Here are some of the key trends in running shoes based on the new products that will be debuting in 2015 as well as with interviews with retailers, brands and industry officials.
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1. Maximalism Is Still Thriving
If you thought the max-cushioning trend (otherwise known as "maximalism) would go disappear after 2014, think again. Not only does it appear to be as strong as ever with more brands offering thickly cushioned shoes in 2015. In addition to Hoka One One, Altra Running and Skechers, look for new maximally cushioned shoes from Salomon, Adidas, Nike, Pearl Izumi and Under Armour, among others. Most brands appear leery of using the word "maximalism" in how they describe their shoes, perhaps because of the negative "-ism" stigma that found its way to minimalism. But, as one retailer told me: "Look, you can call it whatever you want, but there are a lot of runners out there that just want a soft, comfortable ride. In fact, there aren't many runners who don't like a soft, comfortable ride. That's why I don't think it will ever go away." Hoka, the category leader, is crushing it, with nearly 500 percent year-over-year growth. It will be interesting to see how its three-month exclusive deal with REI for the Challenger ATR trail shoe will pan out, as well as a small 2015 program that will put Hoka models into big box stores like Dick's Sporting Goods. (Pictured: Hoka product line manager Jason Hill and the 2015 Hoka Clifton 2.)
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2. Small Shoe Brands Are Making Big Headway
While the biggest six or seven brands will continue to dominate running shoe sales in 2015, there are a lot of smaller brands making big headway. Smaller brands that have some great shoes coming out next year include Zoot Sports, ON Running, Pearl Izumi and Scott Sports. For those smaller brands (and others) to succeed and continue to grow, it takes several things with little margin for error, including: 1) Increasingly good shoes (both in how they run and look) through their entire line; 2) Great support and on-time delivery for the retailers who have taken on those brands; 3) A good amount of marketing push from the brand; 4) Great sales reps who believe in the product and support it locally with running store events; 5) Good to great product reviews in magazines, but also from online sites and hobby bloggers; 6) Being consistently better at each of those things than most other smaller to medium-sized brands. (Pictured: 2015 ON Running lightweight Cloud trainer/racer)
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3. Big Brands Aren't Going Away
These brands aren't listed in any particular order, but ... 1) Adidas is back with a vengeance, thanks to the momentum from its Boost midsole foam (and continued success from many of the world's best marathoners); 2) ASICS, for years the No. 1 brand at running specialty shops, is back too. After several years of some rough road (which included waiting too long to offer up new, innovative models and then some not-so-great-shoes once it did, followed up by a some major personnel changes), specialty retail shops have reported that brand is on the way up again; 3) Thanks to GM Tom Carleo and product line manager Claire Wood (among others), New Balance continues to make headway with fast, light and athletic shoes while still servicing the masses with modern designs. The Fresh Foam Zante and Vazee Pace will be great shoes for the brand in 2015, and it should also gain from having both the men's and women's Ironman champions in its shoes; 4) Saucony has made a splash with the Kinvara, its splashy apparel and good trail running shoes in recent years and it should get plenty of positive bounce from its 2015 shoe line, starting with the innovative ISO Series models (especially the Triumph 12 and the Zealot); 5) Brooks has been No. 1 at run specialty stores the past few years. Enough said, but it's much more than the happy-shiny-funny "Run Happy" vibe that oozes from the brand, although that certainly helps too. Look for Brooks to make big strides with apparel starting in 2015 too; 6) Nike is still Nike. The big machine is still cranking away up in Beaverton, Ore., and if you've run in some of its latest shoes—from the Air Zoom Pegasus 31 to the Air Zoom Elite 7—you know the Swoosh is still making great, top-tier shoes. The brand has also benefited from the record-setting Free line. (Pictured: 2015 Adidas Boston women's shoe with Boost midsole foam and an updated engineered mesh upper.)
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3. Skechers Is For Real
A few years ago running industry purists chuckled when news broke that Meb Keflezighi signed with Skechers. Looks who's laughing now. With Keflezighi (who is still at the top of his game at 39) and Kara Goucher in the fold, Skechers Performance has the two most visible American distance runners endorsing its shoes. And its line of running shoes has become much more legit, now that it's added a few more structured models to its collection of soft, flexible and natural-riding shoes. It also just signed on to sponsor the Bolder Boulder 10K, one of the world's largest road races. Skechers shoes aren't sold in very many traditional running specialty shops yet—Skechers has benefited from having 900 of its own stores and sales from its online store—but expect more doors to open up for this brand in 2015. (Pictured: 2015 Skechers GoRun Ultra 2 featuring the new Skechers Performance logo.)
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4. Under Armour Is For Real Too
Newer shoe brands to the running industry (Newton, Altra, Hoka, to name a few) have proven they can have staying power, especially if they bring some kind of innovation. Under Armour, a brand known for innovation, had a few missteps in its first few years in running shoes—and let's be honest, what brand new to running doesn't make a few?—but it now has a solid team led by Fritz Taylor (formerly of Nike, Brooks and Mizuno) and, with UA's resources and brand energy, it's bound to keep growing. The January release of the SpeedForm Gemini and the July release of the new Fat Tire trail running shoe will be other indications of Under Armour's surge. In 2014, it brought 2:11 marathoner and 2016 Olympic hopeful Nick Arciniaga into the fold and in 2013 it purchased MapMyFitness. (Pictured: 2015 Under Armour Fat Tire trail shoe.)
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Shoe Manufacturing Is Evolving
New materials and new shoe manufacturing techniques are playing a big role in the performance aspects of running shoes. New midsole foam formulations are allowing shoes to be both lighter, more cushioned and more resilient. (Remember how heavy many neutral cushioned trainers were 10 years ago? They were 3-5 ounces heavier than today's shoes.) Meanwhile, the uppers of shoes are continuing to improve with the use of four-way stretch fabrics and engineered meshes designed to alternately provide support, flexibility or comfort in different areas of the shoe. Long gone are the thicker synthetic leather or plastic "overlays" and the stitches that secured them and in their place are welded-on thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) support bands. The changes have resulted in shoes that are lighter, better-fitting and more comfortable with considerably fewer places for irritation. (Pictured: The various production stages of the one-piece, seamless upper of the 2015 Pearl Izumi N2 lightweight trainer/racer with welded-on TPU support bands.)
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Aesthetics Are Still Crucial
Surveys have shown that color is still one of the biggest factors in how runners buy their shoes. Expect the rainbow of bright colors to continue in 2015 as well as more sublimated and laser-printed graphics on uppers, sidewalls and even outsoles. Some brands still offer more conservative designs, but consumers have shown their eagerness to exercise their freedom of expression through running. (Pictured; 2015 ASICS Noosa Tri 10 lightweight trainer/racer.)
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Retail Consolidation Continues
With big online retailers like Amazon and Zappos and most shoe brands selling from their own sites, running specialty retailers are feeling the pinch. The biggest threat right now is a massive land grab from Denver-based Running Specialty Group (a subsidiary of The Finish Line), which now owns 66 running specialty shops across the country, including Boulder Running Company, Run On!, Running Fit, Roncker's Running Spot and numerous stores re-branded or started under The Running Company. Among the biggest concerns in the industry are how the continued growth in major metro markets will affect other existing shops and if RSG's buying power will lead to mandating pricing and retail discounting. How will it affect runners? It depends on whether customer service remains at those stores without local ownership and perhaps if discounted pricing becomes a reality. (Pictured: A group run at the Boulder Running Company, a store owned by the Finish Line subsidiary Running Specialty Group.)
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