail apocalypse is upon us.

Besieged by changing consumer shopping habits and the encroachment of online shopping, brick-and-mortar stores are enduring a slow, torturous death.

To be certain, conventional retail is in flux – and running specialty hasn’t escaped the swirling winds.

Quantitatively, the numbers don’t lie. After the number of specialty athletic footwear stores peaked at 1343 in 2007, there’s been a slow, yet steady decline, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures. In recent years, participation in road races has fallen steadily as well, shrinking running stores’ core base of customers.

Anecdotally, too, the results don’t paint a

rosy picture. Once-prominent players like Luke’s Locker and City Sports stumbled into Chapter 11 bankruptcy, while The Finish Line sold its collection of some five dozen specialty run stores to CriticalPoint Capital in 2017 for the grand price of “zero.”

After years and years of encouraging growth to start the 21st century, run specialty has endured tough times of late. Run stores have closed, sales in the channel have softened, vendors have adjusted their plans and simply opening the door to a running shop stocked with the latest footwear and gear doesn’t translate into sales as it once did.

But amid the doomsday forecasts and unfortunate struggles, another truth bears discussion: across the U.S., there are existing run shops opening new locations and expanding their current stores as well as

dynamic new players entering the running retail landscape with a fresh perspective.

In recent months, Athlete’s Edge opened its second store in Albuquerque, NM; Runners Roost debuted its ninth unit in Colorado; and The Running Well Store launched its third store in metro Kansas City. Meanwhile, new running shops popped up in places like Vancouver, WA, Austin, TX, Concord, NC, Eau Claire, WI, and Boulder, CO, where Mark Plaatjes, founder of the Boulder Running Company, recently re-entered the running specialty game with the launch of In Motion Running, a combination running store/physical therapy clinic.

“There are a lot of fears around the changes in the industry and while I do believe poorly-run retail is dead, I believe just as strongly that well-run retail is poised

Opened last December in Austin, TX, The Loop Running Supply Company is one of a number of run specialty shops the U.S. has welcomed over the last 18 months.

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© 2018 Diversified Communications

RUNNING INSIGHT

Retail Resistance (continued)

The Running Well Store in Kansas City has grown from one unit to three units over the last three years.

Active NW debuted in Vancouver, WA, this summer. The store is as much about community as it is about selling running shoes.

to survive because it can provide a level of customer service that online simply can’t compete with,” says Kathy Gates, who purchased The Running Well Store in 2013 and has opened two additional locations in the past three years.

embraced a different take on the traditional running store. Active NW, which opened last July, features kombucha and craft beer on tap, certified coaches on staff and Tuesday night fun runs that end at the neighboring bar, Ben’s Bottle Shop, another Christly business.

“I’ve said time and again, we’re not reinventing the wheel, just trying to make it better,” Christly says.

In Kansas City, Gates says The Running Well Store has been able to thrive and grow in a competitive environment with a genuine focus on the introductory runner.

“You know,” Gates says, “that person so nervous about coming into a running store that you can almost see the fear on their face.”

Gates credits her staff, a diverse collection of individuals from college runners to yogis to teachers, with helping to put

A Calculated Game Plan

Metro Austin, TX, once hosted about a dozen run specialty shops, including major players like Luke’s Locker and RunTex. As those stores evaporated, however, others stepped in to fill the void. Among them are Ryan and Pam Hess, who opened The Loop Running Supply Company in Austin last December.

“It was pretty obvious to us someone needed to be here selling shoes and gear, but we didn’t think it could be what all the others had been — a big footprint with tons of overhead,” Pam 14

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Hess says.

The Loop’s formula leans heavily on mindful inventory control, community building and branding. The 1300-squarefoot storefront, which The Loop shares with the Gilbert’s Gazelles training group, includes a carefully curated selection of stylish, “boutiquey” running brands such as Tracksmith, Satisfy and RunBK. The branding, meanwhile, is refined and gender-neutral, a hip vibe emanating from The Loop’s logo to the contemporary and artistic store design. On the communitybuilding front, The Loop’s “Ring of Runners” is an all-inclusive, singlet-donning group open to anyone who runs.

“This is the recipe we feel can work in central Austin,” Hess says.

At Active NW in Vancouver, WA, Ben Christly has similarly

the novice runner at ease. The staff is sincere and welcoming, earnestly invested in customers pursuing a more active life.

While that type of devoted customer service isn’t necessarily new in the run specialty channel, which has long worked to soften the intimidation some consumers feel with high-touch sales staff, The Running Well Store takes it up a notch. Gates says her team members are uberattentive, focused on serving customers right the fi rst time, building emotional connections and adding value with simple tips from providing directions to serene running locations to inviting customers to a group run.

“They engage these customers in a way that transcends the transaction and that makes a giant impression,” Gates says, adding that introductory runners represent about half of her © 2018 Diversified Communications

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RUNNING INSIGHT

Retail Resistance (continued) client base. “This has proven to be a great business model and put me in the position where I could expand.”

Bullish on Run Specialty

The owner of Runners Soul in Spokane, WA, since 2010, Scott Conrad recently expanded his portfolio with the July debut of the Mill Creek Running Company, a 1200-square-foot store on the outskirts of Walla Walla, WA. Like many, Conrad has heard about retail’s demise.

“It’s too easy for all of us to say the run specialty channel’s going in the wrong direction,” Conrad says. “I believe that if you invest in a store with true conviction, then you can still continue to be successful in

our industry.”

Conrad is bullish on his new store’s prospects, confident that he’s brought on the right people – led by local teacher, coach and run camp director Mike Locati – and has the right marketplace positioning to build a sustainable business. To deepen community ties, Mill Creek plans on launching a community giveback program later this year and plans to host “Trolley Trots” that follow the town’s trolley lines. To diversify his inventory, Conrad is also exploring selling the Zero Runner treadmill in store as well.

“To open your doors and expect people to come in is the wrong approach,” Conrad says. “We have to be willing to think about doing things a bit differently.”

Working to differentiate The Loop Running Supply Company, Pam and Ryan Hess have paired a dynamic interior space and “boutiquey” brands with an energized community focus.

That willingness to define a new way of doing business, to double down on the most personal and unique aspects of the run specialty channel, is spurring fresh optimism, especially as running participation begins to climb. In the recently released 2018 SFIA State of the Industry Report, total participation in the three major running categories (running/jogging, treadmill and trail running) climbed for the first time in five years.

Numerous retailers consulted for this story, both on and off the record, say they can feel business turning as store traffic and sales figures rise.

“I feel the future for run specialty is strong, particularly for those who continue evolving with the times and our markets,” The Loop’s Hess says.

Christly, too, sees the promise, which is why he invested in opening a run store in spite of the doomsday forecasts.

“I feel a large generation of people are tired of shopping online for products they’re only going to return,” Christly says. “People are clamoring – even if they don’t know it – for footwear advice, training runs, expert thoughts, community involvement and a central hub they can operate out of. That’s great for run specialty and our future.” n 16

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© 2018 Diversified Communications

RUNNING INSIGHT

The Gardener Mentality Running retailers can learn a lot by getting their hands dirty once in a while. / By Parker Karnan

I

don’t like gardening. My wife loves it, and so the other day I accompanied her to our local nursery. As she was shopping for Hydrangeas, I wandered around the store and came across the following Chinese proverb.

“If you want to be happy for a day, get drunk.

If you want to be happy for a weekend, get married.

If you want to be happy for a week, roast a pig.

If you want to be happy for a lifetime, become a gardener.”

As a happily married teetotaler who hates gardening, I can’t relate to much

of the proverb. But here’s what I know about gardeners. They think long term and find joy in nurturing their gardens in anticipation of what they will be some day.

Accomplished gardeners prune back their flowers, cutting off heads knowing the bloom will be twofold in seasons to come.

The specialty running industry has undergone some pruning the last few years. Stores sold; others perished. However, industry gardeners are beginning to see new blooms.

Let’s start with the vendor community.

Our vendors fall into two camps — harvesters and gardeners. The harvesters invested when our channel was booming and divested when it slowed. There is nothing wrong

with being an opportunist. I get it. Good business is good business.

But gardener vendors are in business for a different reason. They have continued to invest over the past few years because they believe in the importance of new runners and know that specialty is the essential ingredient in creating them. For these vendors it’s not about whether they are in or out or whether running is in vogue or not. Running is their business, and they are committed to it. These vendors are gaining market share and should deservingly reap the rewards as the next bloom approaches.

The same goes for retailers. Retail gardeners are emerging as leaders in their

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Gardener Mentality (continued) respective markets. These retailers leaned into the slowdown and invested in customer experience.

The recipe was straightforward. 1. Reduce debt.

2. Scrutinize inventory to increase turns/ cash flow.

3. Invest in team.

4. Focus on community outreach.

5. Vocalize brand digitally.

As a result, more great stores and fewer bad stores exist. Previously crowded territories are less so and with a few exceptions it’s easier to identify the stores that have grown the deepest roots in each town or city.

We are seeing stabilization at specialty retail. Footwear unit sales in our channel are up one percent. More importantly profit margins are up. Stores are managing their inventory, decreasing closeouts and maintaining the average footwear selling price, which is about $112. The glut of inventory

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created by closing stores has dissipated, and MAP policing efforts by the vendors are paying dividends. The performance running shoe landscape is clean.

Harvesting retailers have shifted their focus to athletic lifestyle sneakers. In sporting goods and mall-based stores, athletic lifestyle shoes are over 50 percent of sales and are up 27 percent in the last 12 months.

These retailers are divesting in running shoes, which are down eight percent in units.

The gardener mentality maintains our perspective and motivates us to cultivate what’s sustainable and worry less about the current hype. It helps us recognize that seasons are temporary not permanent. It enables us to prioritize where to invest and divest.

It makes us better leaders and champions for our industry. It requires us to get our hands dirty from time to time, but as the proverb says, “If you want to be happy for a lifetime, become a gardener.” n

Parker Karnan will be a featured speaker at The Running Event. On November 28, he will present on The State of the industry and, along with his colleague Erin Flynn, conduct a workshop on “Executing a Digital Marketing Strategy for a Running Store.”

© 2018 Diversified Communications

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RUNNING INSIGHT

Changes at the Top At New Balance Joe Preston to become CEO at New Balance; Rob DeMartini will step down at end of year.

L

ong-time New Balance execeutive Joe Preston will take over as president and CEO of New balance on Jan 1, 2019 when Rob DeMartini will step down.

DeMartini led New Balance for 12 years and oversaw global growth of the athletic brand from $1.5 billion in 2007 to $4.2 billion in 2018. During that time, New Balance regained a strong position in the specialty running category, expanded international sales to 65 percent from 30 percent and made significant strides in its apparel, retail and e-commerce business.

The company also had one of the highest growth rates in the industry in recent years, averaging an 11 percent compound annual growth rate. DeMartini championed the brand’s long-standing commitment to owned-manufacturing and played a key role in working with U.S. government and industry officials to secure implementation of Berry Amendment legislation for athletic footwear.

Under DeMartini’s watch, New Balance became much more aggressive with consumer marketing and signing athletes to endorsement deals.

“New Balance is a very special company, built on the values of teamwork, integrity and total customer satisfaction established

by Jim and Anne Davis,” says DeMartini.

“It has truly been a privilege to add to the foundation our ownership established and I will forever be grateful for the warm welcome I was afforded by the Davis Family, our associates and industry partners when I was a newcomer to the world of footwear and apparel.”

“We have an incredible team of associates and partners around the globe and together we will drive even greater speed, agility and innovation in this modern age of retail ...”

JOE PRESTON, NEW BALANCE

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Joe Preston will take the helm at New Balance on January 1, replacing Rob DeMartini as president and CEO.

Preston, currently chief commercial officer, began his New Balance career in 1995 as senior product manager, Running and Custom Products. He was named VP– international, Asia/Pacific in 2002, and VP–international in 2005, and was promoted to executive VP–international in January 2008. He was later named to lead the brand’s Global Product, R&D and Sports Marketing.

“I’m honored and humbled to take on this role and want to thank Rob for his leadership over the past 12 years,” says Preston. “We have an incredible team of associates and partners around the globe and together we will drive even greater speed, agility and innovation in this modern age of retail and

continue to build this iconic brand while strengthening our purpose-driven culture.”

“Joe is an experienced industry leader who knows our customers, partners and consumers well,” adds DeMartini. “He is a talented executive who embraces the brand’s core values and is a great choice to lead New Balance into the future.”

DeMartini joined New Balance in May 2007 from Tyson Foods where he was group VP–consumer products. Prior to that, his career at Procter & Gamble spanned more than 20 years, beginning in their Food & Beverage Division and including management roles with the Gillette Company, North American Snacks and Millstone Coffee. n © 2018 Diversified Communications

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TW N TO OO HE RU FAC F G T E DIN E AT SOL 7 A GR S AM 4 UP TEBA VIBR #14 LI SIT OTH TI H VI T BO W A R EA

VIBRAM LITEBASE

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RUNNING INSIGHT

running shorts Brooks Launches Adrenaline GTS 19 Featuring GuideRails Support System

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rooks Running Company has brought its GuideRails support system to the Adrenaline GTS franchise with the new Adrenaline GTS 19, launching Nov. 1. The updated GuideRails system delivers support that focuses on stability at the most injuryprone part of a runner’s body, the knee.

The Adrenaline GTS 19 is available online at www.brooksrunning.com and at retailers worldwide for $130.

GuideRails are a result of Run Signature, Brooks’ biomechanics paradigm that begins with the understanding that there is no single right way to run; rather, the individual’s unique way of running will allow the body

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The new Brooks Adrenaline GTS19 featuring the company’s GuideRails system.

© 2018 Diversified Communications

ASK ULTRARUNNER, TJ BOTTOM, IF OUR MERINO WOOL SOCKS ARE LIGHT. ACTUALLY, IN THIS CASE THEY’RE ULTRA-LIGHT. — JÜSSI OKSANEN LUGGED CAMERA GEAR A COUPLE THOUSAND FEET UP FOR THIS PIC. HE APPRECIATED HOW LIGHT THEY ARE TOO. ULTRA-LIGHT.

VERTE X MICRO CRE W

RUNNING INSIGHT

running shorts to perform at its best when footwear works with an individual’s unique motion path.

The GuideRails system replaces the Progressive Diagonal Rollbar and offers runners more versatile support because while Support runners may rely on GuideRails all the time, Neutral runners may only use them when their stride falls out of place.

Similar to bumpers in bowling, GuideRails are there when runners need them and out of the way when they don’t. They work to reduce excess heel and shin rotation to keep natural knee motion within a safe range, so runners can run without pain or discomfort.

The Adrenaline GTS 19 is the first shoe to feature the new GuideRails holistic support system, which features two unique

parts — an inner wall to stabilize calcaneal eversion and an outer wall that limits excess calcaneal shifting. The updated version of the storied GTS also provides softer cushioning underfoot with a combination of new DNA Loft and BioMoGo DNA as well as a modernized fit with engineered mesh and 3D Fit Print on the upper.

The new GuideRails support system will also appear in the Transcend 6 debuting Jan. 1, 2019 and the Ravenna 9 coming out Feb. 1, 2019.

Dallas Marathon Partners With Garmin

The Dallas Marathon has named Garmin as its official running watch and timing clock sponsor. Garmin will be taking part

Garmin’s ForeRunner 645 Music.

2UNDR KEEPS YOU

SAFE FROM

THE CHAFE FEATURING THE PATENTED JOEY POUCH™

Contructed with premium fabrics, the patented Joey Pouch delivers the perfect fit while preventing unwanted skin contact for ultimate comfort.

See us at TRE booth #1421 26

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© 2018 Diversified Communications

RUNNING INSIGHT

running shorts in Dallas Marathon’s portfolio of events leading up to and throughout race weekend.

The company showcased several of its latest products at the five BMW 5K Social Runs in October and will continue the effort throughout November, as well as the Health and Fitness Expo on Dec. 7 and Post-Race Parties during race weekend, Dec. 8-9.

“We are excited to collaborate with the BMW Dallas Marathon as this year’s official running watch and timing clock sponsor,”

says Susan Lyman, Garmin VP– global consumer marketing. “As a company with a strong focus on physical fitness and leading an active lifestyle, we see the BMW Dallas Marathon as a great event to connect with thousands of runners of all skill levels and encourage them to ‘Beat Yesterday.’”

The BMW Dallas Marathon Weekend of Events directly benefits Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children. The Dallas Marathon has donated more than $4 million to the hospital since

RunGuard TRE18 PSP v6.pdf 1 9/9/2018 4:38:46 PM

naming Scottish Rite as its primary beneficiary in 1997.

Thomas Signs With NB

New Balance has signed Harvard sprinter Gabby Thomas to a multi-year endorsement contract. Thomas is a native of Florence, MA, and has worn New Balance throughout her collegiate career.

Thomas will wear the New Balance Vazee Sigma and the Vazee Verge for competition and trains in the brand’s Fresh Foam 890 and 1400v4. Thomas will

join sprinters Vernon Norwood and Trayvon Bromell on Team New Balance.

T hom a s won t he 2 0 0 m 2018 NCA A Indoor Track and Field Championships and took second in the D1 NCAA Outdoor National Track and Field Championships. Following her college competitions, Thomas spent the summer competing in Europe in the Diamond League, making the final and running a personal best in London in her first year competing on the circuit. n

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© 2018 Diversified Communications

NEW STYLES for 2019!

athlete: Rory Bosio, 2-Time UTMB Champion artwork: Dennis Mukai reference photograph: Luis Escobar

LITE TRAIL RUNNING

TRAIL RUNNING

COLD WEATHER RUNNING

Official Sock THE BEST SOCKS ARE

See Us at Outdoor Retailer Booth # 51047-UL MADE IN USA

DRYMAXSPORTS.COM

RUNNING INSIGHT

Facing North The North Face expands its trail running line with both footwear and apparel. / By Judy Leand

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utdoor gear maker The Nor th Face is increasing its presence in the t rail r unning ma rket with new footwear as well as its first running vest for Spring 2019.

On the footwear front, The North Face will launch its three-model Ambition collection that includes gender-specific versions of the Ampezzo (SRP $130), Corvara (SRP $120) and Rovereto (SRP $90). The names of the models are inspired by the Italian Alps and the shoes feature the brand’s newly developed EXTS Outsole System. EXTS (an acronym for Exploration Trax System) is a proprietary three-part technology comprised of two sustainable rubber compounds – one stickier and one more durable – that provide traction on wet and dry terrain; a specific lug shape to maximize performance; and strategic lug placement that follows natural gait cycles.

EXTS was developed in The North Face’s Global Innovation Center with help from a biomechanist. The company’s new Flight Trinity trail running shoe (SRP $140) also boasts the outsole technology and beyond trail running, EXTS will figure prominently in a new hiking assortment.

On the apparel side, The North Face is expanding and modernizing its Ambition collection to better blend fashion and function. And for serious runners comes the Flight Better Than Naked Trail Vest (SRP $150), the brand’s first-ever entry into the hydration vest market. The garment was designed with input from the company’s team of ultra runners and boasts lightweight, breathable fabrics, an apparel-like fit to eliminate bulk and bounce, and includes front hydration bottle pockets, zip pockets, stash pockets and an upper back pocket to carry an additional water bladder. Distribution for the new trail running offerings will focus on running specialty retailers. n 30

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The men’s Flight Trinity delivers a seamless ripstop textile upper, a fully knitted internal bootie and a proprietary ETS outsole traction system.

Part of the new Ambition collection, the Ampezzo is designed for young, progressive Millennial explorers and includes a cushy XtraFoam midsole system. Available in both women’s (shown here) and men’s.

© 2018 Diversified Communications

PULSE

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NEW, EXPANDED LINE not available anywhere online

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A product line exclusive to brick & mortar specialty stores with new designs to fit more foot styles and preferences.

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www.powerstep.com // 888.237.3668 ©2018 Stable Step, LLC

THE RUNNING EVENT

ÂŽ

NOVEMBER 27-30, 2018 • AUSTIN, TX

An interactive, educational area on the exhibit hall floor devoted to the growing trail running category. Featuring presentations from top athletes, brands and retailers who will highlight opportunities around this evolving business.

Presenting Sponsors:

Content Partner:

Research Partner:

Supporting Sponsors: Special Seating Sponsor:

Visit www.therunningevent.com/trailhead for more details and a daily presentation schedule.