Running Insight 12.1.17

THE NEWSMAGAZINE FOR RUNNING SPECIALTY RETAILERS / RUNNINGINSIGHT.COM / DECEMBER 1, 2017

DECEMBER 1, 2017 / RUNNINGINSIGHT.COM

The Newsmagazine for Running Specialty Retailers.

#TRE17 PRODUCT PREVIEW THE RUNNING EVENT 2017 EXHIBITOR LISTINGS SUPPORTING RUN SPECIALTY DESTINATION RUN TALKING NIKE MEB 2.0 PRESENTING SPONSORS 361usa.com

bodyglide.com

balega.com

pro-tecathletics.com

nathansports.com

sofsole.com

F L Y

D O W N,

D O N ’ T

F A L L

D O W N

TERREX ® AGRAVIC XT GTX MADE FOR TECHNICAL TRAILS WHERE STABILITY AND PROTECTION ARE PARAMOUNT

Waterproof protection with enhanced breathability

BREATHABLE SOCK LIKE CONSTRUCTION For a snug fit and comfort

MIDSOLE Endless energy, and cushioning with high adaptability on rocky surfaces

RUBBER OUTSOLE Extraordinary grip in wet and dry conditions

Tag your tweets, updates and photos: #TRE17

INSIDE

10 Running Industry Weather Report The industry is creating a good forecast for the year ahead.

12 TRE New Product Preview From shoes and socks to apparel, electronics and gear— check out what’s new in Austin.

70 Supporting Run Specialty Competition among brands and retailers exists, but so does collaboration.

DECEMBER 1, 2017

78 Meb 2.0 The next chapter for one of our greatest runners. A conversation with Meb.

84 Profiling On Swiss shoe brand On has emerged as one of the channel’s most intriguing brands.

96 Eyes Ahead: Fleet Feet With the debut of its digitally powered fit id experience, Fleet Feet is focused on the future.

Pictured above: Will Leer, courtesy of Polar.

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© 2017 Formula4media LLC.

Stop by Booth #125 and let us know!

Instagram: @therunningevent Follow us on twitter: @therunningevent Find us on facebook: facebook.com/therunningevent

MORE INSIDE

104 Talking Nike

130 Polar’s Tech Training

Retailers and industry analysts weigh in on Nike’s plan to do more business through fewer doors.

112 Destination Run Running brands and design teams are honing in on the new running consumer who likes to combine traveling and running.

126 Running Trends By The Numbers Our Trend Insight report offers data on what different types of runners are looking for in their gear, footwear and apparel.

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Elite athletes sponsored by Polar share their technology and training routines with us.

134 New Cushioning Tech from UA New footwear tech from Under Armour will make its debut at retail in the brand’s HOVR Sonic shoe.

136 Exhibitor Listings A listing of trade show exhibitors and booth numbers.

© 2017 Formula4media LLC.

F R E E TO G O FA R T HER. Introducing the Liberty ISO. The ultimate in cushioning, with full-length EVERUN™, and just enough guidance to get you wherever you want to go.

Editor-in-Chief Mark Sullivan msullivan@formula4media.com 646-319-7878 Managing Editor Cara Griffin Senior Editor Bob McGee Contributing Editor Jennifer Ernst Beaudry Design Director Francis Klaess Art Director Mary McGann Associate Art Director Brandon Christie Contributors Emily Walzer Nancy Ruhling Daniel P. Smith Promotion Director chenderson@formula4media.com 516-305-4712

Publisher Troy Leonard tleonard@formula4media.com 352-624-1561 Advertising Christina Henderson chenderson@formula4media.com 516-305-4712 Jeff Gruenhut jgruenhut@formula4media.com 404-849-4156 Jeff Nott jnott@formula4media.com 516-305-4711 Sam Selvaggio sselvaggio@formula4media.com 212-398-5021 Katie O’Donohue kodonohue@formula4media.com 828-244-3043 Production Brandon Christie bchristie@formula4media.com 516-305-4710 Business Manager Marianna Rukhvarger mrukhvarger@formula4media.com 516-305-4709

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Running Insight® is a registered trademark of Formula4Media, LLC. © 2017 all rights reserved. Running Insight is published twice each month and is edited for owners and top executives at running specialty stores. 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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Formula4Media Publications: Sports Insight, Footwear Insight, Sports Insight Extra, Outdoor Insight, Team Insight, Textile Insight, Trend Insight, Running Insight, sportstyle

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THE #DarnTough

RUNNING SERIES

Running Industry Weather Report

A

Mark Sullivan Editor-in-Chief

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mom I know has a funny response when her kids ask her about the weather. “You want to know what the weather is, go outside. If it’s cold, you need a jacket. If its cloudy, then it’s probably going to rain. That’s what the weather is.”

So, if we in the running business want to know what’s coming, we should go outside, too.

Here’s the running forecast from my front porch...

Business is showing signs of life. Big brands tell me their 4th quarter 2017 and Q1 Futures bookings are good. The numerous store closures of the past year have resulted in a cleaner market that should get even cleaner after the holidays. Fewer stores run by better operators will make for a stronger, more profitable run specialty channel for the remaining stores.

Brands are betting on this scenario, too. Most of the big footwear vendors have begun to focus their run specialty resources on a fewer number of stores. They’ve cut back on servicing stores that do less than $50,000 in annual sales and have reduced spending on tech reps and other programs that have long been standard in the channel.

I have mixed feelings about some of these cutbacks. If I have a store that does $45,000 annually with Brand X and lose my rep, chances are damn slim that I’ll ever grow my business to $75,000 to $100,000 a year. Also, if a run store owner wants to maintain a specialty mix of products and not just carry the same brands and shoes as the big boxes, he or she needs to carry some challenger brands, even if it’s just one or two shoes. That means the buy could be as small as $10,000 a year. And while that’s important for both the store and the challenger brand, it will be tough for those vendors to service a bunch of $10,000 accounts and make money doing so.

The industry is hungry for leadership. If a brand or two break out of the pack with great product or business practices that can benefit the channel, others will step up their game and give a good chase.

In a race, leaders set the pace. In our business it’s no different. Our industry has seen a lot of great leadership over the past decade and the entire category has benefitted. We’re seeing early indicators of this again and that is a good sign for our business.

Finally (and this is more a statement of the new business reality than a forecast), the business has grown and evolved and many of the old rules and rivalries no longer apply. I respect that running store owners love to compete, and if that’s the case they have chosen the right profession. Because the competition is everywhere: online, down the block, at the mall and sometimes from their own suppliers. If you want to be successful, you have to work through it. That may mean altering your merchandise mix, selling more apparel and accessories and changing the way you sell and deliver product to your shoppers.

When I look out from my porch, I see a lot of good retailers being smart and creative and thriving in the process. They are creating their own good weather and that’s a wonderful sight to see. n

© 2017 Formula4media LLC.

Photographer Greg Mionske Athletes Hillary Allen, Rob Krar, Rory Bosio

THENORTHFACE.COM

#TRE17

SHAPE Activewear

THEPREVIEW New Products Finish First

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More than 290 brands will be showcasing their best and brightest (and newest) products at The Running Event. From insoles and shoes to safety gear and massage rollers, it will all be under one roof.

Here’s a preview of what you’ll see at the 12th annual show, which runs Nov. 28 through Dec. 1 at the Austin Convention Center.

© 2017 Formula4media LLC.

Z E R O G R A V I ZTEYR OF EG E L V &I T YE N RA F EEERL G Y R E T U R N & ENERGY RETURN

RUN CONNECTED

Z E R O GRAV I TY F E EL & ENERGY RETURN

BOOTH

#1330

TRE Product Preview (continued)

HOKA ONE ONE’S CAVU, $110

is a versatile running shoe with a bold and simple look. Part of the new FLY Collection, it takes the knowledge, techniques and materials that put HOKA on the map to produce a faster, lighter and more responsive shoe for a broader range of runners.

REEBOK’S FLOATRIDE RUN FAST PRO, $250

is a 3-ounce racing flat that takes the brand’s most innovative midsole material and engineers it to help athletes run fast without compromising protection and comfort. A lightweight engineered mesh upper delivers a second-skin fit for a distraction-free feel.

The individually injected rubber outsole is engineered for ultimate traction.

SALOMON’S SONIC RA RUNNING SHOE, $130

takes the science of road running to a new level. It features Vibe Technology and Geometric Decoupling and has a new fit and look.

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© 2017 Formula4media LLC.

BOOTH #331 Join us Wednesday, November 29th at 3:30 as we reveal the next step towards truly customized footwear.

TRE Product Preview (continued)

ALTRA FOOTWEAR’S DUO, $71.50

is a max-light neutral trainer. It has 30 mm of cushion and a durable mesh upper, a cushy midsole and an outsole that flexes and moves with the foot.

OOFOS’ OOMG, $119.95, is the first fully closed shoe

to feature OOfoam technology. It combines the OOFOS patented footbed with a four-way stretch mesh upper to create a comfortable shoe that enhances the recovery process. Its arch support and impact-absorption properties give feet freedom of movement in a wear-all-day, everyday shoe.

BROOKS RUNNING’S BEDLAM SHOE, $150

Features the brand’s best energy return and its most advanced support system. The DNA AMP midsole gives back the effort the runner puts in, the next-generation Guide Rails provide holistic support by aligning the feet, and the dynamic midfoot wrap provides security and adaptability via the Fit Knit upper.

361 DEGREES’ SENSATION 3, $130

updates the brand’s Award Winner. Designed as a mildstability workhorse, its new technologies include the FitzRite wrapping system and the QU!K Flex 4Foot on a full bed of QU!KFOAM.

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© 2017 Formula4media LLC.

TRE Product Preview (continued)

LA SPORTIVA NA’S UNIKA, $190

has a compressionresistant Infinitoo midsole that uses polyurethane for high energy return and delivers unmatched cushion over time.

The lace-up harness structurally connects the upper to the midsole, distributing tension evenly across the foot, and the Frixion XF 2.0 outsole compound is super grippy yet extremely lightweight.

SAUCONY’S LIBERTY ISO, $160

performs like the brand’s award-winning Freedom ISO but with more stability.

A Run Specialty exclusive, it features full-length EVERUN cushioning and ISO-Fit lacing that gives a custom feel.

SKECHERS’ GO RUN 6, $100

is a lightweight, neutral and well-cushioned running shoe featuring Skechers Flight GEN technology. It has a breathable flat knit, sock-like upper for a comfortable and snug fit.

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© 2017 Formula4media LLC.

©SALOMON SA. All Rights Reserved. Photo: Vanessa Andrieux

TEC HNOLOGY

SONIC RA

L E S S V I B R AT I O N MORE RUNNING VIBE is the combination of ENERGY CELL+ and OPAL, a unique assembly that work together as a system to attenuate vibrations while delivering exceptional cushioning and rebound for Road Running and Trail Running shoes.

Booth #1507

TRE Product Preview (continued)

TOPO ATHLETIC’S ULTRAFLY2, $120

is a cushioned road running shoe featuring the Ultrafly platform (5mm drop, 28mm heel, 23mm forefoot) with a three-density midsole for light guidance through the gait cycle.

The new mesh upper is strong yet breathable. The new Ortholite footbed provides additional comfort by resisting compression and naturally eliminating odor-causing bacteria.

ENDA ITEN , $100

is the first performance running shoe built in Kenya. The lightweight trainer has a 17mm cushion under the forefoot, a 4mm drop and weighs 224 grams in a men’s size 9. It’s only available in the colors of the Kenyan flag.

MBT’S GT 18, $160

features MBT-patented Rocker technology, with a pivot strike area, engineered mesh upper, tri-density midsole and highabrasion rubber outsole.

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© 2017 Formula4media LLC.

TRE Product Preview (continued)

DEEWEAR D-ONE, $70 TO $120

Leverages the features of Graphene to provide tailored thermoregulation in cold and hot conditions.

Graphene paste is applied on an innovative postural compress fabric, creating the patented Hexaweb pattern and offering superior comfort.

PRIMEASE’S HOODY, $31.99

is knitted from a single jersey structure made of polyester, cotton and rayon. It has an athletic fit and a super-soft feel.

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A4’S COOLING PERFORMANCE TEE features the

brand’s 5-star fabric, which had the fastest moisture-wicking time in a recent independent test.

KARI TRAA’S JULIE JACKET, $100

has quickdrying, four-way stretch, windresistant fabric, a reflective logo and sleeve hits, a fold-over cuff for extra warmth with thumbholes, a secure back-zippered pocket and a headphone compatible with reflectivity.

© 2017 Formula4media LLC.

FLOATRIDE FOAM FLOATRIDE FOAM HAS A CONSISTENT CELL STRUCTURE THAT DELIVERS THE OPTIMAL MIX OF CUSHIONING AND RESPONSIVENESS SO YOU CAN FLOAT THROUGH YOUR RUN.

SMOOTH RIDE SUPPORTIVE FOAM RIM CENTRES AND BALANCES YOUR FOOT THROUGHOUT THE GAIT CYCLE.

ADAPTIVE COMFORT SEAM-FREE ONE PIECE ULTRAKNIT CONSTRUCTION IS ENGINEERED IN ZONES TO OFFER SUPPORT AND BREATHABLE FLEXIBILITY.

#FEELTHEFLOATRIDE © 2017 Reebok International Limited. All Rights Reserved. REEBOK is a registered trademark of Reebok International Limited.

TRE Product Preview (continued) SKINS K-PROPRIUM LONG TIGHTS, $169.99

combine premium compression tech with built-in biomechanically placed Proprioceptive Power Bands (PPBs) to improve proprioception and joint stability to reduce fatigue and the risk of injury. The ADAPTIVE Fabric Technology keeps the wearer warm when it’s cold and cool and dry when it’s hot. The tights feature Reflective SKINS logos for 360-degree visibility in low light.

SHAPE ACTIVEWEAR’S DYNAMO LEGGINGS, $98

are designed for movement with true compression and four-way stretch fabric in an all-over print that transitions from the studio to the street. They feature DryFuze moisture-wicking, quick-drying material, a backstow pocket and a high-support, non-slip high waistband.

CW-X Stabilyx Vented Under collection $105 (for full-

length tights) $95 (for threequarter-length tights) and $80 (for shorts). Blends micro mesh fabric for comfort in all temperatures with the patented CW-X EXO-WEB knee support technology.

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© 2017 Formula4media LLC.

KNOTTY

If you’re looking for recovery that takes you from feeling knotty to nice this season, TriggerPoint is your home for the holidays.

Find relief from muscle tightness, aches, and pains with our all new product lineup.

Learn more at tptherapy.com

NICE

GRID VIBE™ Vibrating foam roller soothes sore muscles

AcuCurve Cane Targets hard to reach back pain

STK Contour™ Flexible massage stick contours to muscles

TRE Product Preview (continued) BUFF’S PRO RUN CAP, $25

Built for high-intensity activities. Features include a multidirectional sunglass holder, laser-cut holes for ventilation, a low-profile sweatband that wicks moisture and keeps perspiration out of the eyes, an adjustable velcro closure at back for a secure fit, and UPF 50+ protection (front panels provide UPF 40+ protection).

HEADSWEATS’ PERFORMANCE TRUCKER HAT, $26 is made with the brand’s Eventure woven and stretch mesh fabrics, which are lightweight, breathable and quick drying. The terry sweatband wrapped in Eventure knit helps keep the perspiration out of the eyes, the black undervisor reduces glare and the snap-back closure has a ponytail opening.

ENELL RACERBACK, $68

Features stabilizing back panels that improve posture, a moisture-wicking NATUREXX treatment for cool comfort, wide straps that evenly distribute weight of the breasts, a front hook and eye closure for easy on/off, LYCRA spandex for support and comfort and a movement-control band for support and a secure fit.

ANITA ACTIVE’S 5539 MOMENTUM PRO, $119

was inspired by brand ambassador WBO&WBC World Champion Boxer Christina Hammer. It combines the functional highlights of three of the brand’s bestselling sports bras. The seamless cups are made from a metallic, high-tech material that features the innovative foam DeltaPad and are combined with an ergonomic X-back strap system. The fabrics are developed for and by Anita.

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© 2017 Formula4media LLC.

©2017 CW-X. CW-X is a Wacoal Corp. registered trademark

PROBLEM. ( #$%!!?! KNEE )

SOLUTION. ( CW-X® EXO-WEB™ )

Knees – can’t run with ‘em, can’t bend your leg without ‘em.

By banding muscles and ligaments together to stabilize the joint, CW-X’s patented EXO-WEB™ finally provides an answer to the problem of knees.

MEN’S STABILYX TIGHTS Patent #6186970

cw-x.com

TRE Product Preview (continued) MI PULSE’S SMART BRA, $99

offers support, comfort and adjustability along with an integrated universal heartrate monitor.

It is designed for spin class devotees, zone trainers, runners and other aspiring athletes.

HANDFUL’S NOW & ZEN BRA, $54

is designed to flatter, not flatten. Its removable pads and convertible straps can play it straight, criss-cross or halter, just like the brand’s flagship Adjustable Handful Bra. Color-blocking elastic on the back and straps merge fashion and function.

SHOCK ABSORBER USA’S ULTIMATE FLY BRA, $79.99

which is billed as the lightest on the market, reduces bounce by 78 percent. The bra, a one-piece construction of three layers of laser-cut bonded, moisture-wicking advanced sports performance fabrics, has 3D Cross control technology for support, non-slip adjustable padded straps for extra cushioning and a racer-back full-back opening.

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© 2017 Formula4media LLC.

Introducing Our New

MOMENTUM PRO SPORTS BRA Inspired by Christina Hammer WBO & WBC World Champion in Boxing “The best support for me!”

5539 | Momentum Pro 1627 | Sports Panty

Anita USA | 1-800-866-6223 anita.com |

TRE Product Preview (continued)

PACE’S CUSTOM RUNNING CAP, $29.95

features Coolmax mesh or UV protective moisturewicking fabric, digital sublimation, a Koolfit elastic sweatband, taped seams inside the dome, a larger running visor shape and an open-hole adjustable back. It is made in the USA.

AMFIT’S PRECISE LT CUSTOM INSOLES, $140

are created after the brand’s in-store 3-D Customization Station scans and assesses the customer’s foot. The factorydirect insoles are sent in three business days. They are available in medium and soft densities.

STORELLI SPORTS’ SPEEDGRIP INSOLES, $39.99

help prevent rolling ankles and foot slippage. The brand’s injury-preventing protection gear is worn by international soccer stars Jesse Lingard, Iker Casillas and Oscar and César Azpilicueta.

RUFF RD. SPORTWEAR’S TWO STYLES OF RUNNING SHORTS, $69.99

feature a patent-pending insertable windbrief that is used instead of an underbrief in cold weather. The shorts, which are designed to minimize bounce and maximize the running experience, come with four pockets.

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© 2017 Formula4media LLC.

TRE Product Preview (continued)

SOLE’S ACTIVE WIDE FOOTBED, $45

is designed for wide footwear. The ethylene-vinyl acetate collection, which features a wide toe box, has three styles: Active Wide Thin, Active Wide Medium and Active Wide Thick.

SORBOTHANE’S ULTRA PLUS INSOLE features

SUPERFEET’S ME3D INSOLES, $150

are 3D printed after the FitStation, powered by HP, analyzes the way the customer’s feet move and interact with the ground and offers off-the-shelf shoe recommendations, 3D printed insoles and polyurethane-injected mid-soles.

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a deep heel cup for support, a lightweight integrated arch for stability and the comfort and protection of a Sorbothane Heel Pad and extended Sorbothane Forefoot Pad. Sorbothane is a proprietary material that can absorb up to 94.7 percent of damaging impact shock before it enters the body. NASA uses it because to control vibration and shock.

GORE INVISIBLE FIT TECHNOLOGY is a new way for footwear manufacturers to integrate a protective GORE-TEX membrane in running shoes. (Such as the Saucony Ride GTX, at left). Shoes that use GORE Invisible Fit offer protection in inclement weather and the fit and feel of non-protective running shoes. With GORE Invisible Fit, the GORE-TEX membrane is engineered to bond to a variety of athletic footwear uppers. By matching the GORE-TEX membrane to the footwear upper material, wrinkles and folds are eliminated, reducing pressure points. Reduced weight, less water pick-up and faster drying times are among the other benefits.

© 2017 Formula4media LLC.

TRE Product Preview (continued) BALEGA’S BLISTER RESIST QUARTER, $15

Has been updated to include a new contoured rib top to keep out the grit and grime. The combination of mohair and Balega’s moisture-wicking Drynamix yarn eliminates the risk of sheer friction blisters, keeping feet cool in summer and warm in winter. It is available in six new colorways.

FITSOK’S RX6, $12

is engineered with six points of technology and constructed with Repreve, a post-consumer performance nylon. It combines a lightweight body with rebound cushion and has an elongated arch support for a better fit.

The y-heel and y-toe conform to the feet to ensure no blisters.

OS1ST BASE LAYER BRACING’S FS4 PLANTAR FASCIITIS SOCKS, $24.99

are high-tech running socks that feature the award-winning and medically proven FS6 Technology for prevention of plantar fasciitis and foot strengthening for improved performance.

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© 2017 Formula4media LLC.

ULTRA LIGHT COMFORT AND PERFECT FIT

THE NEW WORKOUT EXPERIENCE!

VISIT US AT BOOTH #418

TRE Product Preview (continued)

FITS’ ULTRA LIGHT NO SHOW, $15.99

is a running sock that features a comfortable welt top with FITS’ Heel Lock and Dynamic Toe Cup. It comes in many colors and patterns.

FEETURES’ PLANTAR FASCIITIS RELIEF SOCK, $29.99

features targeted compression to alleviate symptoms from plantar fasciitis. It stretches and stabilizes the plantar fascia and supports the Achilles tendon to ease arch and heel pain. It can be worn while active or afterward to aid recovery.

ZENSAH’S LIMITED-EDITION HOLIDAY-THEMED COMPRESSION SOCKS, $19.99

feature fun prints while maintaining every technical aspect of a high-performance sock. Made of an anti-odor, breathable material, they feature an arch compression band, a seamless toe finish and an anatomical left and right foot design. There are three designs: Ugly Sweater, Santa and Snowflake.

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© 2017 Formula4media LLC.

TRE Product Preview (continued) SWIFTWICK’S ASPIRE SOCKS, $12.99

are engineered with firm compression and a thin profile for a responsive feel. Firm compression supports every contour of the foot to reduce fatigue during endurance activities. The brand’s most popular sock for runners sits below the ankle and is available in new striped designs.

INJINJI’S ULTRA RUN COLLECTION, $16 TO $18 features

cushioned terry throughout the foot, including the toes, that helps soften the impact during a run or workout. The linear knit lines on the underside of the foot offer increased arch support and a tighter fit to help eliminate friction.

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LILY TROTTERS’ WOMEN’S COMPRESSION SOCKS, $48

are marathon strong and designer inspired. They are easy to get on and off and comfortable enough to wear for hours. They are made in the USA (with love) and built for the long run.

© 2017 Formula4media LLC.

www.fitsok.com

TRE Product Preview (continued)

AFTERSHOKZ’S TREKZ AIR, $179.95

are functional, flexible and featherweight wireless sport headphones that use bone-conduction technology, leaving the ear canals open to allow the wearer to remain alert and aware of ambient sounds.

AMPHIPOD’S TIENGO BELT, $40

features three roomy pockets, including a zip-compartment that holds the largest smartphones, nutrition products, ID and keys. The patent-pending tie-closure, one-size-fitsall belt is step-in free and has no buckles. It is available in variety of colors as well as reversible prints.

BOA TECHNOLOGY’S THE BOA SYSTEM is built from the ground up specifically for runners. Its latest textile-based system is designed to align with industry needs, aesthetics and performance factors. Made up of three integral parts—the dial, lace and guides—The Boa System is integrated into partner product to further enhance fit, comfort, stability and security.

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© 2017 Formula4media LLC.

Life on the move demands apparel that can keep up.

Our new fitness collection does just that, complete with flexible seams, breathable fabrics, and athletic cuts that shift from active to casual without skipping a beat.

cotopaxi.com/moves

Visit us at Booth 113.

Photo by Matt Trappe.

TRE Product Preview (continued) COMING SOON @ RICS

A RICS adapter to Amazon for real-time, seamless selling COMING IN Q1 2018

A RICS global catalog for easier ordering and inventory management COMING IN Q1 2018

800-654-3123 ricssoftware.com

RICS’ E-COMMERCE AMAZON INTEGRATION SOFTWARE will

enable stores to sell seamlessly on Amazon using their instore inventory, and the RICS Global Catalog will provide RICS clients with rich product data used for ordering and inventory management in RICS.

CATERPY LACES, $10

are no-tie shoelaces that use elastic bumps to hold custom tension between the eyelets. Shoes become slip-ons that enhance blood circulation to the feet by removing pressure points.

HEAT TRANSFER WAREHOUSE’S SISER EASY REFLECTIVE 20” HEAT TRANSFER VINYL, $13.50 for a 1-yard roll, makes

runners and cyclists visible in the dark.

Small glass beads embedded in the silver-color, 140-micron-thick material provide illumination. It may be applied to cotton, polyester, poly/cotton blends and some nylons.

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© 2017 Formula4media LLC.

SMARTER PERFORMANCE WEAR PERFORMANCE + COMFORT + STYLE

SEE US AT BOOTH 740 AT TRE WWW.SPORTSCIENCEWEAR.COM

TRE Product Preview (continued)

GU ENERGY LABS’ CAMPFIRE S’MORES STROOPWAFEL, $22.50 DRYGUY’S FORCE DRY SHOE & GLOVE DRYER, $50

uses a gently heated air flow to safely eliminate wetness from footwear in about an hour. Regular use of the compact, durable dryer helps prevent the growth of odor-causing bacteria, fungi and molds.

for a 16-packet box, turns a favorite campfire snack into fuel for the next run or ride. It is packed with quality carbohydrates for energy, amino acids to protect the muscles and electrolytes to help hydration.

DETOXAIR’S FILTER, $22.95

portable and patented, ensures that the air breathed is clean and safe during exercise in highly polluted or contaminated environments.

Polluted air enters the filter through a heap rate filter, and exhaled breath is deflected down and away through a one-way valve.

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© 2017 Formula4media LLC.

TRE Product Preview (continued)

JBL FREE WIRELESS HEADPHONES, $149.95

deliver JBL Signature Sound in an intuitive yet intelligent package. Free from wires and easy to use, JBL Free is a flexible companion for calls, music and an active lifestyle.

HONEY STINGER’S 23.1-OUNCE BULK ORGANIC GEL, $18.95

comes in select flavors: Organic Fruit Smoothie, Organic Acai Pomegranate and Classic Gold.

The new bulk gel containers make it easy for athletes and coaches to measure the exact amount for use while training and racing.

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LOCK LACES, $7.99

are a one-size-fits-all for children and adults. Their patented double eyelet design technology reduces slippage and holds the lacing system securely in place while increasing blood flow in the foot and reducing pressure points on the top of the foot.

HYDRAPAK’S SOFTFLASK 500ML HANDHELD HYDRATION BOTTLE, $20 is built from durable yet flexible ultralight TPU material with elasticity that conforms to the hand and shrinks as it is drunk so it’s low bulk. It has a built-in hand strap, a twisting lock cap and a highflow bite valve that auto seals after each sip, eliminating drips.

© 2017 Formula4media LLC.

W W W . H I C K I E S . C O M

Y O U R R U N , U N I N T E R R U P T E D

TRE Product Preview (continued)

ORANGE MUD’S P.F.V. (PHONE FLASK VEST), $99.95

is an easy, lightweight, minimalist way to carry a phone, jacket and backup gear. It is equipped with a 15-ounce soft flask that can be upgraded to a 20-ounce version.

NAKED SPORTS INNOVATIONS’ RUNNING BAND, $45.99

is a high-performance, lightweight, unisex, no-bounce, no-chafing multisport waistband designed to carry hydration products, fuel, trekking poles, headlamps, sunglasses and the largest smartphones. Worn by World Champion Gediminas Grinius, it’s a continuous loop of power mesh in 12 sizes that has race-number attachments and a three-liter capacity.

MUDROOM BACKPACKS’ QUARTABLE, $105

is designed to hold an extra pair of shoes.

Its large internal compartments provide easy access to shoes from either outside or inside zippers. There are separate laptop and electronics padded compartments as well as digital organizer pockets and zippered storage pockets for other gear.

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PREVENTION & TREATMENT Bring even more value to the running enthusiast by offering unique, easy add-on prevention and recovery products.

VISIT US AT BOOTH #1713

PROSTRIPS®

PTAPE®

Barrier layer to prevent skin irritation, blisters and chafing

Heavy duty, strong adhesive that will stay in place during activity.

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TRE Product Preview (continued)

NOXGEAR’S KIK, $69.95

is a lightweight (1.1-ounce), wearable Bluetooth speaker designed for runners. It delivers full, powerful sound while lasting over five hours and is easy to control in stride. It securely clips to clothing for a comfortable, safe (headphone-free) listening experience on the road or trail.

NATHAN’S VAPORMAG 2.5L RACE VEST, $125

was developed in collaboration with champion ultrarunner Maggie Guterl. It’s lightweight, breathable and designed for the female form. It features two 12-ounce ExoShot soft flasks with sipping tubes, a secure zippered back pocket and stash pockets on the sides and back.

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NUUN PERFORMANCE, $19.99 FOR A 32-OUNCE BAG OR $1.99 FOR 1 SERVING

is an endurance drink mix with optimal sources and ratios of electrolytes and sugars to maximize fluid and nutrient absorption. Nuun partnered with world-renowned exercise physiologist Stacy Sims to develop the line.

Non-GMO Project and Informed Choice-Safe for Sport certified, it is served on course at major marathons in North America.

MAS KORIMA’S KORIMALITAS, $14.95

are heritage pinole- and chia-focused real food with real natural ingredients made by real people. At 100 calories per four-bite serving, they are easy on the stomach and provide a slow energy release.

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We Know Feet.

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Stomp by Booth #1706 to learn more!

TRE Product Preview (continued)

SAFETY SKIN REFLECTIVE SKIN SPREAD, $18.95 is designed to be applied on the skin, fusing comfort, fashion and performance in visibility enhancement. It can be used in low light, inclement weather or varying terrain.

SCENTURION, $10.99 FOR 4 OUNCES AND $24.99 FOR 16 OUNCES

is formulated with Nano Silver to kill 99.9 percent of the microorganisms that cause odor in footwear, apparel and other items that need disinfecting. Hypoallergenic, non-toxic and environmentally friendly, it is designed to treat washable and non-washable items.

Each time the treated item is worn and sweat reaches the Nano Silver, it reactivates the silver and kills the microbes.

TASER BOLT AND TASER PULSE, $399.99 EACH

are lightweight, easy to carry and don’t require a license in most states. They can be used from 15 feet away for 30 seconds per cycle, keeping a buffer between the user and target.

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LP Compression Gear Apparels help prolong the duration of exercise and unlock unlimited potential for peak performance!

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TRE Product Preview (continued)

STRETCH ATHLEISURE SPRAY, $24 FOR 16 OUNCES OR $9 FOR TRAVEL SIZE prevents and eliminates 100 percent organic odors from clothing and gear.

Items can be pre-sprayed to prevent odor, or used items can be sprayed to eliminate smells. It can be used on clothes, shoes, hats, gym bags, yoga mats, gloves, socks and just about any type of gear.

PEET ELITE FOOTWEAR ORIGINAL DRYER MODEL M97-EFM, $99.99

dries, sanitizes and eliminates odor in footwear with gentle, warm air drying overnight. The PEET D’Odoriz’r Module uses molecular science to dispense a controlled amount of ozonated air inside the shoes.

TAILWIND REBUILD IS A 100 PERCENT VEGAN RECOVERY DRINK

that tastes great. It is scientifically designed to rapidly replenish depleted energy stores immediately after exercise. Its natural rice-based protein, supplemented with amino acids, provides a perfectly complete protein to rebuild muscle fibers after strength work and mitochondrial proteins after endurance exercise.

VITAL PROTEINS’ COLLAGEN CREAMERS, $29 are designed for coffees, teas, baked goods and desserts. Whole30-approved, they are free of dairy, artificial flavors, added sugars and carrageenan and are rich in clean collagen protein and healthy fats from organic coconut milk.

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TRE Product Preview (continued)

SYMCLIP, $149 VOORAY’S BURNER GYM DUFFEL, $49.99

is stylish as well as functional. It has a ventilated shoe pocket, magnetic handles, a padded tech pocket and a reinforced, water-repellant base.

IN RUN STRONG, STAY HUNGRY, PUBLISHED BY VELOPRESS

Jonathan Beverly reveals the secrets of veteran racers who are still racing fast and loving the sport decades after they got their start.

Beverly taps 50 lifetime runners — from America’s elite to consistent local competitors — to reveal the nine keys to run strong and stay fast. Beverly will sign copies of the book at TRE. 56

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is wearable technology designed to help runners avoid injury. It easily attaches to any shoe, and its patentpending algorithms calculate ground contact time, strike angle and impact shock. Runners can see in real time where they have asymmetries and how small changes to their running form can correct imbalances.

ULTRASPIRE’S AWARD-WINNING LUMEN COLLECTION OF LIGHT BELTS has expanded.

The brand now offers the Lumen 100 Wrist Light ($20), Lumen 115 “Magnetic” Clip Light ($40), Lumen 170 2.0 Waist Light ($100), Lumen 220 Waist Light ($70), Lumen 600R Waist Light ($150) and Lumen 600 2.0 Waist Light ($180).

© 2017 Formula4media LLC.

INTRODUCING THE NEXT GENERATION OF FOAM ROLLERS Central Groove to prevent injury of spine and surrounding structures.

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TRE Product Preview (continued) ZERO RUNNER, $3,299 TO $4,299 FOR THE HOME VERSIONS, $8,399 TO $9,698 FOR THE COMMERCIAL MODELS, replicates real running

motion but without stressful impact to the body.

Exercisers follow their own natural stride, up to 58 inches, using independent hip and knee joints. It helps manage impact when supplementing race training, for active recovery and for injury rehab.

YAKTRAX’S SUMMIT, $90

is a heavy-duty traction device designed for backcountry trail runs in the winter. Its 3/8th-inch triangular Carbon Steel Spikes bite into packed snow and ice. Featuring the patented Boa Closure System, the Summit offers a customized fit that is comfortable and secure.

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XTRAEDGE’S WEIGHTED GLOVES, $39.99

are designed for aerobic exercise and strength training. The patentpending gloves, which feature variable weights, strengthen forearms, triceps, biceps, shoulders and pectorals while promoting better form. Made of polyester, nylon and polyurethane, they are comfortable and quick drying.

ROLLGA’S ACTIVATOR 3IN1 HELO MASSAGE BALL, $19.99

uses neuro-activators on one side for fascial stimulation and unlocks tension with a round lacrosse ball feature on the opposite side. Tiny nodes fill the circumference of the ball for trigger-point location and address fascial scaring. Simply apply pressure and rotate it 90 degrees for 15 to 30 seconds, repeating until muscle release occurs.

© 2017 Formula4media LLC.

NO ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS

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TRE Product Preview (continued)

CEP COMPRESSION’S ORTHO+ ANKLE SLEEVE, $20

is a certified medical device that dynamically adapts to the ankle and massages swollen tissues. The optimized compression profile works to speed recovery and reduce swelling. The lightweight design feels smooth against the skin for all-day comfort.

2TOMS SKIN-ON-SKIN DRESSING KIT, $12.99

provides advanced cushioning, soothing relief and long-lasting protection for blisters, stings, chafing and minor skin irritations. The combination of the soothing hydrogel pads with medical-grade adhesive shields creates the protection and comfort for existing blisters.

CHAMOIS BUTT’R’S GOSTIK, $14.99

is a solid stick lubricant designed to eliminate uncomfortable chafing and skin irritation. It is commonly used around clothing neck openings, under arms, between thighs, backs of ankles, balls of feet or anywhere that skin rubs against skin or fabric.

HOTSHOT, $7 PER BOTTLE OR $65 PER 12 PACK

is scientifically proven to prevent and treat muscle cramps. Invented by a Nobel Prize-winning neuroscientist and endurance athlete, it stops muscle cramps where they start – at the nerve – by stimulating Transient receptor potential (TRP) ion channels that directly influence and regulate nerve function.

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© 2017 Formula4media LLC.

TRE Product Preview (continued) TRIGGERPOINT’S GRID VIBE, $99.99

is a vibrating foam roller that offers a soothing blend of pressure and vibration to minimize pain and relax muscles while rolling. Featuring the signature GRID pattern, this premium recovery tool is ideal for targeting tight muscle tissue to improve mobility, speed recovery and enhance performance. Its rechargeable battery and compact size make it ideal for mobility on the go.

RUMBLEROLLER’S GATOR, $49.95

is a foam roller with patent-pending teeth-like bumps that are resilient yet have high lateral stiffness and generous skin-holding spaces between them that allow high-shear forces during shifting and grinding movements.

THE PROPER FOAM ROLLER, $43.95

is the first self-myofascial relief roller with an ergonomic three-dimensional composition. Working with the contours of the body, it offers a comfortable experience. A 16-phase exercise chart is included.

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MOJIHEAT MASSAGE ROLLER, $59.99

combines the benefits of traditional foam rolling with the comfort and relaxation of heat therapy. The patent-pending roller has a twopiece design that allows it to fit easily into most microwaves and features a textured, cushioned exterior for maximum comfort.

© 2017 Formula4media LLC.

TRE Product Preview (continued)

BLUERUB’S MUSCLE RUB, $16.99

is an eco-friendly natural product for runners, cyclists and triathletes.

It balances nature with science without silicone, petroleum, parabens or alcohol.

SKIN SLICK, $7.99

is a continuous-spray skin lubricant whose anti-chafe, anti-blister, antifriction formula has been tested and proven by all-distance runners.

MCDAVID’S ELITE RUNNERS’ THERAPY IT BAND STRAP, $27.99

is a lightweight, ergonomic and comfortable compression strap with a contoured support pad that allows runners to target IT band pain. The adjustable strap allows controlled compression and increased support, providing active recovery and proactive prevention.

KT BLISTER PREVENTION TAPE, $9.99

is made of premium synthetic non-woven fabric strips that are designed to help prevent athlete-related abrasion injuries such as blisters, chafing and hot spots. Its strong adhesive helps it stay in place and conform easily to the skin to allow full mobility during activities.

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© 2017 Formula4media LLC.

TRE Product Preview (continued)

ROLL RECOVERY’S R8

which won the Men’s Journal Gear of the Year award in 2013, has been redesigned. An FDA Registered Medical Device, the R8 uses deep tissue massage force for faster recovery.

LEKI’S MICRO TRAIL VARIO TRAIL RUNNING POLES, $219.95

specifically designed for trail running, incorporate features from nordic, mountaineering and trekking poles, where one technology supports the other. The Micro Trail Vario is a folding carbon fiber pole that features the Shark 2.0 grip for ultimate power transfer through poling motion and quick click-in connect and release, as well as a cork grip and extension to choke up on the shaft for steep pitches.

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© 2017 Formula4media LLC.

50 Best 50 Best 50 Best 50 Best 50 Best Running stoRes in AMeRiCA 50 Best 50 Best 50 Best 50 Best 50 Best sPRing 2018

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SUPPORTING RUNSPECIALTY While some running brands have come under fire for being more competitor than partner to running retailers, collaboration in the channel has not evaporated.

By Daniel P. Smith

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I

ncreasingly in recent years, the very brands filling the stores of running specialty storefronts have become the target of frustrated looks, even condemnation, from those same retailers.

From brands’ intensifying direct-to-consumer sales efforts to the reduction of demo fleets and field support, running brands have undoubtedly earned some of the disapproving glances. Among a number of running retailers, the perception is that manufacturers stand more interested in their own bottom lines – not necessarily an inexcusable focus, mind you – than being solid partners for the specialty channel that helped catapult and legitimize these same enterprises.

“Many brands are shortsighted and their endgame is to acquire the end consumer as quickly as possible with the goal of higher margins or maybe because of the fear that many dealers

might not be around too long,” one veteran multi-unit retailer recently told Running Insight.

Certainly for some brands, the optics – and perhaps even the cold-hearted realities – support such an argument.

Some brands are using aggressive digital marketing tactics to lure traffic and sales to their own websites; some have pulled away from the channel at large or concentrated their efforts on a few select prized specialty players; and some continue struggling to enforce minimum advertised pricing (MAP) policies and distribution as they have pledged.

But in this era of an evolving and layered relationship between brands, retailers and consumers, the truth isn’t quite so crystal clear.

“By and large, we believe that the brand community is heavily invested in ensuring run specialty stays strong because if run specialty catches a cold,

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IT’S WHAT’S INSIDE.

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Supporting Run Specialty (continued)

pairup 2016

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these brands get pneumonia,” Running Industry Association executive director Terry Schalow says.

Beyond delivering revenue, run specialty means something to the brands, Schalow asserts, even if it doesn’t always appear that way.

“It’s completely inaccurate to say that the vast majority of the brand community doesn’t care about specialty retail,” he says.

In fact, beyond traditional retailerfriendly elements such as providing higher booking margins and earlier delivery of goods, a number of brands are supporting the channel with a mix of innovative offerings and mindful practices designed to deepen partnerships and fuel collective success.

Driving sales to brick-and-mortar specialty shops

For as much as brands are coming under fire for wooing sales to their own e-commerce homes, many brands have unveiled efforts to push traffic and sales to independent running

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retailers.

Last spring, Brooks unveiled its Fast Track mobile app to specialty retailers. Through the “extended aisle” platform, retailers can offer Brooks’ full array of styles, sizes, colors and even widths to in-store customers. Retail staff can order a product directly from the platform and drop ship it to the customer while the individual store earns the sale.

“We wanted to give retailers a simpler tool for doing business with us and that helped them sell to runners,” says Rick Wilhelm, vice president of specialty retail accounts at Brooks.

A number of brands, meanwhile, have hopped on Locally.com. The site, which includes footwear, apparel and accessory brands such as Hoka One One, Saucony, Brooks, 361 Degrees, New Balance, Smartwool, Feetures, Nathan and CamelBak, absorbs manufacturers’ products into a digital catalog and helps consumers find the nearest place to buy a specific item.

In another twist, Mizuno launched its Blue Sky Ticket program at Fleet

Feet stores in mid-2017 with the initial shipments of its new Wave Sky neutral shoe. When customers purchased a pair of Wave Sky footwear from a Fleet Feet outlet, they received an incentive ticket to return to a Fleet Feet store by the end of 2017 for a discount on Mizuno gear.

Clever Competitions

A few years ago, Feetures found that running stores sold approximately one pair of technical running socks for every two shoes sold. To Feetures executives, that number wasn’t acceptable.

The North Carolina-based brand responded with its Pair Up program, a simple, no-fuss national sales contest designed to drive technical running sock sales and spark an oft-ignored, revenue-driving opportunity. Aiming to boost an entire category rather than just a single brand, the Pair Up program rewarded retailers for increasing their sock-to-shoe sales ratios across all technical sock brands, not just Feetures.

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BO DYG LOVE .COM

Supporting Run Specialty (continued)

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“As long as customers have performance socks, they are a more educated consumer and that benefits us all,” Feetures director of marketing Joe Gaither says.

More than 115 run shops participated in Feetures’ two-week Pair Up initiative in September 2016, many leveraging Feetures-supplied collateral like a circular “Got Socks?” shoebox sticker and incentives like a $1,000 store party to propel sock sales. Many stores, Gaither says, achieved a 1:1 sock-toshoe sales ratio and one quadrupled the national average with a 2.49:1 ratio.

“We want to stand out as a brand that supports run specialty. If their business grows, ours does, too,” says Gaither, adding that the Pair Up program is now available to running specialty stores for any two weeks of the year.

Training help

While a number of brands partner with outside training companies to offer online training designed to heighten

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staff expertise, others have unveiled their own training programs to improve customer service and sales.

In 2014, for example, Nathan debuted a retail education strategy designed to turn “accessories” into “essentials.” The company began offering educational tools and sharing simple, disarming questions – “Do you feel dehydrated after a run?” or “Do you run at night?”

– run specialty employees could ask customers to gain “a clearer picture of runners’ needs and boost sales of margin-friendly accessories like hydration and visibility,” Nathan marketing manager Greg Brantner says.

Next spring, Brooks will take its shot at innovative store-level training when it launches its Run Signature app to key specialty retailers. The platform, Wilhelm says, will aim to help retailers enhance their fit processes.

Monitoring distribution and MAP policies

Schalow has watched some brands

alter distribution and pull away from less-than-pristine channels, while others have extracted their product from Amazon and cracked down on outlets running afoul of MAP. “These are good moves for running specialty,” Schalow says. “Online sales exposes distribution of products and brands are being more careful about being seen as someone who will sell to anyone.”

It’s important to note, Schalow continues, that many brands are not as infatuated with e-commerce as retailers tend to think. After all, brands lose control of their pricing and the representation of their products on most third-party sites.

“Brands have discovered there’s a downside to the revenue that can be drawn from e-commerce,” Schalow says.

Other brands, meanwhile, are taking aim at distribution. In August, for instance, Diadora national sales manager Bryan Poerner told Running

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Supporting Run Specialty (continued)

Insight that the rejuvenated Italian brand would only sell its top-line running product to specialty stores. Yet more, Diadora has pledged to share 20 percent of revenue from its own website sales with its top running store accounts.

“We want our brand and our running stores to build relationships with the same consumer and it will be easier for running stores to do that if they know we are standing behind them,” Poerner said, adding that Diadora isn’t interested in circumventing the relationships running stores have with their customers.

More involved field support

Rather than field staff largely working to fill stores with product, numerous brands are increasingly asking their local reps to be more engaged with specialty retailers.

Kevin Adams, head of run specialty sales at New Balance, says his team has worked on making its account managers function more like business consultants than simply driving sell-through, including helping retailers measure turn and margin goals.

Andy Beckman, director of fitness sales and marketing at Garmin, says the technology brand has about 30 people across the U.S. available to run shops for demo runs and staff training.

These team members, Beckman says, can also help retailers secure an array of merchandising options, including freestanding displays and counter displays as well as dummy units that allow people to try on the shell of a product.

On Running, meanwhile, has corporate staff devoted to providing hands-on help to store owners seeking to create lively merchandising displays and windows.

Some brands are also helping stores create more energized atmospheres,

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even sharing in buildout costs. At the Naperville Running Company in suburban Chicago, Nike and, more recently, New Balance helped owner Kris Hartner create a dynamic basement space geared toward youth runners.

“Brands are 100 percent helping us to build an important foundation with the younger set,” Hartner says.

“Their investment in the space and with personnel at events has made us cool and exciting.”

Exclusive product

The ubiquity of shoe models, in particular, has been the bane of many running retailers who feel their specialty edge has been compromised by far-flung distribution. It’s something brands have slowly addressed with exclusive models for the channel.

About seven years ago, New Balance released the 860 as a run specialty only shoe and followed soon after with the 880, all at the blessing of company chairman Jim Davis. As the product team has evolved the models in recent years, both the 860 and 880 have earned a stronger following.

“This is a multi-year project that New Balance didn’t waiver from and it’s now bearing fruit,” the RIA’s Schalow says, noting that Brooks (Transcend 5) and ASICS (Gel Pursue and Gel 3000) also have channelexclusive models.

Leadership at the Columbus Running Company (CRC) took the idea of exclusive product in a different direction by leveraging Adidas’ team program to create custom CRC-themed models of the Adios Boost 3. The limited-edition footwear was a hit with customers.

While not an exclusive model for the channel, Saucony has reportedly provided run shops a head start on selling its top models by releasing

shoes like the Triumph, Guide, Ride and Freedom 30-60 days early for run specialty accounts.

Will brands continue to support the channel?

Ask a brand if they intend to continue supporting the run specialty channel and the answer is a definitive yes.

Beckman says Garmin has “a dealerfirst mentality,” believing the run specialty world is passionate about Garmin and can help get customers passionate, too.

Adams says running specialty is in New Balance’s roots and where the Boston-based company validates itself.

“We share a DNA with the run specialty channel and there are synergies as we’re trying to achieve the same goals,” he says.

And Wilhelm says specialty run shops will continue to be a focus for Brooks given how local run stores foster community and plug people into the broader running world.

“Specialty running stores are the hub of running community,” he says.

“It’s where many people find a running group and start to train for races [and] where they go for product advice, recovery pointers and more.”

While retailers might be right to question the motivations and strategies of various brands and even have choice words for some, the RIA’s Schalow says it would be wrong for either retailers or brands to minimize the value and contributions of the other.

Listening to each other’s respective plight and working toward solutions, Schalow says, is a much more productive and fruitful strategy.

“It’s really best that both parties focus on being collaborative partners because they really do need each other,” he says. “It’s a mutual success strategy.” l

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Formula4media LLC.

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MEB 2.0

By Daniel P. Smith

“I have peace of mind knowing I gave every ounce of my body and effort to the sport and I’m blessed to go out on my own terms.”

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F

or nearly three decades, Mebrahtom Keflezighi – best known by his single, monosyllabic moniker, Meb – chased finish lines and competitors with a ferocious, uninterrupted energy that earned him an Olympic medal as well as marathon titles in Boston and New York City. On Nov. 5, however, the chase stopped when Meb retired from competitive running after completing the TCS New York City Marathon. For Meb, who immigrated to the United States from war-torn Eritrea as a pre-teen before representing the U.S. in four different Olympics, the symbolism was inescapable. “Twenty-six miles to go in my 26th marathon and 42 kilometers in my 42nd year,” Meb said a week before heading to New York. As he crossed the finish line on the morning of Nov. 5, a roar of cheers thundering down, Meb grit his teeth, waved to the left and right, made the sign of the cross, tapped his heart and blew kisses to the crowd before collapsing at the finish line in 11th place. “I have peace of mind

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Meb 2.0 (continued)

“I want to be involved with the sport and definitely have ideas floating around, but I honestly don’t have a specific plan of attack.”

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knowing I gave every ounce of my body and effort to the sport and I’m blessed to go out on my own terms,” he says.

One chapter in a spirited, remarkable life closed, another one awaits. But first, Meb would like to catch his breath.

Meb’s Next Chapter In the weeks leading up to the New York City Marathon, the farewell stories and well wishes began to accumulate – and for good reason.

A counter to the entitled, elite athlete archetype that’s come to overlord our world, Meb earned a legion of adoring fans with his humility and grace, will and spirit. He kissed the hands of Boston Marathon attack survivors, encouraged the average Joes and Janes plodding their own miles and dazzled with impromptu push-ups and a selfdeprecating laugh steps from the marathon finish line in Rio, his final Olympic Games.

Indeed, the U.S. running landscape has known few like Meb, a soft-spoken, resilient “gamer” who is among the most influential distance runners in American history.

Now that the intense, 100-plus mile weeks have concluded, Meb’s immediate plan is “not to do anything.”

“That’s the simplest thing, isn’t it?” he asks in an understated, completely Meb-like way. For the last 27 years as a competitive athlete – and the last 20, in particular – Meb embraced the grind of elite training. He saved his deep breaths for the end of threshold or tempo runs, not life.

“The marathon demands a lot and I gave it everything I had,” he says. “When you’re constantly turning your attention to the next race, knowing that you’re only as good as your last one, you miss out on a lot of things in life and I want to start by taking a break.”

A break, of course, does not mean binging on “Game of Thrones” or barricading himself in his San Diego bedroom for peace and quiet. Not for Meb, a man who prizes movement, whose energy for life gleams in an omnipresent electric grin powered by gratitude and passion.

His retirement plans involve spending more time with his wife, Yordanos, and the couple’s three daughters – ages 11, nine and seven. He also plans on finally accomplishing some long-rainchecked plans, including camping with his girls and a Sierra Nevadas hike with his massage therapist, Gary Ochman.

“He’s been on me since 2004 about that,” Meb says of Ochman, “so it’s about time I take him up on that offer.”

Beyond those immediate plans, various other ideas percolate.

Over recent years, Meb’s focused on building up his resume to navigate this exact transition, one so many elites struggle to negotiate. He’s interested in speaking engagements at expos, clinics, road races and running shops built around themes such as nutrition, fitness and perseverance. He also looks to become more deeply involved with the MEB Foundation, the nonprofit he launched to promote youth health, education and fitness. Owning a running specialty store holds particular intrigue as does coaching. Days before the New York City Marathon, in fact, Meb’s personal website introduced a potential training advisory program and

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Meb 2.0 (continued)

“I’ve just always told myself to do the right thing, surround myself with good people and God will take care of the rest.”

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invited pilot participants.

“I want to be involved with the sport and definitely have ideas floating around, but I honestly don’t have a specific plan of attack,” he says. “I’ve just always told myself to do the right thing, surround myself with good people and God will take care of the rest.”

Continuing partnerships Between deep friendships, rich life experiences and financial stability, Meb says the sport has given him so much that he has no interest in exiting the running community completely.

“I love the sport and love to sweat, so I’m not going away,” he confirms.

That includes deepening relationships with his industry partners, a list that includes names such as Skechers Performance, CEP, Epson and ElliptiGO. Few athletes in any sport are as genuinely engaged with their sponsors as Meb, who routinely appears at events on his sponsors’ behalf, seamlessly highlights product on his social media feeds and spotlights his use of the goods in everyday life.

“I’ve always tried to be as authentic as I can in everything I do,” Meb says, “though, internally, I’ve always wished I could give them even more.”

Compression brand CEP began its relationship with Meb six years ago and general manager Luke Rowe calls Meb a “quality, genuine man” who has been “nothing but a wonderful asset for us” by using the CEP compression products extensively – with no contractual obligation to do so, Rowe adds – and regularly underscoring the benefits of CEP product in public forums.

“Meb’s number one value to us is that he believes in our product and uses it correctly,” Rowe says, adding that CEP recently renewed its contract with Meb for another three years. “We have no doubts Meb will continue to be a great ambassador for us and that’s why we extended our partnership with him.”

Ditto for KT Tape, where Meb will remain an integral part of the brand’s efforts in the running market, according to CEO Greg Venner.

“Meb has been a tremendous part of the KT Tape athlete family. He is an icon and an inspiration and he will continue to be as he transitions to a career away from competitive marathons,” Venner says.

Last February, meanwhile, Skechers announced its own contract extension with Meb, who will continue to grace marketing campaigns and collaborate with the California-based brand on footwear introductions through (at least) 2023.

“That we’ve shared in Meb’s journey has been an incredible honor for the Skechers Performance brand,” company president Michael Greenberg says. “More than an amazing athlete on the course, Meb is truly an inspirational role model to all … [and we] look forward to him continuing as part of the Skechers Performance family as he enters this next phase of his career.”

So as Meb catches his breath and exits the running stage, know you haven’t seen the last of him.

“I’m leaving competition, but I’m not leaving the sport,” he assures. “I’m going to the next level of fatherhood and life, but time will tell for the rest of it.” n

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ONRUNNING

By Daniel P. Smith

How an upstart, Switzerland-based footwear company has emerged as one of the most intriguing brands in the run specialty channel.

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H

ow does a running footwear brand, one launched by a trio of men with no footwear industry experience, become one of the most intriguing brands in the run specialty world? Indeed, it’s a curious case. Seven years ago, after all, On Running was a fledgling enterprise with novel technology and a shrewd go-to-market strategy that its founders – Olivier Bernhard, David Allemann and Caspar Coppetti – believed would resonate with consumers and retailers alike. But today, On has evolved from unknown upstart to on-the-rise brand capturing industry honors, raving fans and new accounts.

Though On currently holds but a sliver of footwear market share in the U.S. run specialty channel, its presence continues swelling. According to Sports Marketing Surveys USA, On’s distribution is rising at a pace only bested by Under Armour and Altra. By year’s end, On leadership anticipates another year of record-high market share for the company as its footwear graces the walls of about 800 U.S. running shops.

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ON (continued) And with a mix of entrepreneurial ambition, creative engineering and a desire to be different, On’s leaders believe the best is yet to come.

David Allemann

On creating a different running shoe

Though On’s founding trio comes from an athletic background – Bernhard, for one, is a three-time World Duathlon champion – none of the men had ever constructed a running shoe.

“And honestly,” Allemann says, “that helped us take a different approach.”

Believing that running shoes largely fell into one of two categories, either cushioned or sleek, the founders posed a simple, albeit layered and complex question: Can’t we do both?

To answer that inquiry, On’s three founders pursued a footwear solution rooted in engineering rather than materials like air, gel or rubber and pulled inspiration from mountain bike suspension. The result? The Cloud, a series of hollowed-out pods running the length of the shoe – a differentiated look that aims to achieve differentiated results.

Upon landing, Allemann explains, the

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Cloud pods deform in a horizontal direction to reduce impact. He calls it “cushioned landing.” Thereafter, the Clouds compress for firmness to propel the runner forward. German newspaper Die Zeit called

On’s technology “Doping through the sole.”

“All at the same time, our footwear is light, comfortable and agile,” Allemann says, assuring that On’s technology is true product innovation, not marketing jargon. “And if we didn’t truly believe that, then we wouldn’t have started this business in such a competitive market.”

In July 2010, On’s first running shoe, the Cloudsurfer, shipped to specialty running stores in Europe. Over the next year, On released its second shoe, the Cloudrunner, and earned a spot on the footwear walls of 400 running specialty stores across 18 countries. By 2014, with an expanding elite athlete roster and an assortment of industry awards, On earned entry into 1,200 running specialty stores across 25 countries.

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ON (continued) On gaining a foothold in the U.S.

While European markets like Germany, the U.K. and Switzerland, the home of On’s global office, served the initial priority, On’s leadership knew their fortunes as a company were ultimately linked to the U.S., a nation responsible for some 48 million running shoe purchases in 2016 according to figures from the National Sporting Goods Association.

After getting its feet wet in Europe, On entered the U.S. marketplace in 2012 and soon after opened an office in Portland, OR, the nation’s unofficial sportswear capital.

Throughout the last five years, On has worked to gain a foothold in the U.S. with a resolute, singular focus on the run specialty channel.

“We see the specialty running retailer as our main partner and super important for our credibility,” Allemann confirms.

While On touts the benefits of its highly differentiated Swiss technology and distinctive design to running retailers, it also champions exclusivity, price stability and selective distribution.

With On’s footwear models on a 3-5

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On Cloud

season lifecycle and closely monitored distribution, Allemann says retailers are not moved to discount the brand’s footwear or price match, which drives higher margin sales. Today, On claims

the highest-selling average price of any footwear brand at $130.35, outdistancing Hoka ($126), Adidas ($124) and ASICS ($117). Four out of 10 On shoes, in fact, sell at or above $140.

At Potomac River Running, an eight-store chain based in Washington, D.C., chief operating officer Ryan Long says On footwear has the lowest markdown percentage at the store register, holding its price better than any footwear brand the company carries.

“They’ve shown integrity,” Long says of On, “and that’s something we really appreciate.”

But On does plenty more to service its run specialty partners ranging from an exclusive run specialty model (the Cloudflow) to featuring a dealer locator on its website that allows consumers to book a fitting appointment directly with their local On-approved retailer.

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On also offers retailers hands-on help installing On-branded windows or designated On merchandising areas in a store showroom. Over six weeks last summer, for instance, On produced a pop-up shop in Brett Lamb’s Fleet Feet Sports store on San Francisco’s Chestnut Street. A defined space devoted entirely to On’s footwear and apparel, Lamb says On produced a compelling buildout and offered generous terms on inventory to create a “crazy good” result for his store.

“We had a lofty units sold goal and exceeded that,” Lamb says, noting that On became the store’s top-selling footwear brand during that six-week period.

As a B2B relationship, Lamb appreciates On’s startup mentality and willingness to forge mutually productive partnerships.

“They are nimble, open to experimentation and it’s refreshing as a retailer to work with someone so open to creativity,” he says.

Additionally, On has worked with its retail partners to create distinctive events like the Run to Switzerland recently hosted

by Potomac River Running’s Washington, D.C. store. The 5k fun run on Sept. 30, Coppetti’s innovative marketing brainchild, concluded with an afterparty outside the Swiss Embassy.

“We don’t have the necessary connections to have a party on the lawn of the Swiss Embassy,” Long says, “so this was a creative way to introduce On to our customers.”

It’s these unique experiences and value-adds, Allemann insists, that help distinguish On with both retailers and consumers.

“We take pages from the books of premium retailers in other categories because we know an upgraded experience in these times is urgently needed,” Allemann says. “It takes time going consumer to consumer, retailer to retailer, but it’s been worth it.”

On the future

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For On, the slow-and-steady pace has generated traction.

Globally, On footwear is now available in more than 3,000 retailers across 50 countries. In Switzerland, On boasts 30 percent market share; in Germany, the world’s second largest running

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ON (continued) market, On is among the top four running shoe brands; and in Japan, the globe’s third largest running market, Allemann says On is “going through the roof.”

The U.S., Allemann confirms, remains “priority market number one.” Through the first six months of 2017, On captured 100 percent growth in its U.S. sales, while same-store sales growth continues to climb. “[Same-store sales growth is] the most important number for us because we want to see our existing partners growing the share of their business,” Allemann says.

Lamb, who only began carrying On footwear last December at his Fleet Feet outlets, says On product is resonating with his clientele, so much so that he immediately began writing fill-in orders to bring On product into his second San Francisco store after sales took off at his Chestnut Street unit.

“Customers like [On footwear] because it’s a cool, beautiful and stylish product that is also technically sound,” Lamb says.

As with any new footwear brand, Long says Potomac River Running has tiptoed into carrying On product, though early returns are solid. At the company’s

downtown D.C. store, On has emerged as the top-selling footwear brand, while its market share in five other Potomac River Running stores hovers around 8 percent.

“Our staff tell us that customers ask to try on On shoes more than any other brand,” Long says, adding that On tends to attract a younger, non-performance running crowd.

“That’s been great for us because it’s an opportunity to sell to new customers, which means we’re growing the pie versus taking away sales from another brand.”

While Allemann relishes On’s early market headway, he and his colleagues know future success is not guaranteed.

He promises continued innovation, both with On’s product technology and its goto-market strategies. In one particularly bold marketing play, On challenged 10 people running the 2016 NYC marathon to switch to the On Cloudflow the day before the race. The experience, recounted in a YouTube video viewed more than 40,000 times, underscores On’s desire to be daring and different. All 10 runners, by the way, finished the marathon.

“It’s been incredibly gratifying to see

the response of the running community and we see incredible potential for the brand,” Allemann says. “Now that said, we know we need to continue performing at a consistent level and earning the trust of our partners by producing great product and delivering what our retailers need when they need it.”

That consistency is what retailers like Lamb want to see.

“I love that they’ve brought an entrepreneurial spirit to it and I hope they grow at a manageable rate that allows us all to be successful,” he says.

Ditto for Potomac River Running’s Long, who says On is currently saying and doing all the right things by extracting its product from Amazon, restricting online sales and being responsive to its run specialty partners. With updated models of the Cloud and Cloudflyer having dropped in early November , he now wants to see On navigate this transition smoothly.

“Prove this and it will be a capstone for them,” Long says. “On’s cornered a niche, so how do they improve on that and weather any growing pains?” n

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EYESAHEAD Highlighted by the debut of its digitally powered fit id experience, Fleet Feet Sports is squarely focused on the future.

By Daniel P. Smith

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J

oey Pointer isn’t as much interested in a three-year or five-year plan as he is a 100-year plan.

The longtime Fleet Feet Sports executive who ascended to the CEO’s post this past summer, Pointer has turned the 41-year-old company’s attention well ahead, challenging the entire Fleet Feet enterprise to anticipate the future and act accordingly.

“Retail has never changed this fast before and will never change this slow again,” Pointer says.

Eager to make stores “more sticky” and strengthen the Fleet Feet system for the long haul, Pointer has overseen the debut of fit id, Fleet Feet’s new in-store, digitally powered fitting experience, and quarterbacked the rollout of new corporate strategies designed to better serve franchise

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fit id devices use 3D foot scanning technology.

partners, increase alignment with vendor partners and drive store performance.

The birth of fit id

Fit id, the company’s new 3D foot scanning technology currently present in about 90 percent of all Fleet Feet storefronts, is central to the North Carolina-based enterprise’s

forward-looking evolution.

Described by Fleet Feet senior brand manager Victor Ornelas as “a revolutionary way of understanding foot shape,” the fit id device – developed in partnership with Sweden-based Volumental – uses infrared cameras to capture a full 3D scan of the foot in a static position. Customers stand

on the device for 3-5 seconds before a scan appears on a tablet and shares various data points, including U.S. foot size, heel-to-toe length, ball width, instep height, heel width and ball girth.

Staff can also compare one’s foot to a rich database of foot scans, quantifying, for instance, arch height relative to the population for added context and insight from a footwear and insole perspective.

“This empowers our employees with so much more data that allows them to be more precise with their suggestions of what type of running shoe to offer, and the size and width of that shoe,” Ornelas says, adding that the fit id experience delivers added professionalism and objective, personalized data that today’s digitally empowered customers appreciate.

Fit id, Ornelas continues, is not a replacement, but rather a complement to the traditional gait analysis staff will continue to perform by assessing a customer’s feet, ankles, knees, hips and personal history.

“Fit id is another tool in our arsenal to understand customers in a more unique way and also show them something unique and different as well,” says Ornelas, who

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fit id (continued) calls fit id a customer acquisition and engagement tool that “brings the wow.”

Bringing fit id to market

Pointer says the motivation to launch fit id, a process that began in earnest at the start of 2017, was to “invent from the eyes of consumers.”

“The consumer is so much more willing to look at data when it’s black and white… and fit id modernizes our retail fit experience in a digitally native society,” Pointer says.

Corporate leadership unveiled fit id to individual store operators at last June’s national franchise conference. After members of Fleet Feet’s Franchise Advisory Council (FAC) who piloted the fit id system shared case studies from their stores, attendees tested the system themselves.

By early November, more than 150 Fleet Feet stores had fit id on their sales floors.

Corporate supported the launch with an updated operating guide packed with best practices from the field, two-day regional workshops and videos on everything from how to set up the device to working with customers and maintenance. The rollout also

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included turnkey marketing materials such as website banner images and consumerfacing videos highlighting the fit id solution.

Bob Shooer, owner of Fleet Feet Sports Pittsburgh and FAC Chairman, calls fit id an early success that has become “a powerful tool” for his store. He has witnessed the device spur unintended fittings and inspire traffic-driving word of mouth buzz.

He also brought the portable fit id system to the Pittsburgh Marathon Expo in May. Over two days, his team scanned nearly 550 people, many of whom waited upwards of 30 minutes for the experience.

“That showed us the level of intrigue there is for this,” Shooer says.

While Shooer was initially concerned that the technology would reduce the human element, he says it has actually sparked deeper engagement between staff and customers.

“It’s one thing to be told what’s going on with your foot and quite another to show your foot in very objective terms,” Shooer says. “It’s been validating.”

Fit id, Ornelas says, sets a tone for the future of Fleet Feet, helping stores engage with customers in more dynamic ways

today while simultaneously positioning the company for the future and a world in which 3D-printed footwear and insoles could become mainstream.

“We want to be at the tip of the spear,” Ornelas says.

Beyond fit id

While fit id might be the most visible injection into Fleet Feet’s business of late, it’s far from the only one.

Spurred by the summer 2017 addition of Brent Hollowell, the former head of marketing at Nathan, Fleet Feet has begun creating deeper alignment and opportunities with its vendor partners, including launching more national programs and driving more connectivity between brands, stores and, ultimately, consumers.

“Our vendor community is challenged by the retail landscape, too, and we can’t live in the past with how we went to market with our brand partners,” says Hollowell, the company’s vice president of marketing and vendor management. “We need to be more flexible and part of that is helping partners find a way to get programming

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fit id (continued) out there in one swoop to 170 More than 150 Fleet Feet stores now stores who can then customize have fit id on their sales floors. it on a local level.”

The corporate office has also worked to improve operational efficiencies for store operators with a new email platform featuring customizable templates and added automation, enhanced educational support for staff on areas such as merchandising and customer service and a centralized data hub.

“This all comes down to giving our stores the ability and time to focus on creating a quality customer experience,” vice president of retail operations Ben Cooke says. “Ultimately, we want our stores focused on front of the house and community engagement, not bogged down with emails or Excel files.” staff to produce digital content.

The company has also increased its The overall goal, Pointer says, is to planning time for major initiatives, a help operators connect to the whole rather move that sharpens its focus on content than being one of many while celebrating strategy and creating turnkey resources successes and remaining firmly focused for operators, as well as added corporate on the future, elements Pointer himself

communicates every Monday in a message to the entire Fleet Feet brand team.

“We’re trying to be more nimble so we’re driving engagement and tickets and moving forward as one stronger, unified force,” Pointer says. n

Stop by Booth #1317 to learn more about Custom Fit Insoles

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Nike CEO Mark Parker discussing the brand’s plans.

NIKETALKS

By Jennifer Ernst Beaudry

Retailers and Market Watchers Sound Off on the Swoosh’s Plans to Do More Business Through Fewer Doors.

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ike made waves earlier this fall when the athletic giant announced at an Investor Day meeting at its Beaverton, OR, headquarters that it would be tightly focusing its retail strategy. Where today the firm sells through 30,000 different global retailers who represent 110,000 doors, going forward Nike will concentrate on 40 key retail partners.

(Of course, Nike isn’t planning to only be stocked in 40 accounts, but it will be focusing its efforts and investment and the loss of support could be critical for a number of the remaining thousands of stores). The brand will also be continuing to push its own Nike.com site, with as much as one-third of its future offering exclusive to the site and exclusive to Nike members.

While Nike’s focus on growing its direct-to-consumer business and streamlining its account base

© 2017 Formula4media LLC.

It’s tough out there. Engineer to perform with TPU. Estane® TRX TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) is making tracks as the innovative rubber replacement for outdoor, athletic and work shoe outsoles. Outsoles made from Estane TRX TPU provide: • Sustainability: Outsoles made with TPU can be recycled • Automation: Thermoplastic injection molding technology maximizes efficiency and minimizes production time • Performance: Engineered to endure tough conditions with well-balanced wet/dry surface traction and superior durability As the inventor of TPU, Lubrizol can help you get the most out of this advanced material.

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17-72575

Nike (continued)

is nothing new (just ask any of the retailers it has dropped in the past few years), the aggressive targets the brand has laid out – and the eye-popping difference between 30,000 and 40 accounts – has turned heads.

It comes at a time when The Swoosh has struggled in the U.S. market with both its main line and the Jordan brand, ceding share to the competition and suffering from the same depressed sporting goods and athletic environment that all brands are facing. The new strategy, which the brand is calling Triple Double, is Nike’s plan to reestablish momentum.

But as Nike looks to consolidate and focus, it is unknown how its plans will affect the broader retail marketplace, already rocked by the bankruptcies and closures of the past two years and stagnant sales. Can Nike’s new plan reinvigorate the brand and the many channels in which it trades?

Here, retailers, analysts and market watchers sound off on what Nike’s plans

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Nike iD VaporMax Flyknit SE

mean for them, for the brand and for the market as a whole.

Dick Johnson, chairman, president and CEO, Foot Locker Inc.

“The world is moving more and more toward experiential retail. To be a preferred partner with our vendors, your focus has to be 100 percent on the consumer and on creating great experiences that are both digital and physical in nature. Retail is evolving and we have to move with it. We have a constant

conversation with our vendor partners about creating that next generation of retail. It’s a digitally-led environment.

The consumer is consumed by their digital device, but our core consumer still likes to have physical experiences. It’s just got be more than sneakers on the wall.

The next retail spaces won’t look like the last retail spaces. Retail will not get any easier in the future and the consumer expectations continue to rise. You have to have the ability to meet or exceed those expectations if you want to be allowed to

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Nike (continued) stay in the game. We work hard to keep the consumer at the center of that universe and understand their expectations and where they’re moving. Our effort has to be that we’re important to our vendor partners and that we have a strong relationship.

Then we can create stories and ideate around that. Ultimately, the consumer will decide where they want to transact.”

Nike Air VaporMax Flyknit

Kris Hartner, owner, Naperville Running Co.

“Nike’s been doing this for years. A few years ago they went to basically 40 focus retailers in run specialty and we’ve been one of them. People want Nike and if our customer wants it, we’re going to do our best to have it. As for the direct-toconsumer side, to me, if they keep reigning in the craziness that is the Web, I’d rather see them crank that DTC number way up and dial it in, and use some of that money to do things for the specialty accounts.”

Sam Sato, CEO, Finish Line

“Our relationship as a key strategic partner with Nike is as strong as ever and the level

of our collaboration is reaching new heights.

For example, our brand team has led the creative process for two of the latest innovations introduced by Nike — VaporMax and the Connected Jersey x NBA — allowing Finish Line to extend the global message through relevant content designed specifically for our customers through our voice.

We will continue to work closely with Nike to elevate the consumer experience ... across our digital properties and our new Store of Now/Flagship store designs. This

supports Nike’s ‘Triple Double’ strategy getting closer to the consumer faster and with more relevant experiences.”

Joey Pointer, CEO, Fleet Feet Sports

“We know that the way that brands are working with us continues to evolve. They are as challenged as all of us by the changing landscape and consumer behavior. The Nike brand is one of the most meaningful in the world and at their core, they are a running brand. Whatever success or chal-

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Nike (continued) lenges we may have had in the past with Nike, we’re confident that we’re aligned in our focus on the customer and on delivering great experiences and value at the grassroots level. Nike said something that really resonates with us, and that is that mediocre retail will be going away. As a country, we’re completely over-retailed, and customers now more than ever have the opportunity to be discerning and purposeful when it comes to how and where they shop. That just means it’s incumbent on us to continue to create exceptional retail experiences that provide lasting value that people want to participate in. It’s less about selling products and stores, and more about creating productions and becoming great storytellers so that customers have a reason beyond commodity to interact with our brand.”

Matt Powell, analyst, The NPD Group

“I think it’s the right thing to do, but it’s going to be painful for them. I keep coming back to the Sports Authority bankruptcy.

[When we analyzed the sales figures], we were able to account for a third going to

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other retailers, a third going to the Web, and a third of the sales just disappeared.

I’m not making the claim it would be a third, but if for every store you close you’re not able to replace [a portion of ] that volume, quickly, how do you make that up? Especially if your core business is not very good right now. If you go back to 2015, Nike was 10 times the size of Adidas in the U.S. This year, they’re 3.5 times the size. Is there a huge gap still?

Yeah, but it’s much smaller than it used to be. There’s a retail malaise going on right now and Nike is the biggest factor.

This is going to be very tricky to execute.”

David Robinson, buyer, St. Alfred

“We’ve had a long-term partnership in the realm of boutiques — they have allowed and still allow us to get access to that top-tier product. Demand has been growing again. The demand had plateaued for a bit, with the landscape of other competitors and releases and collaborations, but from what I’ve seen just from a consumer standpoint and as a buyer, there’s greater interest in what people are checking for.

With the announcements that they’re

partnering with Amazon and that they’ll be selling a lot directly themselves, that would scare a lot of mom-and-pop, small boutiques. We’re fortunate that we don’t rely solely on our footwear: We have a good clothing business and our in-house brand, and that allows us to take chances on a few silhouettes. And in those shifts where [styles] are available online, we’re happy to have it to bring to consumers, but we’re not as dependent on, ‘We need to get this out the door to keep the lights on.”

Frank Gibbons, buyer, Sam’s Outdoor Outfitters

“They’re underestimating the proclivity of Americans to go touch and feel and the Internet hasn’t proven really good at that yet. And they’re ignoring the digital divide, which on the street level in rural America is super real. There are places without cell phone service, without highspeed Internet, and at some point there’s a certain portion [of shoppers] that will push back. Without your presence [in stores] you will cease to be relevant to them. That could make way, especially in certain niche markets, for other brands.” n

© 2017 Formula4media LLC.

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DESTINATION

RUN Products Ideally Suited for Today’s Version of “Distance” Running.

GLOBETROTTING Pacsafe Transit Hoodie & Pant

By Suzanne Blecher

D

estination races have runners packing their bags for events like the Walt Disney World Marathon, Portland’s Run Like Hell races and the Bermuda Triangle Challenge. Hoping to avoid checking a bag, consumers are looking for options in footwear, apparel, accessories and gear that are adaptable, packable and feature technologies including antiwrinkle, anti-static and odor-free for travel and post-race activities.

Here, options for pieces that crossover from the outdoor world designed for fun, stress-free experiences.

Apparel When skier, trail runner and adventurer Christy Mahon travels, she often grabs Stio’s Pinion Down Vest with lightweight, abrasion-resistant Pertex Quantum and Allied’s 800-fill HyperDry water-repellent down “to keep my core warm,” she said, adding that after a long run, “it’s a perfect reward for hard work.” The vest can be perfectly paired with Stio’s streamlined Pinedale Pant with comfortable, stretchy softshell fabric and articulated knees.

For on-the-ground activity, RYU’s Vapor Long Sleeve Top has engineered mesh zones for cooling, as well as Polygiene technology for odor control and built-in

DESTINATION

Globetrotting (continued)

The best gear for “on the go” runners is adaptable, packable and ready to travel.

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RUN

UPF 50+. La Sportiva’s Medea T-Shirt also features Polygiene, as well as body-mapped compression, a seamless construction for chafe-free comfort and reflective detailing for safety. Perfect for layering, the Breeze VNT Tank from Mountain Hardwear is moisturewicking and contains engineered perforations for breathability.

Pacsafe’s Transit Hoodie and Pant provide great details for traveling comfort, including a RFIDsafe pocket for passport and wallet, a hood designed to act as a pull-down eye mask for sleeping and several icon-labeled pockets depicting where things like headphones, glasses and pens are hidden.

Borrowed from the sailing world, Costa’s Sunrise Silver Mirror sunglass lenses are designed for lowlight conditions (dawn, dusk, clouds), allowing in 30 percent of the light while still maintaining a 97 percent polarization efficiency.

The lenses also contain a C-Wall coating, which causes water to bead up and roll off for smudgefree wearing. Hydrolite rubber on the nose and temples optimizes face gripping even when the wearer is wet or sweaty. Meanwhile, Buff’s UV Multifunctional Headband offers thermal efficiency, built-in sun protection and moisture wicking with CoolMax Pro. The headbands feature a seamless construction and Polygiene Active odor control.

Footwear & Accessories For professional runner and coach David Roche, the Hoka One One Challenger ATR is his “set it and forget it shoe – every day, everywhere, every run.” The cushy, fast shoe “can handle any terrain with plenty of action,” Roche said, noting that the shoe has a a supportive, surefooted fit.

Ski mountaineer Caroline Gleich relies upon the equally trek-worthy Keen Terradora Mid for her adventures. “Whether I’m going for a walk in the park by my house in the city or hiking up a 3,000-foot rocky peak, it makes my footwear decision simple,” she said. Nestled in the brand’s TrailFit category (bridging the gym and mountains), Terradora has a narrower last for women’s specific fit and a proprietary waterproof, breathable membrane to let vapor out without letting water in. Chaco’s Z/Cloud sandals have adjustable straps (easy for removal at the airport) and a podiatrist-certified polyurethane footbed for all-day comfort, along with a performance ChacoGrip rubber outsole that is optimized for wet traction.

Gear “As a business owner, CrossFit athlete and someone who is always on the go, the 5.11 Rush72 backpack is perfect to store the essentials. I use it every day as a workout bag, a way to carry my laptop around, along with note-taking gear, journals and whatever book I’m currently reading – and it’s outstanding for multi-day trips and events,” noted Taylor Drescher, a CrossFit Games athlete. 5.11’s bag is designed to be a 72-hour bag with water-repellent coating, an internal hydration compartment and yoke shoulder strap construction. Eagle Creek’s Weekend Warrior Gear Kit ensures maximum organization in its carry-on with Pack-It items that compress clothing and gear, along with a CoatKeeper, which secures a jacket on top of the bag and pockets for laptops and electronics.

Avid runner and communications manager for Thule, Chris Ritchie, favors the Thule Subterra Duffel 60L “so I have access to all my day-to-day gear on top, racing stuff in another side pocket and goo in the front pocket – all separated.” The bag also features an accessory pocket that can be accessed from inside and out, making it simple to grab a passport or wallet without opening the entire bag. Internal compression straps keep belongings in place and organized. l

© 2017 Formula4media LLC.

ortholite.com Power your next shoe with OrthoLite insoles—the secret to superior performance. Our game-changing X40 High Rebound foam formulation boosts the elasticity rating to over 40%, making it the only insole choice for shoes used in high impact activities.

DESTINATION

RUN

Globetrotting (continued)

Buff UV Multifunctional Headband

RYU Vapor Long Sleeve Top

Keen Terradora Mid

Eagle Creek Weekend Warrior Gear Kit

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Costa Sunrise Mirror Lens in Blackfin Frame

Mountain Hardwear Breeze VNT Tank

Hoka One One Challenger ATR 4

Thule Subterra Duffel 60L

Chaco Z/Cloud

La Sportiva Medea T-Shirt

Stio Pinion Vest & Pinedale Pant

Rush72 Bag from 5.11

© 2017 Formula4media LLC.

Wear More.Wash More. Wash Less

®

Polygiene Odor Control Technology

T E S T T E A M S W E A T I N G I N T H E A P E N N I N E S, I T A LY

“If you sweat a lot, work out in high temperatures, and don’t want to invest in a lot of shirts, I’d highly recommend a Polygiene-treated product.”

– Joe Jackson, Outside Online, July 2016

GOOD FOR THE PLANET · GOOD FOR THE CONSUMER · GOOD FOR YOUR BRAND Polygiene Odor Control Technology is a durable, effective and sustainable textile treatment that uses naturally occurring silver salt to stop the growth of odor-causing bacteria. The result? You can run more and wash less.

WHAT WOULD YOU DO WITH 3 EXTRA DAYS? Polygiene keeps garments odor-free and wearable longer, saving water, energy, and time associated with repeated washing. Skipping one load of laundry per week adds up to three days of free time over the course of one year—less washing means more time to pursue your passions.

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DESTINATION

RUN

CHOOSE YOUR OWN

ADVENTURE No Matter What the Race-cation has in Store, There’s a Perfect Shoe.

By Jennifer Ernst Beaudry

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P

acking is tricky; packing for a destination run or a running vacation is nextlevel difficult. Picking the right shoe for your event is obviously critical: Does it support your stride? Does it offer the protection and traction you need for the event? Will it keep you fast while it keeps you comfortable? Are you running a 5K? An ultra? Rugged trails? Obstacle course? City Streets? But raceday performance isn’t the only issue when you’re away from home. If you’re going to have to carry your shoes as you walk (or even as you race), how heavy are they? If you’re limited to a carryon, can your shoes pull doubleduty for the rest of your trip? If you need to warm-up, cross-train or even do another event (it could happen!) on your trip, will your shoes keep up?

There are as many different needs as there are races. But luckily, running brands have it covered, with shoes that work for all stripes of competition and nail all the other travel requirements, too. All you need to do is choose your path.

© 2017 Formula4media LLC.

Textile-Based Product Solutions

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DESTINATION

Choose Your Own Adventure (continued)

RUN

When You’re Focused on the Finish Line (or Do Anything but Run)

When You Want to Run but You Don’t Just Want to Run

Sometimes you need a vacation from the run — if you’re thinking of nothing but what you’ll put on your feet post-race. Perhaps your idea of a destination run vacation involves strolling around, sitting by a campfire, or a yoga-style retreat, you need protection but nothing extra. For Spring ’18, Vibram is redesigning the quirky $110 Furoshiki wrap shoe it debuted in 2016.

The unisex style, which features a stretch upper the wearer wraps around the foot paired with a Vibram sole, is minimalistic (no midsole!), flexible and the ultimate packable style. It works as a camp shoe, a slipper or a fashion travel shoe — the ultimate multi-tool for slipping on when the run is over.

For athletes who want to run on their vacation but aren’t making it the main event, Hoka One One has a proposal: behold the lightweight, versatile, wallet-friendly Cavu trainer. As part of the brand’s new Fly collection designed to appeal to fitness runners, the $110 Cavu is a neutral trainer that’s been lightened up and streamlined for more mass appeal. With less volume than Hoka’s original models, the Cavu still offers the characteristic cushioned foot landing with the ProFly midsole technology, that marries a springier forefoot with the soft heel zone characteristic of Hoka styles.

When You’re a Fitness Addict Doing a Night Run

When You’re Going Long and Looking to PR

Swiss brand On Running is debuting their first style made for running-plus for 2018. The $139.99 Cloud X style is designed to do it all: Run, hit the gym, take a class or conquer your local Crossfit Box. The men’s and women’s style features the brand’s Zero Gravity cushioning, which is meant to help cushion the foot as it pounds through a run or a workout and add propulsive energy to takeoffs. A versatile 6mm offset and a seamless tongue help the Cloud X work smoothly when you’re on the run and when you’re taking a fitness class. And a sleek engineered mesh upper and reflective detail make the shoe an eye-catcher day or night — but really stand out while you’re doing a night race. An added bonus? With fully elastic lacing, the Cloud X is ready for the through-TSAdash-for-the-gate speed event.

If the longest part of your trip is the ultra you’re planning and not the ride to the race, you need a shoe that will hold up. And if you’re looking to go fast, you need a shoe that’s designed for racing. The North Face thinks it has the answer in the $157 Flight RTK, designed in conjunction with North Face athlete and ultra-runner Rob Krar. A lightweight engineered mesh upper, multidirectional lugs and smart placement sticky rubber on the outsole keeps the weight down while amping up breathability and grip.

The dual density “Bathtub” construction means the shoe helps keep your stride on track even when the miles pile up, and the FastFoam EVA cushioning has a responsive feel that resists packing out even under pressure.

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© 2017 Formula4media LLC.

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DESTINATION

FROM ROAD RACE TO ROAD T TRIP

RUN

Travel-Worthy Textiles for the Total Run Experience.

hese days being a runner often includes planes, trains and automobiles. Participating in a local 5K with friends and neighbors is always an option, but an out of town race holds special appeal. While textile execs may not be “front-ofthe-pack” runners, they are hip to the destination run trend and are developing versatile, performance fabrics ideally suited for garments worn before, after and to/from the competition.

These fabrications offer technical properties along with comfort features that enhance the total run experience. In other words, travel-worthy textiles that transition seamlessly from sport to sightseeing.

Schoeller president Stephen Kerns says that Dryskin articles and Shape pieces within the company’s Cosmopolitan collection are a good fit for this trend. DrySkin double fabric construction is developed especially for active sports, and consists of synthetic fibers on the outside and functional fibers on the inside for rapid moisture transport. Used in jackets and pants these features hold up to wear and tear and can be styled for functional fashion.

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© 2017 Formula4media LLC.

Pioneering Advancements in Recovery Technology Absorbs 37% More Impact Than Traditional Foams Cradles Your Arches

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Enables More Natural Motion

DESTINATION

From Road Race To Road Trip (continued) The Cosmopolitan collection features articles with NanoSphere and 3XDry finishing technologies. “The fabrics look fresh, don’t require ironing and brands often tell us these fabrics are popular for travel wear,” explains Kerns.

3XDry combines two functions in one textile—water and dirt repellency on the outside with quick dry moisture management inside that promotes natural cooling.

NanoSphere repels water, oil and dirt with high abrasion resistance.

Both technologies are appreciated for plane travel and car trips when keeping clothes clean can be a challenge.

Versatility is a key attribute of Nilit’s ATS collection. Molly Kremidas, global marketing team member for Nilit, describes ATS pieces as “travel-easy versatility.” She adds, “The garments look dressy, but behave functionally.”

Special air texturing creates soft yarns that are light and fluffy yet supple, and also easy care. ATS nylon yarns deliver a cotton-like feel, moisture management performance and dry fast. The yarn remains soft after multiple washings.

Odor-resist technology is a natural for runners, whether on race day or during a road trip. Says Colleen Nipkow, NA marketing director for Polygiene: “Runners and travelers alike want to pack light and want items that they can rinse out, hang up, dry quickly, and look good.”

Polygiene, a chemical-free, odor control technology is expanding and diversifying end use applications.

“It’s not only what runners/travelers pack in their bags, but their packs, too,” says Nipkow who mentions a new pack program with Montane.

For 2018 Montane updated all trail running packs with Polygiene. As a sidenote: Each year Montane 124

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sponsors the Tor des Géants in Italy. Ultra-marathons are part of the growth in destination running, according to a Montane representative, saying that a Montane athlete took his family as a support crew for the event.

Gore’s new ShakeDry technology provides users on the run performance and lightweight pack-ability. The “constant beading technology” doesn’t allow the fabric to saturate and the thin profile promotes breathability.

The tech is versatile for wear on fair weather days and performs in stormy conditions. Wearers don’t experience the chill common with wetted out face fabric, and the fabric dries fast. Literally users can shake it dry. Take a look at the video on YouTube here: youtu.be/ Ttvyr2FVujc Blends Go the Distance Wool’s unique properties go way beyond “it’s warm.” Especially with recent advances, creative collaborations, and innovative yarn blends that are being developed by companies like Global Merino and FiberVision’s CoolVisions.

“The interesting thing is that during athletic activities, no matter how effective the textile mechanically moves moisture as some point your going to be wet (from sweat),” explains Jose Fernandez, president, Global Merino. “Ultimately you need to understand what a fabric does when wet and how it behaves during levels of activities and environmental conditions.” Wool retains insulating value when wet, but also absorbs moisture.

Global Merino looks at the end use and addresses specific performance requirements and engineers a fabric that enhances athlete comfort. In the run market

RUN Fernandez sees resistance to wearing wool eroding and wool-specific brands having successes. “But we need to convert committed runners to performance enhancement achievable with wool,” he states, and highlights advances like the technical ability to spin yarns that are lighter, and using finer wool strategically placed wool structures to eliminate chafing.

A recent collaboration between Global Merino and CoolVisions is in stride with the destination run movement. Called WoolVisions, the blend balances the exceptional functional features of each fiber.

“WoolVisions is a really interesting blend with merino wool,” says Fernandez, “CoolVisions polypropylene fiber is thermally a better match for merino than other synthetics, resulting in fabrics with better hydrophobic performance.”

CoolVisions, global sales/marketing manager, Susan Lynn, adds, “The attributes of these blends— lightweight, quick dry, odormanagement—are ideal for the run market.” WoolVisions from Global Merino is a 60Merino/40CV blend.

When tested as a single jersey results showed it wicked 50 percent faster than equivalent 100 percent wool, dried 40 percent faster and has significant enhanced odormanagement, according to Lynn.

WoolVisions was originally a spun yarn combining merino wool with CoolVisions staple. Last year, CoolVisions introduced a filament dyeable polypropylene produced in Asia, and Global Merino’s newest knits combine the two yarns, filament and the spun blend. However, a new program is being developed for customers that want filament out of the USA. It will be made available from Premiere Fibers in Ansonville, NC. n

© 2017 Formula4media LLC.

We’re Coming to Austin! November 29, 2017

Struktur Lab @ The Running Event

Keynote: Austin Kleon ALSO FEATURING

ELIZABETH MCGARRY WILLIAM GORDON LIANA DELUCCA JOHNSON MOLLY KREMIDAS MEGHAN MARSDEN NANCY TRANGMAR

STEVE RICHARDSON BOB SMITH TAYLOR WELDEN JULIANNE GAURON JASON BELAIRE JESSICA HEMMER

Struktur Lab is a one-day design conference for the running industry.

Expand your skill set with hands-on workshops, strengthen your professional network, and get inspired to do the best creative work of your career.

Sponsors and Partners

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CARPE TRENDEM

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unners of every stripe prioritize performance and comfort when it comes to shelling out for apparel and footwear, no matter their age, weekly mileage or what’s in their wallet, according to survey results. Interesting, too, is that across the board the sweet spot for spending is in the $500 - $1,000 range annually. But runners follow very different paths when it comes to researching what to buy. According to the findings, brand websites and blogs are the top pick by high-mileage runners when looking for product information, whereas recreational runners are more likely to seek advice from magazine articles and/or feedback from friends and family prior to purchasing their athletic shoes, clothing and gear. l

Trend Insight Consumer is a feature in Running Insight that delivers consumer research conducted on the MESH1’s Platform. MESH1 collects data from a panel of active outdoor enthusiasts over the age of 18, all based in the U.S. For more information on the MESH1 Platform, contact Brian Bednarek at 603-766-0957 or brian.bednarek@mesh01.com. For information on Trend Insight Consumer and how your company can participate, contact Jeff Nott at 516-305-4711or jnott@formula4media.com.

runninginsight.com

© 2017 Formula4media LLC.

n Agree n Disagree

I Buy Brands...

Demographics High Mileage Runner: 25+ Miles per week (53 respondents) Age Group

Household Income

Apparel: Amount Spent

Under 25....................11%

Under 55K.................26%

$500 or Less..............15%

25-39.........................49%

55K-100K..................32%

$500-$1,000..............45%

40-55.........................32%

100K-150K................21%

$1,000-$2,000...........19%

55+........................... 8%

150K+........................13%

$2,000-$3,000...........13% $4,000+.................... 8%

Medium Mileage Runner: 15-24 Miles per week (80 respondents)

...for the statement they make about me.

89%

86%

High Mileage Runner

Medium Mileage Runner

18%

Low Mileage Runner

18%

Yoga Enthusiast

Age Group

Household Income

Apparel: Amount Spent

Under 25................... 6%

Under 55K.................23%

$500 or Less..............24%

...for their perfomance attributes and comfort.

25-39.........................61%

55-100K....................33%

$500-$1,000..............36%

100%

40-55.........................28%

100K-150K................18%

$1,000-$2,000...........24%

55+........................... 5%

150K+........................15%

$2,000-$3,000...........11%

99%

82%

82%

18%

14%

11%

82%

97%

Parents with Youth Athletes

97%

96%

$4,000+.................... 5%

Low Mileage Runner: 1-14 Miles per week (147 respondents) Age Group

Household Income

Apparel: Amount Spent

Under 25....................12%

Under 55K.................25%

$500 or Less..............35%

25-39.........................59%

55K-100K..................37%

$500-$1,000..............39%

40-55.........................26%

100K-150K................19%

$1,000-$2,000...........16%

55+........................... 4%

150K+........................10%

High Mileage Runner

Medium Mileage Runner

4%

3%

1%

0%

Low Mileage Runner

Yoga Enthusiast

...based only on price.

$2,000-$3,000.......... 6%

Parents with Youth Athletes

78%

72%

70%

70%

3%

75%

$4,000+.................... 4% 30%

30%

Yoga Enthusiasts (188 respondents) Age Group

Household Income

Apparel: Amount Spent

Under 25....................10%

Under 55K.................28%

$500 or Less..............32%

25-39.........................56%

55K-100K..................35%

$500-$1,000..............39%

40-55.........................24%

100K-150K................19%

$1,000-$2,000...........19%

55+............................10%

150K+....................... 9%

$2,000-$3,000.......... 8% $4,000+.................... 3%

High Mileage Runner

28%

Medium Mileage Runner

25%

22%

Low Mileage Runner

Yoga Enthusiast

Parents with Youth Athletes

I wear sports apparel and footwear equally between sports and non-sports activities. (%) 71%

68%

Parents with Youth Athletes (127 respondents)

71%

68%

56% 44%

Age Group

Household Income

Apparel: Amount Spent

Under 25................... 4%

Under 55K.................20%

$500 or Less..............20%

25-39.........................47%

55K-100K..................37%

$500-$1,000..............44%

40-55.........................45%

100-K-150K...............26%

$1,000-$2,000...........20%

55+........................... 4%

150K+........................11%

$2,000-$3,000...........12% $4,000+.................... 4%

Š 2017 Formula4media LLC.

32%

High Mileage Runner

29%

Medium Mileage Runner

Low Mileage Runner

32%

Yoga Enthusiast

29%

Parents with Youth Athletes

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POWERED BY

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Running The Numbers: Consumer Shopping Habits (continued)

What items have you purchased in the last 6 months? (%) 22% 20%

21%

22%

21% 20%

20%

20%

21% 18% 18% 18%

19%

19% 19%

17%

n High Mileage Runner n Medium Mileage Runner n Low Mileage Runner n Yoga Enthusiasts n Parents with Youth Athletes

18% 20% 14%

13%

15%

15%

13% 12% 12%

Athletic Shoes

Active/Sports Apparel

(Socks, Insoles, etc.)

28%

23%

(Heart Rate Monitors, Sport Watches, etc.)

n High Mileage Runner n Medium Mileage Runner n Low Mileage Runner n Yoga Enthusiasts n Parents with Youth Athletes

28% 24%

21%

21%

21% 16% 14% 15%

18%

20%

18%

14%

14%

13% 11%

10% 6%

9% 9%

10%

9%

10% 8%

9%

13% 11% 8% 6%

5%

5%

4%

6% 2%

Brand Website

Blogs

Magazine Articles or Ads

In-Store Salesperson

Friends or Family

Price Comparison Engine

21% 21%

18%

17% 16%

16% 16% 16% 12% 11% 11% 12%

13% 11% 11% 9%

9%

Running

128

Yoga

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Walking

12%

13%

Hiking

9%

10% 7% 7%

Cycling

Social Media

0%

1%

3%

4%

In-Store Signage, Hang Tags

n High Mileage Runner n Medium Mileage Runner n Low Mileage Runner n Yoga Enthusiasts n Parents with Youth Athletes

What are your main forms of sports/fitness activity? (%) 18%

11% 10%

Technology

(Yoga Mats, Outdoor Equipment, etc.)

What is your top choice of research prior to purchasing athletic shoes, apparel, and gear? (%) 30%

11% 11%

Gear

Nutrition Supplement

Sports Accessories

12%

9%

12% 7% 7% 6% 6%

8%

Swimming

13%

12%

10% 10%

Strength Training

9% 7% 7% 9% 7%

8% 7%

9%

11% 7%

Fitness Classes

Recreational Sports

(Spin, Pilates, etc.)

(Tennis, Golf, etc.)

Š 2017 Formula4media LLC.

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How Runners Use Technology to Train

T

hree Polar-sponsored athletes recently spoke to Running Insight about how they use technology to train. Here are highlights from those conversations Kyle Merber is a middle-distance runner specializing in the mile and the 1500 meters. He is currently sponsored by Hoka One One and competes for the New Jersey*New York Track Club.

“I use the heart rate monitor the most, that’s my favorite part. That way I can let heart rate dictate my run. It’s so easy to get trapped by the pace and go faster and faster. So, the heart rate monitor is a great training tool, but it might be more important as a recovery tool because you can see how your body is responding to your workload. Often times, a run

will be harder than you realize.

Another aspect of using the heart rate monitor is that you can see the effect weather has on your training.

If it’s a little windy, you can see how that’s reflected in your data and that way you don’t panic because you’ve seen the data before in similar conditions.

It’s also good for cross training or working my way back from being injured It’s very easy because it reads my heart rate without using a strap. A lot of times I forget that it’s on.”

Will Leer has established himself as an elite mid-distance American sprinter. In 2013 Leer captured two USA Indoor Championships, with wins coming in the mile (3:58.79) and the 3000m (8:07.84). Leer followed that up with a 1500m runner-up finish

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Will Leer

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Polar (continued) at the 2014 USA Indoor Championships, earning a trip to the IAAF World Indoor Championships in Sopot, Poland. Leer attended Pomona College, a small Division III school in Claremont, Calif. Leer excelled as a mid-distance runner during his four years there, winning four Division III titles overall and becoming the only male Division III runner ever to win both the 1500m and 5000m title in the same meet.

“I’ve been using the Polar watches for about a year. I started using the M200, but the M430 is my go-to on a daily basis. I like that I can change the readings with a wrist slap while I am running.

I am a mathematician by training, so I’m very data driven. Hear rate is always my best indicator of effort. Pace is irrelevant on an easy. So, the Heart Rate monitor keeps you from over training and allows you to work smarter.”

Molly Huddle is an American longdistance runner who competes in track and cross country running events. Huddle set the American record in the 5,000 meters at

Molly Huddle

the 2014 Herculis Diamond League meet in Fontvieille, Monaco (14:42.64), which has since been broken by Shannon Rowbury.

She also set the American record in the 10,000 meters at the 2016 Olympics, with a time of 30:13.17.

“I’ve been training with Polar watches

for the past year and a half.

I like the M430. The wrist heart rate monitor is great for marathon training because when you’re on the road by yourself you can’t look down.

One of the main benefits is that it prevents overtraining. It allows me to be precise with what my heart rate is as opposed to what I perceive it to be.

I also like it as a recovery tool. Monitoring your heart rate lets you know how recovered you are and that lets you know whether you need to back off on your training.

I use the app to look at my splits.

Sometimes I like to zone out on a run and then look afterwards at the data. It allows me to track my progress.

I also compare data on long runs separately from temp runs.” n

chamoisbuttr.com

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© 2017 Formula4media LLC.

Under Armour’s New Cushioning Platform

A

new cushioning platform from Under Armour is a combination of energy return and impact absorption designed to direct energy back to a runner’s stride, according to Under Armour president and COO Patrik Frisk. The tech will make its debut at retail in February with the brand’s HOVR Sonic shoe, weighing in at 9.9 ounces.

The shoe will be available in both connected ($110 MSRP) and nonconnected ($100) versions for men and women. “The goal here was to give runners a zero gravity feel and that’s exactly what the HOVR accomplishes,” Frisk told analysts late last month.

HOVR, with its foam chemistry midsole and high-grade durable rubber outsole for flex and traction, is Under Armour’s third distinct cushioning technology alongside Micro G and Charged. The Sonic shoe features the brand’s next-generation embedded connected sensor for tracking distance, cadence, pace and shoe life.

“This ties into our overall Connected Fitness strategy connecting runners to our global community through our run apps (MapMyRun),” Frisk commented. “The HOVR launch demonstrates the first true manifestation of digital… providing runners with advantages that make them better, smarter and capable of more than they ever knew possible.”

Under Armour has approximately 220 million registered members of its Connected community. —Bob McGee

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The Running Event 2017 Exhibitor Listings 2UNDR.................................................. 238

Alanic.................................................... 207

ASICS................................................. 1007

2XU North America, LLC....................... 1531

Altra Running....................................... 1831

Athletic Event Supply............................ 1643

3 Dots Design ....................................... 343

Always Advancing Manufacturing

Athlinks Services.................................... 610

361 Degrees......................................... 523

and Promotions................................... 1924

Ato-Gear (Arion)..................................... 600

A4...................................................... 1146

Amfit, Inc............................................ 1706

Auria..................................................... 821

Addaday................................................ 420

AMPHIPOD............................................ 731

Back on My Feet.................................. 1047

Adidas Outdoor ..................................... 623

Anita International.................................. 318

Base Performance............................... 1351

Aetrex Worldwide, Inc.......................... 1617

Armpocket............................................. 718

Bauerfeind USA..................................... 713

AfterShokz............................................. 248

Ashworth Awards................................... 741

BAW Athletic Wear................................. 450

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SEEBUYRUN SEE IT FIRST IN AUSTIN

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The Running Event 2017 Exhibitor Listings (continued) BaySix................................................. 1044

Bondi Band, LLC.................................... 308

ChatterSpot........................................... 348

Beach Body Footwear and Apparel.......... 925

BoxFox................................................ 1447

Clif Bar & Company................................ 536

Black Diamond.................................... 1043

Brilliant Reflective.................................. 500

Columbia Sportswear........................... 1637

BloqUV.................................................. 411

Brooks.................................................. 125

Compressport........................................ 707

bluerub................................................. 633

Buff, Inc................................................ 524

Cotopaxi................................................ 113

Boa Technology................................... 1006

Camelbak Products................................ 531

Craft Sportswear NA............................ 1624

BOA, Inc................................................ 510

Caterpy Laces........................................ 517

Creative Magnets................................. 1839

BOCO Gear.......................................... 1515

CEP...................................................... 725

Crocs.................................................. 1731

Body Glide........................................... 1024

Chamois Butt’r GoStik............................ 844

Currex................................................... 939

Body Glove Active.................................. 518

Champion System................................ 1722

CW-X, Wacoal Sports Science Corp...... 1216

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Darn Tough Vermont............................ 1125

Epsom-it............................................... 516

FlipBelt.................................................. 407

Deewear ............................................... 403

Eurosock & U-sox................................ 1707

FlipTowel............................................. 1046

Detox Air............................................... 505

Everest Textile Co................................ 1916

Freeze Sleeve...................................... 1340

Diadora US Inc..................................... 1710

Expert Brand.......................................... 915

Fun Source LLC................................... 1440

Drymax .............................................. 1623

Formula4 Media................................... 1131

Garmin USA......................................... 1038

Electric City Printing............................... 336

Feetures.............................................. 1013

Gatorade Endurance............................ 1018

ElliptiGo................................................. 449

Fitletic................................................. 1240

Generation UCAN .................................. 542

Enda................................................... 1546

FITS ..................................................... 944

GoEventus........................................... 1809

Endurance Tap Inc................................. 448

Fitsok.................................................... 836

GoMotion.............................................. 513

Enell..................................................... 406

Fitter International, Inc. (Fitterfirst)........... 945

goodr.................................................. 1738

© 2017 Formula4media LLC.

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The Running Event 2017 Exhibitor Listings (continued) Gore-Tex............................................... 825

Heat Transfer Warehouse..................... 1812

Icebug................................................. 1725

GoRunUSA........................................... 1540

Hickies................................................ 1736

Imex Packaging..................................... 845

Greenlayer............................................. 511

Hickory Brands.................................... 1317

Impact Canopies USA........................... 1341

Greneker............................................... 307

Hoka One One..................................... 1417

Implus (Balega, TriggerPoint, Fuelbelt, DryGuys)...... 1307

Groove Life............................................ 445

Honey Stinger........................................ 530

Injinji, Inc............................................. 1611

GU Energy Labs..................................... 911

Hotshot/Flex Innovation Group.............. 1041

Intratec Apparel................................... 1817

Hammer Nutrition.................................. 437

HydraPak............................................. 1607

Janji...................................................... 907

Handful ................................................ 406

HydroPros............................................. 443

Jelly Belly-Sport Beans........................... 544

Harman International/yurbuds................. 714

Hyland’s.............................................. 1136

JP Rooster........................................... 1807

Headsweats......................................... 1117

Hyperice.............................................. 1141

Kahtoola.............................................. 1638

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© 2017 Formula4media LLC.

Kari Traa............................................... 325

Lock Laces.......................................... 1236

Mi Pulse................................................ 219

KINeSYS Sunscreen............................... 319

Lole...................................................... 425

Moji...................................................... 637

Knuckle Lights....................................... 249

LP Tent............................................... 1147

More Foundation Group........................ 1845

Kramp Krusher...................................... 539

Manuka Sport........................................ 647

Mudroom Backpacks, Inc....................... 507

KT Tape................................................ 532

Marathon Printing................................ 1646

Mueller Sports Medicine....................... 1713

La Sportiva............................................ 636

Mas Korima........................................... 644

MYLAPS Sports Timing........................... 519

LEGEND Compression Wear................. 1142

Maxwell Medals & Awards.................... 1347

Naked Sports Innovations....................... 744

LEKI USA Inc........................................ 1745

MBT USA............................................... 919

Nathan & McDavid............................... 1221

Lily Trotters Compression....................... 321

Medi-Dyne.......................................... 1019

New Balance Athletic Shoe................... 1107

Locally.................................................. 444

Merrell................................................ 1631

NipEAZE.............................................. 1842

© 2017 Formula4media LLC.

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The Running Event 2017 Exhibitor Listings (continued) Nofel Pro............................................. 1719

Pace Sportswear, Inc........................... 1547

Proper Foam Roller................................ 244

Noxgear................................................ 236

Para’kito USA Corp.............................. 1446

rabbit.................................................... 401

Nuun Hydration...................................... 538

Peet Shoe Dryer, Inc............................ 1543

Raidlight.............................................. 1730

Octane Fitness..................................... 1737

pHuel 5.0.............................................. 839

Recoup Fitness.................................... 1742

OMNI Apparel, Inc................................ 1037

pjuractive.............................................. 719

Recover Brands................................... 1827

On Running........................................... 601

Polar..................................................... 817

Reebok.................................................. 807

OOFOS.................................................. 916

Powerstep........................................... 1614

Reebok Performance Footcare................ 439

Orange Mud.......................................... 537

Pro-Tec Athletics................................. 1118

REHBAND............................................ 1442

OS1st.................................................. 1325

ProfitOptics............................................ 739

Remodeez........................................... 1826

Outdoor Industry Association................ 1811

PromoBoxx.......................................... 1140

RIA........................................................ 337

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© 2017 Formula4media LLC.

RIA New Brand Showcase...................... 243

Runbell................................................ 1838

Scenturion (Patriot Technologies)............ 237

RICS Software........................................ 442

Runderwear........................................... 938

Shape Activewear.................................. 417

Road Runners Club of America............. 1836

RunSignUp.......................................... 1818

Shock Absorber..................................... 418

RockTape, Inc........................................ 745

RXBAR.................................................. 543

SiCoustics........................................... 1743

Roll Recovery......................................... 218

Safety Skin Reflective Skin Spread.......... 846

SIDAS................................................. 1724

Rollga................................................... 730

Salming............................................... 1416

SIG, LLC. (Yankz! & Race Innovation)....... 619

Ruff Road Sportswear.......................... 1820

Salomon.............................................. 1507

Silipos................................................... 405

Rumble Roller........................................ 940

Sauce................................................... 221

Skechers............................................. 1207

Run Gum............................................... 545

Saucony................................................ 831

SKIN SLICK.......................................... 1841

Run’s Done........................................... 239

SAXX Underwear Co............................... 818

SKINS North America........................... 1441

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The Running Event 2017 Exhibitor Listings (continued) SOLE................................................... 1539

Squirrel’s Nut Butter............................... 549

Swiftwick............................................. 1825

Sorbothane Performance Insoles............. 631

Stance................................................ 1618

Tailwind Nutrition................................... 642

Spenco Footwear................................. 1314

Steigen............................................... 1137

Taser Self-Defense................................ 338

SPIbelt................................................ 1025

Storelli Sports...................................... 1926

The Driven Race & Club Solutions, LLC. 1645

Spira Inc.............................................. 1727

STRETCH by Forever New..................... 1139

The North Face.................................... 1431

Sport Science........................................ 740

Stunt Puppy........................................... 840

The NPD Group.................................... 1843

Sports Marketing Surveys....................... 349

Sugoi Performance Apparel.................... 419

The Pickle Juice Company...................... 645

SportsOneSource................................. 1744

Superfeet.............................................. 331

The Stick / RPI....................................... 615

Sprigs................................................... 504

Sweat X Sport...................................... 1014

Tifosi Optics........................................ 1130

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Tiger Tail USA........................................ 737

Under Armour...................................... 1330

Woodway............................................ 1821

Timex Group USA Inc............................. 604

Untapped.............................................. 551

Wrightsock............................................ 616

Topo Athletic....................................... 1525

VeloPress............................................ 1819

Xendurance........................................... 732

TRE Bra Fitting Salon.............................. 213

Ventamatic.......................................... 1824

Xpand Lacing System............................. 641

TRE Sock Bar....................................... 1247

Vibram................................................ 1031

Xtra Edge............................................ 1920

Turner Footwear.................................... 812

Vital Proteins......................................... 648

Zamst................................................. 1519

Twinery-Innovations by MAS................. 1830

Vooray International............................... 413

Zensah................................................ 1215

Ultimate Direction.................................. 736

Vuori..................................................... 242

Ultraspire............................................... 617

Wondersign......................................... 1241

HOW ATHLETES SHOULD FEEL

email info@zorrel.com for details © 2017 Formula4media LLC.

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Connect With Us On Social Media @therunningevent

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THE RUNNING EVENT APP

Activity Feed Real-time pulse of the event. See what people are saying, view photos from the event, and find trending sessions and topics.

Agenda View the full agenda and related information (session time, room number, speaker info, etc)

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HOW TO DOWNLOAD THE RUNNING EVENT APP Visit the Apple App Store or Google Play Store

USE THE MOBILE APP TO STAY UPDATED This mobile app allows you to: • View schedules, explore sessions, and find networking events.

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• Access location and speaker information at your fingertips.

• Post updates to sessions, keynotes, and exhibitor booths.

• Interact with a real-time feed of all event activity, that showcases which sessions are trending, most popular photos, and popular discussion topics.

• Expand your professional network and have fun!

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