Footwear Scene

A look at developments at 15 prominent brands found at TRE. / By Cregg Weinmann

The energy generated by The Running Event comes from a level of fitness that is a bit rare at most business trade shows. Sure, other conferences have enthusiastic speakers, but if they ran a 5K one morning of the show would the winner be under eight minutes per mile, let alone under five? And what would get them there?

Performance running footwear sits at the heart The Running Event, held Nov. 29-Dec. 1 in Austin, TX. Nearly every brand with a presence in run specialty shops claims a spot on the show floor, eagerly displaying and discussing its upcoming products.

And many of those same footwear models were seen speeding around the Circuit of the Americas at Thursday morning’s Indie 5K, including the Mizuno Wave Rebellion Pro that served as the event’s feature shoe.

Most of them even looked fast just sitting on the displays around the Austin Convention Center, so with that kind of encouragement who wouldn’t be ready to launch into full stride. Here is a snapshot of 15 of the shoes/brands from two days of touring the booths of the Running Event that will make an impact at retail in 2023.

1. 361

The progress the brand has made on several fronts, from upper materials, films, and constructs; to the wide variety of midsole foams and processes, geometric solutions and plates, have created something for everyone. The Centauri incorporates a pelletized midsole of Dow Engage for protective daily training, joining the Fierce – a moderately tall stack model for recovery miles – and their plated racer, the Flame, on the road

The running line in Skechers’ Performance division that was on display during The Running Event has been managed effectively for runners of all shapes and sizes.

in a literal footrace. They have a little something for many runners with more on the way.

2. ADIDAS

The running footwear teams at Adidas have developed a pretty impressive lineup of running shoes during the pandemic and beyond. I don’t use the term “plethora” lightly, but at The Running Event this year it seems appropriate to consider it because there were shoes for niches in running, racing, trail, cross-country, marathoning and track... you get the picture. One shoe that caught my attention was the SL, a sturdy performer that can stack on the miles but with an eye on the budget, an area that seems to have taken a beating since last year’s show. Look for a wave of three striped footwear cascading to market in the coming months.

3. ALTRA

The Altra story – zero drop and foot shaped toebox – continues to resonate with the brand, as well as with the stores and the runners that have buoyed their sales and success. Highlighted was the Rivera 3 with a slightly narrower forefoot profile, but still foot shaped, and with a nice blend of cushion and response from its Altra Ego foam. No faulty cylinders here as all are firing well and with precision, thank you very much.

4. ASICS

The Mystery Shoe, what could it be? Environmentally friendly, tall stack,

Footwear Scene (continued)

361 CENTAURI

ADIDAS SL

ALTRA RIVERA

ASICS ‘MYSTERY SHOE’

supercritical foam, responsive, protective and pretty cool. Clever marketing to be sure. Our sneak peek was a good one, but our short editorial deadline and publishing schedule leaves the reveal to another source, dear readers. When you see it elsewhere, know that you’ll be as impressed as we were. But, with that said, the Superblast is the latest tall stack cruiser to consider from the land of the rising sun.

5. BROOKS

Industriousness extends from the president to customer service and all in between. While they have continued to build on their entire line, one new shoe in particular stands out because of the niche it fills. The new Hyperion Max is testament to the pipeline of success that shows in their shoes and provides a daily tall stack trainer, sans carbon plate, for a plush running experience from its super-critical foam.

6. CRAFT

Craft’s rise to footwear proficiency may surprise some, but there is always a magician behind the curtain making things happen, regardless of the size of the company. Round three of footwear for Craft shows the steady progression that comes from the combination of skill and planning, which their combined experience has delivered. The CTM series will continue to turn heads that have not observed Craft’s steady progress and I expect to cover more than a few miles (and even more kilometers) in the new Nordlite Ultra, which makes use of a supercritical foam which Craft denotes as Cr.

7. HOKA

Innovation and consistency are the two watchwords of Hoka as a brand. Originally in a disruptive mode, tall stack shoes in a sea of minimalism, their current position is akin to a World Cup contender, it’s all about execution. There are new updates in racing, as well as trail. The Rocket X 2 – des rigueur for a fast halfmarathon or marathon – is newly fashioned from upper to sole with carbon fiber for racing performance. A new upper goes to the Tecton X, last season’s carbon trail speedster.

8. NEW BALANCE

Between their sponsorship of the New York Marathon and their impressive new facility, called simply The Track, running is infused through the genetic code of New Balance. They have a focus across the board, so there is something for all kinds of running from racing to trail, daily running, tempos and paces between. The Super Comp Trainer 2 updates last year’s innovation for the brand, and manages the faster training for the marathon , as well as doubling as a racing shoe for the masses.

9. MIZUNO

Mizuno captured eyeballs at TRE with the unveiling of its uber-distinctive Wave Rebellion Pro. The result of Mizuno’s Smooth Speed Project, the sprint spike-inspired Rebellion Pro is aimed at helping marathon runners and integrates a few different innovations into one daring model. Featured materials include Mizuno Enerzy Lite and Mizuno Enerzy Lite+ midsole foams, a carbon-infused nylon plate and a new geometric midsole design with a carved-away heel. And how about this fun fact on the Rebellion Pro’s Kakizome print colorway spotlighted on the show floor: like a fingerprint, every midsole aesthetic is different, the result of a hand-splattered paint process employed during production.

Footwear Scene (continued)

BROOKS HYPERION MAX

CRAFT NORDLITE ULTRA

MIZUNO WAVE REBELLION PRO

REEBOK FLOAT ZIG

VIMAZI Z50

10. NIKE

Trail running is once again a Nike focus in response to other plated trail shoes, though with a Swooshy twist. The assigned moniker seems as long as the trail – Nike ZoomX Ultrafly Trail – though is at least descriptive. The midsole features Air and a carbon plate for protection and performance. The longtime waffle tread, that Nike is perhaps most noted for (well, along with Air), is affixed to the midsole for traction, just as the spirit of Bill Bowerman intended with his waffle iron.

11. ON

The range of running shoes from On Running is expanding. Not only that, but they are also morphing as they continue to chase performance. The Cloud’s outersole elements, which deform to cushion the foot, are taking on more ovoid shapes to conform efficiently when contacting the ground, for both cushioning and propulsion. The upper constructions and treatments are also upgrading to better fit, breathe and repel the elements and weather.

12. PUMA

The efforts by Puma, over the past couple of years have resulted in an unveiling of new products that have created considerable interest. The stir has been a bit surprising because of the brands’ series of stops and starts in running. The release of well-designed and engineered products have returned the spotlight’s focus back on runners. The supercritical foams and highquality designs have created an increasing line of shoes for more runners. This season features the ForeverRun Nitro, a versatile running shoe that extends Nitro to the stability category.

13. REEBOK

Prior to Reebok’s spin-off from Adidas there was some genuine innovation around a number of sustainable practices, which produced some very effective running shoes, including a couple models which were as close to truly sustainable as we have yet seen. Their focus continues to concentrate efforts on producing, among other things, some very good running shoes which incorporate materials and designs that lightly touch the environment, while paying homage to their past.

14. SKECHERS

The running line in Skechers Performance division has been managed effectively for runners of all shapes and sizes. The early adoption of several key technologies, thanks to an agile, efficient and wellconnected team has given them a jump in performance that has not slowed, as many of these advances have spread across other brands. New processes and applications, such as the coming season’s pelletized foams, and efficient geometries have kept the hits coming, much to the benefit of runners over all distances.

15. VIMAZI

A new company that differentiates itself from its competing brands by taking physics to another level. Each model is designed to accommodate the difference in forces based on the pace a runner is traveling. Well-made and nicely finished, they received a fair bit of attention at The Running Event, with runners trying out the shoes for a quick run around a corner of the exhibition hall to experience the feel of the shoes. Time will tell whether the launch concept is a success, but the science is sound and the product is good, so that is a step in the right direction. n

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Fast-Forward At Fleet Feet

Twelve months after acquiring JackRabbit, Fleet Feet’s Joey Pointer continues pushing growth and improvement at the nation’s largest run specialty retail chain. / By Danny Smith

It’s 2022 marathon weekend in New York City and the Fleet Feet Columbus Circle store located on the southern edge of Manhattan’s Central Park is hopping. A line of customers extends 10 deep at checkout. In two days, the store will record more sales than many U.S. running stores capture in a month.

Amid this controlled madness, a young female customer approaches the cash wrap. She looks at the fit, fortysomethingish man behind the counter with brown curly hair and a decidedly un-New York City tone to his voice.

“Are you the CEO?” she asks.

“Yes, I am,” the man responds.

After a quick exchange, the woman – Molly McQueeny, the digital marketing manager at Fleet Feet Chicago in town for the NYC Marathon – requests a photo. Joey Pointer happily obliges, leaning over the cash wrap to squeeze his smile into the frame.

For two days, Pointer worked the register at the Columbus Circle store, spending some 15 hours checking out customers, interacting with staff and dealing with quirky inefficiencies the CEO of the nation’s largest running store chain wouldn’t have discovered if not for this adventure on his retail operation’s frontlines.

Fleet Feet CEO Joey Pointer says the retailer will continue to grow towards his stated goal of becoming a billion-dollar business through internal growth, acquisitions and franchise expansion.

“It was an eye-opening experience,” Pointer recalls during a conversation with Running Insight editorial staff at The Running Event on November 30. “Just from those two days there, I created a list of 10 different things I thought we could improve.”

For Pointer, excellence is always under

THE BRAND THAT BRANDS TRUST

Powering over 500 million pairs of insoles every year for more than 400 leading footwear brands. What’s in your shoes?

Fast-Forward At Fleet Feet (continued)

Fleet Feet CEO Joey Pointer sat down at The Running Event with Running Insight senior writer Danny Smith to discuss where Fleet Feet has been and where it looks to go in the run specialty marketplace.

construction – even at a fastcharging brand with $500 million in systemwide sales.

The Year That Was

It’s been a wild year for Pointer, a man who joined the Fleet Feet enterprise 18 years ago when the upstart company used AOL email addresses and was a big fish in the run specialty pond, not the rhino it is today with nearly 300 stores and 2000 employees.

Recall that just prior to The Running Event in 2021, news broke that Fleet Feet was acquiring the nation’s secondlargest running store chain, JackRabbit, and its dozens of locations across 15 states. For Pointer and his leadership team, the headline-grabbing deal ignited a long to-do list.

As such, much of the last year has revolved around integrating JackRabbit stores into the Fleet Feet enterprise and solving market conflicts in metro areas such as Cincinnati, where existing Fleet Feet franchisees Frank and Stacey DeJulius agreed to purchase four JackRabbit stores – shops originally a part of Bob Roncker’s run specialty empire – from Fleet Feet corporate.

In transitioning JackRabbit stores to Fleet Feet operations, Pointer and his leadership team embraced an insideout approach. It began with immediately converting JackRabbit’s tech stack, from point-of-sale systems to gift cards, before flipping the employee and customer experience, which included introducing the brand’s fit id 3D-foot scanning experience to JackRabbit showrooms.

Now, Pointer says, Fleet Feet is working to connect the final pieces, such as installing Fleet Feet signage on the exterior of all locations. By the end of 2023’s first quarter, Pointer hopes the puzzle is complete.

“Of course, we wanted to snap our fingers and have it happen faster, but something like this takes time,” Pointer reminds.

Which isn’t to suggest it was all JackRabbit all the time in 2022. In fact, Pointer closed another significant deal last June with the purchase of New England-based Marathon Sports and its soundRUNNER and Runner’s Alley brands from Colin and Penny Peddie. The 18-store acquisition pushed Fleet Feet closer to 300 U.S. running stores. (Unlike JackRabbit, however, Marathon Sports continues operating as a separate entity under the Marathon Sports, soundRUNNER and Runner’s Alley names with its own Waltham, MA-based leadership team.)

“We didn’t buy JackRabbit to check something off the list,” Pointer says. “We kept our eyes on what’s next.”

Fleet Feet Marches On

Ask Pointer for one word to describe his last year at the helm of Fleet Feet and he pauses. Thoughtful and methodical, his mind circles for a single term to describe a year that brought its share of challenges and triumphs. He looks up.

“Humbling,” he says. “A lot of people are counting on the decisions I make. Even if I don’t make decisions in isolation, that responsibility hits me every day.”

A self-professed lover of growth, Pointer says he wants to fast forward five years from now to assess Fleet Feet’s fortunes. Did the decisions he make pan out? How are operating partners doing? Were acquiring JackRabbit and Marathon Sports the right moves?

But Pointer understands life doesn’t have a fast forward button. He must exist in the present, even if today’s decisions – the people he promotes, the stores he selects for renovations, the systems he chooses – impact tomorrow’s results.

At present, about 40 percent of Fleet Feet stores are company-owned operations with the remaining owned by franchisees. Pointer favors that ratio and aims to grow on the franchised side with a mixture of existing owners and new partners, particularly in untapped markets. He also continues to actively consider acquisitions.

“We know we’re going to open more stores,” he says. “We’re in a sailboat and we’ll see where it goes.”

But growth, Pointer notes, does not have to come solely from opening new stores. It can also come from heightening brand awareness, which he admits lags in some markets.

Alongside goals to build a portfolio of 400 stores and reach $1 billion in systemwide sales – the latter being an if-not-when proposition for Pointer – the Fleet Feet CEO wants to increase brand awareness 75 percent over the coming years. His ultimate goal: to build a 100-year-old brand, a target still more than a half-century away.

“Our success is based on being a community retailer,” he says. “So long as we hold this near and dear, our best days are yet to come.” n