Lex Running Shop, in Lexington, VA, faced a “brutal winter,” but warm weather has revived sales this spring with the benefit of new releases such as the Hoka Bondi 9. Said Jess Reid, co-owner, “A lot of my Bondi customers didn’t love the 8 so the 9 has had just a lot of great energy around it.”

Also performing well have been updates to stability models: the Adrenaline from Brooks and the New Balance 860. The Nimbus and Novablast from Asics, a newer brand for Lex Running, are also doing well. Overall, demand continues to skew heavily toward high-cushioned models, Reid told us.

In apparel, the recent introduction of Lululemon at Lex Running has gone well. Said Reid, “Everyone in our community was so excited to find out that we were carrying Lululemon since the nearest Lululemon store is an hour away.”

Another newer brand to the store outperforming is Oofos, even selling “in the dead of winter when it was freezing cold outside.”

Lex Running’s continued battle is having the right inventory in the right quantities at the right time. Reid elaborated, “I think this year we’ve really gotten so much better about refining our revisions and we’ve come up with new strategies with our futuring. Instead of having the same future to at-once ratios across the board, we’ve come up with unique strategies for each brand that reflect the nuances and unique qualities of each brand. I think that’s really helped us take a more varied approach to each one of those in terms of keeping each one at a healthier inventory level.”

Reid is upbeat about seeing growth for the year, noting that the industry has proven to be “incredibly resilient” during past downturns as a cost-effective way to exercise and reduce stress. She said, “It’s almost like the worst things get, the more we run.”

Charm City Run, which operates six stores in Maryland and one in Delaware, faced a challenging holiday as chilly weather across the mid-Atlantic region hurt traffic. However, the conditions incentivized the retailer to reembrace its grassroots marketing roots, said Tom Mansfield, president and COO. He believes the boom years in 2021 and 2022 led many run specialty stores to focus on securing product and onboarding staff, ultimately causing Charm City Run to downplay the importance of community building over the last two years.

“We kind of dragged our feet a little bit too long, but late ’24 and especially early this year, we have been absolutely everywhere again,” said Mansfield. “We’re going to all the gyms, all the doctors’ offices, all the local businesses…We are trying to put our face in front of people, and I think that has helped us weather the winter more so than many. January and February turned out fine and March has been fantastic.”

In footwear, Charm City sees Asics continuing to ride its strong revival with the benefit of “fantastic” product and “tremendous people,” while Brooks and New Balance are off to a strong start for the retailer in 2025 on improved product. Saucony is also seeing an uptick. Nike is undergoing a “resurgence” at Charm City Run on some early paybacks from its reinvestment in run specialty. On a smaller scale, Puma and Altra are seeing strong demand with Altra’s Experience range of 4mm drop shoes helping the brand reach more customers.

Added Mansfield, “We’re seeing the brands that are doing well with us show an investment in our brand, and they really position themselves as a kind of a second voice underneath our brand. What can they do to elevate Charm City Run’s message? They know if they do that their brand is going to benefit.”

Carbon-plated shoes remain a “very small part” of Charm City’s business but remain a “fun story to tell” and drive traffic, said Mansfield. Charm City Run has also found success adding court shoes from New Balance, Asics and Skechers to support the pickleball craze.

In apparel, the cold weather led to a slow start to spring selling, but the category’s “coming alive” in March, similar to footwear, with Vuori leading the way. In other categories, Goodr and Shokz continue to see strength while Garmin has delivered a “very solid start” to the year.

Mansfield believes run specialty will likely fare well should the broader economy slow. He said, “When there’s uncertainty and people are stressed, they tend to want to run and walk more.” He also said footwear, the channel’s core category, is “a little bit insulated” from economic worries because people need shoes to run or walk. However, he’s also confident Charm City Run’s renewed commitment to driving awareness will pay off in traffic gains. Mansfield said, “We’re getting back to, ‘If we were just opening up tomorrow, what are the things we need to do?’”

Gamechangers Running Company, which operates two stores in Georgia and one in Florida, had a “decent” winter considering traffic was disrupted by three hurricanes and early spring sales have been helped by some promising updates from Brooks, Hoka, and Saucony, said John Cameron, owner.

The updates from Brooks this year “have been pretty substantial,” including the Glycerin 22. While Saucony is finding success with a number of updates, other strong releases for Gamechangers include Hoka’s Bondi 9, On’s Cloudsurfer 2 and Asics’ Novablast 5. Cameron said, “It’s a good mix across brands as they’re launching new styles. And we have a couple coming over the next few weeks that are probably going to pick it up even further.”

Cameron said lower-cushion styles, citing the Escalante from Altra, continue to do well for Gamechangers, but the momentum remains toward max cushioning, with On soon entering the category with the Cloudsurfer Max. Said Cameron, “Right now, people are into soft-comfy.”

In apparel, Gamechangers is finding success pairing Lululemon with its store brand supported by Sky Manufacturing. Said Cameron, “I would suggest any retailer look into not just carrying a running brand, but invest into their own as well because people want to buy from you and your brand, especially if it’s from Sky which is really great quality.”

Other brands seeing strength include ChicknLegs, Sprints and Oofos, as well as the socks category, supported by a year-round “Buy Three, Get One Free” promotion.

One ongoing challenge, according to Cameron, is “channel leakage,” or when in-season product from brands is found at retailers less committed to servicing customers with a fitting process and technological expertise, whether larger sporting goods stores, discount shoe chains or even military exchanges. He believes brands risk losing ground with core runners as they aggressively chase growth elsewhere at often discounted prices

Cameron said, “If brands really want specialty to pull your shoes and value the fitting process they put into your brand, you can’t be sticking your product in a channel that doesn’t respect that process and still expect consumers to stick to your brand over time. Where there is no value, you have no premium…There are a few brands reinvesting in brick today and their numbers with us are growing exponentially.”

At =PR= Run & Walk, which operates 10 stores across Virginia, sales were “crushed” in January and February due to snow and overall wintry weather but bounced back in March. Ray Pugsley, co-owner, said, “Fortunately, January and February are typically two of our three lowest volume months. With a good spring, we hope to get back on track to how we imagined the year was going to look.”

Among newer launches, Nike’s Vomero 18, Hoka’s Bondi 9 and Brooks’ Glycerin Max are all outperforming. Adidas’ Adizero Evo Sl is also selling well.

Overall, he sees some shift towards lower-profile footwear models but it’s had a minimal impact on sales. He said, “There are people starting to say, ‘I’d really like to see more variety in high stack height.’ I think a range of options would be healthy for the channel.”

In apparel, the chain’s own PR line of performance and graphic tees produced by Sky Manufacturing are outperforming. Vuori is still finding momentum while Nike and ChicknLegs are holding appeal with PR Run & Walk’s high school customers. In accessories, Goodr has seen some softness after a strong run that Pugsley speculates could be attributed to broader distribution in stores like Target.

Staffing continues to be a major pain point with continuous hiring and onboarding. The other challenge is an excessive range of colors offered by footwear brands. Many stores are only able to carry a limited number of colors and have to either deal with special orders or see a customer head online to make a purchase in a color not carried by the store. Said Pugsley, “I think if you have good product, the customer will be happy with what you offer in a limited number of colors.”

He also said the increasingly common practice of having certain colors drop off MAP is “very confusing” to the consumer who assumes the entire style is being offered at a discount.

Looking ahead, the federal government layoffs could have an impact on =PR= Run & Walk’s local economy, but Pugsley is confident that a few upcoming releases, citing the Clifton and Arahi updates from Hoka, Vomero Plus and Premium from Nike, and Cloudsurfer Max from On, will help drive traffic. He said, “Hopefully we’ll see a good uptick to overall sales with the energy those new releases bring.”

Runner’s Roost Lakewood in Colorado has seen its spring business pick up after some weather challenges over the winter months, with momentum across footwear offerings.

“The big brands — Brooks, Hoka and Asics — are super strong. Their footwear looks fantastic,” said Sonya Estes-Alderman, owner. “Nike is on fire with all their colors, their fast shoes and all their updates. The Vomero 18 is really pushing that envelope.”

Among newer brands, Mount to Coast footwear is gaining traction with the store carrying the R1 race and P1 stability models and planning to carry the new T1 trail shoe. Estes-Alderman said, “They’re kind of going after that ultra-runner, but we’re finding people love the way it looks. They love the way it feels. They’re really lightweight. And it has a dual-lacing system, which is really unique. It gives us something to talk about.”

Runner’s Roost Lakewood was an early adopter of Altra and continues to do well with the brand, including the new 4mm-drop Experience range. The store has also found success adding Topo to give runners another low-drop alternative. Estes-Alderman said, “We find that if we only have one option in the category, it doesn’t sell as well because runners don’t feel like they have a selection.”

In apparel, Vuori remains “really hot” while younger consumers are gravitating to Lululemon. However, apparel overall has “slowed a little bit this year,” which Estes-Alderman believes is due to consumers prioritizing “highly functional” items such as shoes, socks and nutrition to support their run while pulling back on more discretionary purchases amid economic uncertainties. She similarly hears more inquiries about sales and price points. She makes sure the store stocks some everyday trainers as some super shoes and maximal shoes have risen to the $160 to $170 levels. Estes-Alderman said, “That way they feel like they have choices.”

Estes-Alderman notes that running, fitness and walking remain “extremely huge” in Colorado, pointing to growing interest in rucking, or training with a weighted backpack or vest on, and how training is starting for the major marathons and trail running races. She also notes that most of her customers are those looking to walk for fitness and social reasons. She adds, “Our expectations are high. We think there’s a lot of business out there to be had.”

At Wisconsin-based Goodmiles Running Co., the start of the year has been “more difficult” compared to the year-ago period, but sales are still trending up from 2023, said David Sajdak, director of merchandising of Midwest Shoe Merchants, the running stores’ parent. He added, “There is a lot going on in the world right now and we hear about it at the fitting stools in our stores. Tariffs have been a popular talking point from our customers. We are cautiously optimistic for this year, but are making sure our inventory is well managed.”

Among brands, Brooks is a standout at its two locations in Brookfield and Greenfield. Said Sajdak, “Their current product assortment is outstanding. The fit and feel of their shoes allow them to win at the register.”

He also noted that Hoka’s updated Bondi 9 is performing better than expected and he’s anticipating strong sell-throughs of the Clifton 10 that arrives in April will help drive sales this year. In non-footwear categories, Feetures continues to perform well with spring colorways “off to a great start.”

Midwest Shoe Merchants, which also operates Stan’s Shoes and Waxberg’s Walk Shoppe in Wisconsin, is celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2025. Sajdak said, “Our main goal is to make our customers happy and focus on what we can control within our four walls.”

Brendan Barrett, owner of Smithtown and Sayville Running Co. on Long Island has been scrambling to recover from a fire that has kept his Sayville location closed since late October. A temporary spot opened nearby to drive some recovery in the following months although February was a challenge due to chilly weather and a tough year-ago comparison.

In footwear, Mizuno’s Neo Zen has seen a particularly healthy launch at the Smithtown as well as the temporary Sayville spot. The Diadora Nucleo 2 has also been performing well and Barrett believes marks a “big jump forward” for the Italian brand. New Balance’s 880s’ update has been “pretty solid” and both Brooks and Hoka continue to see strength. Overall, Barrett still sees most runners seeking out maximal shoes. He said, “It’s maybe not quite as high of a demand as it was six months to a year ago, but it’s still skewing that way.”

Apparel has been a challenge due to stock challenges tied to the fire, said Barrett. In accessories, a newer standout has been Neversecond, a nutrition brand with “a lot of flavors” that came from the cycling space. Competitor Maurten also continues to sell well.

Barrett said he’s focused on getting the Sayville store back up and running and isn’t sure whether talks of trade wars are impacting sales. He said, “I feel like everyone’s holding their breath and waiting to see.”