Brooks Running reports that its global revenue exceeded $1.11 billion in 2021, an increase of 31% percent year over year. It’s the first time the Seattle-based company  has reached $1 billion in annual revenue. Brooks says it has been able to navigate the ongoing COVID-19 global pandemic and related supply chain disruption thanks in part to its agility and transparency in servicing strong customer demand.

Brooks has seen its global revenue double since 2017, and the company says it is committed to retaining and attracting new runners worldwide to the brand and continuing to invest in research, technology, and runner insights to deliver “best-in-class performance gear.”

“Brooks had a record year across every metric we track,” said Jim Weber, Brooks CEO. “Crossing the $1 billion threshold is especially gratifying as it reflects the outcome of a 20-year focus and commitment from our global team to inspire and serve runners better than any brand in run. We enter 2022 with strong demand for Brooks products in all retail channels as the only major brand exclusively anchored in performance across the run lifestyle, from sport enthusiasts to fitness seekers. I am optimistic the best is yet to come for the run community and for Brooks.”

In 2021, Brooks sold 25% more pairs of shoes globally compared to the prior year. This came while the U.S. total running shoe market increased dollar sales by 20% in 2021, according to The NPD Group. Brooks was the leading brand in the running specialty channel, per NPD Group Retail Tracking, and across all U.S. retail channels combined, Brooks was the No. 2 ranked adult performance running footwear brand in 2021, with 19% dollar share, gaining 2 percentage points year over year. Brooks produced the industry’s top two franchise styles for adult performance running footwear: the Ghost at No. 1 and the Adrenaline GTS at No. 2.

Of note on the product side, in 2021, Brooks introduced the Ghost 14, making its highest-volume style carbon-neutral through a combination of recycled materials and carbon offsets. And Brooks introduced the Aurora-BL shoe from the brand’s BlueLine Lab. The Aurora featured  DNA LOFT v3, a new, nitrogen-injected cushion compound, and a unique decoupled midsole to support natural movement.

Brooks reports that its 2021 direct e-commerce revenue in North America grew 149% over pre-pandemic levels in 2019.

Going forward, the company says it will continue partnering with the best retailers for runners with a multi-channel distribution structure, coupled with “an engagement strategy to reach runners when and where they shop.”