Key takeaways

• The performance running footwear space has democratised in recent years, with legacy brands such as Nike losing share to newer, specialist and localised labels.
• Advanced footwear technologies (AFT) – products featuring high-performance foams, stiff shank plates and optimised sole geometries – are increasingly accessible to a wider pool of consumers.
• Newcomer brands are also finding success resonating with specific running communities, such as Tracksmith’s attachment to the New England running scene and Speedland’s service of the technical trail community.
• Elsewhere, consumer-ready smart footwear appears on the horizon, with Avelo’s Supertrainer engineered to deliver training and recovery insights for users.

Performance footwear remains a core category for innovation. The connection between the user and the ground, technical running shoes can offer tangible improvements to speed, efficiency and comfort to everyday runners and athletes alike. 

While the market is host to a number of major brands, the growth of running participation and run culture has allowed growth for smaller, niche and specialist brands. Like their larger competitors, these labels offer performance foams, advanced sole geometries and rigid plate technologies – their USPs tied to a particular locale, sporting expertise or technology proposition to appeal to consumers.

On top of that, design language and brand