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Trail running participation is on the rise, and leading footwear brands are looking to capitalize.
According to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) 2023 Topline Participation Report, total trail running participation has increased for the fifth straight year. There were 13.3 million total trail running participants in 2022, according to the SFIA, an increase of 5.9 percent over 2021.
What’s more, the SFIA report revealed there was a massive 20.5 percent increase in trail running over the past three years.
Last week at The Running Event (TRE), the annual trade show held in Austin, Texas, most companies that are competing in the trail running market revealed their latest and greatest off-road shoes for 2024. Several athletic footwear brands delivered some of the most compelling looks for the year.
For instance, Nike showcased the all-terrain Zegama 2 with Vibram Megagrip outsoles, which will retail for $160, and the sustainability-driven Pegasus Trail 5 with ReactX foam, which is engineered to cut down the carbon footprint in a pair of midsoles by at least 43 percent compared to React foam. The Nike Pegasus Trail 5 arrives in May and will retail for $140.
Also, Brooks revealed the Caldera 7, the latest look in its top-tier trail shoe franchise, which arrives in January and will retail for $150. And Hoka debuted the Vibram Megagrip-equipped Tecton X 3, which is the brand’s upcoming pinnacle style for trail racing. The look arrives in August and will retail for $275.
From the outdoor world, Merrell revealed several looks from its upcoming MTL collection, which are the brand’s peak performance silhouettes. The collection includes the MTL Skyfire 2 Matryx, a race day-ready shoe built for vertical ascent. It will retail for $210. And La Sportiva will debut a women’s-specific shoe in February, the Levante. The shoe, which features the brand’s high-rebound XFlow midsole cushioning, will retail for $155.
And for even more newness, relative newcomer to the market, NNormal, also had a tech-loaded look that caught attendee attention. The brand, founded by mountaineer and trail runner Kilian Jornet in partnership with footwear company Camper, made its debut in January. At TRE, the company showcased its Kjerag shoe, a lightweight and responsive look for racing built with Matryx uppers and Vibram Megagrip outsoles. New colors will arrive in January and the retail price is $190.
But with all this newness in the trail market, are retailers actually looking to add them to their stores? Speaking with FN, owners of leading specialty run retailers who attended TRE have recognized the increase in trail running participation and opportunities for growth. However, they aren’t sprinting full speed ahead into the category, which is still relatively small.
Market watchers believe this is a good strategy.
“There’s a way of marketing trail as a more versatile product than road, but I’m just not sure it’s ever going to be a significant portion of the overall business,” explained Matt Powell, an advisor at Spurwink River. “If I’m a running store, I’m stocking a trail shoe or two, but I’m not getting carried away with it.”
For Scott Dvorak, the owner of Charlotte Running Co., the opportunities to participate in trail running in Charlotte have grown, which has lead to an increase in that part of his footwear business. He described the business as “pretty steady” and “organic.”
“When I first opened, I carried maybe one or two trail shoes. I would bring in a size run and hope it sold through. Now, we’re probably carrying about eight or nine different options,” Dvorak said. “We’re continuing to expand our products, both in the footwear and on the apparel side, as it relates to trail and growing up as the need seems to come up.”
However, Dvorak said this increase in participation has not caused him to “go out and bring in five new SKUs.” Depending on the store, Dvorak said he carries anywhere from six to nine looks. In terms of what is working, the storeowner said Charlotte Running Co. has seen success with the popular Hoka Speedgoat and Altra Long Peak franchises.
As for Casey Jermyn, owner of Bozeman Running Co. in Montana, trail running footwear is of far greater importance. The storeowner said trail running in Bozeman is huge, and 50 percent of the shoes sold in store are for the trail. This has led to a change in how the appearance of his footwear wall over the years.
“We hold the number of SKUs pretty tightly, but there has been a shift in terms of there may have been a road shoe on the wall and now that road shoe is a trail shoe,” Jermyn said. “You’ll see a balanced wall here now when you come in. When I started the store, you’d have five or six trail SKUs and 30 road SKUs. Now, you’re seeing 25 road SKUs and 25 trail SKUs.”
In store, Jermyn said the Saucony Peregrine, Hoka Speedgoat and Altra Lone Peak franchises historically have all performed well.
However, because of certain limitations that naturally come with trail running, the shoes haven’t taken over his wall.
“When you get into trail, you’re limited on widths, you’re limited on color SKUs,” Jermyn said. “And let’s use Hoka as an example. The Challenger ATR, that’s a shoe that is a good crossover for road and trail. [Shoes like this] might help.”
He continued, “It’s an healthy spot for sure, but if there were more offerings in some of those areas, that might help boost the market a bit.”
