A number of new running products have appeared to improve the local innovation ability. Nike is increasing its investment in running shoes. On November 7th, at the 7th China International Import Expo (CIIE), Dong Wei, Chairman and CEO of Nike Greater China and Global CEO of ACG brand, stated that running has always been Nike's core business category, and the potential of the Chinese running market is huge. Nike is increasing its investment in the running business.
Behind the increased investment in running business is the continuous expansion of the Chinese running market. According to data released by the Chinese Athletics Association, a total of 699 marathon events will be held in China in 2023, with a total of 6.0519 million participants. In 2011, China only held 22 marathon events. The Chinese running market has undergone a qualitative change in both the number of runners and the quality of events. With the increase in the number of runners and the quality of events, a link in the industry chain - the running shoe market - has developed rapidly. According to the "Development Analysis and Investment Prospect Forecast Report of China's Running Shoe Industry from 2023 to 2028" released by China Research Institute Puhua Industry Research Institute, the Chinese sports shoe market reached 30.3 billion US dollars in 2021.
Correspondingly, as the market size continues to expand and competition becomes increasingly fierce, technological innovation has become a key point for future competition in the running market. When low threshold running sports are widely concerned, the running shoe market has become a highly demanding existence, and how to match consumer needs through product innovation has become a question that many running shoe brands need to consider.
Intensify running business
Running, as a niche market, has become a battleground for major sports brands. The battle uniforms worn by Liu Xiang and Su Bingtian, classic speed systems, cushioning technology, and Nike Flyknit shoe upper technology... Walking into the Nike booth, you can see that running elements fill the entire booth. Among them, there is a dedicated wall displaying running shoe products for children's road running, daily road running, and competitive road running.
This booth design is in line with Nike's business layout plan. The potential of the Chinese running market is enormous, and we are increasing our investment in the running business. "At this year's CIIE, Dong Wei announced Nike's future development direction.
A Nike spokesperson told Beijing Business Daily that multiple new Nike running products have been launched in the Chinese market, such as the new Kipchoge series of shoes and clothing inspired by the world's top marathon runner Kipchoge, the 2025 Nike Swift 6 Women's Road Running series and 2025 Nike Stride 5 Men's Road Running series, the Nike Kiger 10 and 2025 Spring/Summer Nike Off Road Clothing series designed for off-road running, and the Cosmic Runner shoes specifically designed for children's running. In addition, starting from the spring of 2025, new products of different styles from the Pegasus series, represented by rebound cushioning, Vomero series, represented by ultra strong cushioning, and Structure series, represented by support cushioning, will be launched one after another.
Similarly, at the Skechers booth, flagship products such as the GoWalk walking shoe series, GoRun running series, OUTDOOR outdoor series, and KIDS series are prominently displayed. Arthur's footwear products occupy the "C position", with NOVABLAST 5-elastic running shoes unveiled during the CIIE, and the recyclable high-performance running shoe NIMBUS MIRAI also making its first offline appearance in China during the exhibition.
Two months ago, Brooks, one of the four major running shoe brands, quickly expanded its presence in the Chinese market and opened its first offline flagship store in Kerry Park, Pudong, Shanghai. This move is considered as Brooks' attempt to attract the attention of Chinese running market consumers through channel layout and fresh products.
Behind the unexpected increase in running business by sports brands is the popularity of marathon and road running events, which has brought huge consumer power and potential to the running market segment. According to the "2023 China Running White Paper" released by Yue Run Circle, over 83% of runners have purchased two or more pairs of running shoes, with nearly 80% of their consumer spending on purchasing running equipment (mainly running shoes).
In the view of independent retail commentator Ma Gang, running has the widest range of sports enthusiasts, which is also an important reason why many brands want to increase investment and product layout in the running category.
The core factor in increasing investment in running shoes is still to value this market. The running shoe market not only has professional runners, but also many amateur runners. Currently, with the popularity of road running and city marathons, it has driven the prosperity of the Chinese running sports market. Many domestic or international brands have increased their investment and are still interested in the development space of the running market, "added Cheng Weixiong, an independent analyst in the fashion industry and founder of Shanghai Liangqi Brand Management Co., Ltd.
Research and Development Roll Technology
The increasingly large scale of events and sports crowds have supported the huge running shoe market in China, and it is precisely based on this that this segmented market is presenting a situation of multiple brands competing to layout.
In recent years, domestic brands such as ANTA, Li Ning, and Xtep have been investing in seizing the market. Taking Xtep, which focuses on the running market, as an example, in 2012 it focused its brand development on the running field through the "Xtep Clan". In 2019, Xtep acquired the Saucony brand, one of the world's four major running shoes, to expand its running ecosystem. In 2022, Xtep released a new brand strategic positioning of "world-class Chinese running shoes". Looking at Li Ning again, running shoes became its biggest highlight in the first half of this year. Li Ning's running category saw a year-on-year increase of 25% in revenue. The three core running shoe IPs, Ultra Light, Chitu, and Feidian, sold over 5 million pairs in the first half of the year, with the professional running shoe Chitu 7PRO performing particularly well, selling over 1.9 million pairs in the first half of the year. ANTA also stated in its latest financial report that it will increase its investment in the research and development of running products. Of course, yoga clothing brands like Lululemon have also entered the field of running shoes in the Chinese market.
Under fierce competition, roll technology has become the core competitive point. It is understood that in the manufacturing of running shoes, the outsole, midsole, and carbon plate constitute the main part of the cost, accounting for approximately 70% of the total cost. The technical complexity of these parts lies in the selection of midsole materials and the precision of their foaming process. As Xu Jianguang, General Manager of the Shoe R&D Innovation System at Li Ning Group, said, "Midsole technology is the most core technology in sports shoes, just like an engine in a car.
Initially, Nike and Adidas were at the forefront of this technology field. Adidas and Nike's most representative midsole technologies, Boost technology and ZoomX cushioning technology, were launched in 2013 and 2014 respectively. However, the research and development of midsole technology for domestic brands was relatively late, and it was not until 2018 when Peak launched its iconic Taiji Technology that domestic brands made a breakthrough in this technology field; Subsequently, in 2019, Li Ning launched a new generation of supercritical foam midsole technology - Li Ning Lightweight Technology. In the same year, Xtep developed its first domestically produced carbon plate running shoe - Xtep 160X.
The market competition is becoming increasingly fierce, and no one wants to miss out on business opportunities. Technological research and development innovation is an important part of seizing opportunities.
Nike, which is increasing its investment in running shoes, is seizing the opportunity. In 2024, Nike's "Blueprint" series of products showcased in Paris adopted Nike's unique Air innovation technology, including the Alphafly 3 super running shoe. In addition, during Nike's recent quarterly earnings conference call, the management emphasized the importance of a "new innovation cycle" multiple times. Craig Williams, President of Regional Business and Market Development at Nike Group, mentioned that "strong product innovation, unique storytelling, and excellent market experience are the three key elements that have made up Nike's core competitiveness in the past. When we are fully committed, we will do all three of these at the same time very well.
At last year's CIIE, Nike announced that the Nike Sports Research Laboratory would be located in China. This year, the new running consulting service Nike Sports Research Laboratory "Form" was unveiled, bringing on-site interactive experience to the audience of the CIIE. Nike announced that "Form" will lead the way to the Nike Shanghai Huaihai brand experience store on November 4th, making China the first market in the world for Nike to bring this service to retail stores.
Nike's Global Vice President of Women's Running and Training, Seema Simmons, said on site, "We are always committed to creating innovative products that meet the needs of different runners, no matter where they run, how fast they run, or what kind of running method they choose. We simplify our road running products into three clear product lines, focusing on the cushioning performance that runners are most concerned about, and meeting their long-term needs for resilience, comfort, and support