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MARCH 17, 2014 | SGBWeekly.com 3

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10

MAKING NEWS4 Boston Marathon Bans Personal Bags

Saucony Announces Run For Good Grants5 New Balance Signs ITU World Junior Champion

6 Asics Sponsors Mammoth Track ClubCompetitor Group Appoints CEO

8 Mizuno Explores "What if Everybody Ran?"

10 Hoka One One Adds More Elite Runners to Athlete Roster

20 Industry Calendar

GIVING BACK10 Balega Amplifies Charity Efforts

FEATURE12 Women’s Shift to Neutral

The shift from minimalist to more-cushioned running footwear styles offers opportunities and challenges

for running stores.18 Sizing Up Women

MARCH 17, 2014ISSUE 1411

The Weekly Digital Magazine for the Sporting Goods Industry

Cover: Photo courtesy AltraTHIS PAGe: Photo courtesy Brooks

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NEWS

4 SGBWeekly.com | MARCH 10, 2014

Saucony ANNOUNCES RUN FOR GOOd GRANTS

Saucony announced the latest round of grant recipients as part of its Saucony Run for Good Founda-tion established to help combat childhood obesity.

The following organizations have been selected to receive a Saucony Run For Good Foundation grant: Youth Enrichment Services, Boston, MA; Women and Family Life Center, Inc., Guilford, CT; Rod Dixon’s Kids Marathon Foundation, Oak Park, CA; Boys and Girls Club of Rosebud, Mission, SD; Capital District YMCA, Albany, NY; Community Services of Swain, Inc., Bryson City, NC.

Since 2006, the Saucony Run For Good Foundation has awarded over $1 million dollars in grants to schools and community organizations all dedicated to preventing childhood obesity through run-ning and an active lifestyle. Even as signs of progress in the childhood obesity fight emerge, Saucony continues to challenge runners everywhere to join the cause by logging miles on the Saucony Run-4Good App, the running industry’s first-ever app dedicated to battling childhood obesity.

“This is the first decline in an epidemic that often leads to lifelong struggles with weight and higher risks for diabetes and heart disease,” said Richie Woodworth, president of Saucony and the Saucony Run For Good Foundation Board of Directors. “The problem of childhood obesity should be of great concern to everyone since it impacts the lives of so many kids today. At Saucony, our brand mission is to inspire others to run, and more than ever, that must include our kids. All of us here at Saucony hope that our help with this national effort continues to make a difference - reversing the trend by getting more kids active.”

Saucony is inviting the running community to help double the brand’s donations to the selected grant recipients by logging miles run or walked on Saucony Run4Good. With this GPS-enabled app, Saucony has opened the door for runners everywhere to join the fight against childhood obe-sity without having to enter a charity race or open their wallets. Simply by running, the Saucony Run4Good app allows people to support the cause and raise awareness about the childhood obesity epidemic.

Over the next six months (March 2014 through August 2014), each of the recently selected grant recipients will be a monthly feature on the app. When a predetermined community mileage goal is reached during the recipient’s featured month, Saucony will double its contribution to the selected organization.

“We started the Saucony Run For Good Foundation eight years ago to help in the national effort to eradicate this epidemic,” said Woodworth. “As a brand focused on runners, innovation and social responsibility, we believe the Saucony Run4Good app offers a new world of possibilities to engage with our community in a relevant, innovative and meaningful way while inspiring a strong unity of purpose to make a difference for our kids.”

CLICK TO PLAY

▲

BoSton Marathon BANS PERSONAL BAGS

The Boston Athletic Association announced a “no bags policy” for the 2014 Boston Marathon to ex-pedite security checks and promote overall safety at the race in the wake of last year's bombing.

The policy bans participants from bringing their own bags to the race. Instead, runners will be given an opportunity to stash a change of clothes or other personal gear in a clear plastic bag B.A.A. will provide when they pick up their race numbers near the finish line on Boston Commons.

“Only this B.A.A.-provided, clear, plastic bag can be used for this purpose,” according to a copy of the new policy posted on the associa-tion’s website. “No other bags will be accepted. Any items that you would like to have with you at the conclusion of the race must be placed inside the clear, plastic bag that the B.A.A. will provide for you.”

The B.A.A. also said that no bags will be al-lowed on buses from Boston to the starting line for the race in Hopkinton, and bags will not be transported from Hopkinton back to Boston. Nor will bags be allowed in certain areas at or near the start in Hopkinton, at or near the finish in Boston, or along the course. At the conclu-sion of the race and new for 2014, the B.A.A. will provide you with a Heatsheet Warmth Retention Cape for warmth.

The new policy is among several announced by B.A.A. in the wake of last year’s Boston Mara-thon bombing, which killed three people and in-jured 260. B.A.A. has been working for months with local, state and federal public safety agen-cies to coordinate security for this year’s race.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWRaWoehUuY

MARCH 17, 2014 | SGBWeekly.com 5

new Balance SIGNS ITU WORLd JUNIOR CHAMPION

New Balance signed their latest Team New Balance athlete, the 2011 ITU World Junior Champion Lukas Verzbicas. Lukas will compete in the Cler-mont Pan American Cup on Mar. 1 as his first official event as a Team New Balance Athlete under this multi-year endorsement contract.

“We are thrilled to welcome Lukas into the Team New Balance family. At New Balance we consider triathlon an extension of running and Lu-kas has strong roots within that sport,” says John Evans, Running Sports Marketing General Manager at New Balance. “We look forward to work-ing with him to achieve excellence within the U.S. but also on the world triathlon stage.”

As a young high school athlete Lukas was one of the best runners in the country, becoming only the fifth U.S. high school runner in history to run a sub-4 minute mile. He also won titles in several national meets including three at the 2011 New Balance Indoor Nationals as well as victories at the 2009 and 2010 Foot Locker Cross Country Championships. He still holds the high school national record in the two mile run. In August 2012, Lukas suffered severe injuries to his spinal cord after crashing into a barrier dur-ing a bike training exercise, requiring multiple surgeries to fix. As a result

doctors told Lukas he may never walk, let alone run again. Defying the odds, Lukas is once again in full triathlon training in Chula Vista, CA near the U.S. Olympic Training Center.

“After being told I would never walk again it is a dream come true to have the support of a powerhouse running brand like New Balance,” says Verzbicas. “After meeting with and talking to Team New Balance athletes I look forward to achieving my athletic goals with a brand that feels like an extension of my own family.”

ITU World Junior Champion Lukas verzbicas

6 SGBWeekly.com | MARCH 17, 2014

aSicS SPONSORS MAMMOTH TRACK CLUB

Asics America has become title sponsor of the Mammoth Track Club, one of the country’s most respected running clubs. The club has hosted some of America’s top distance runners, boasting 12 Olympians, 12 World Cross Country medals, 23 national records, 64 national championships, and two Olympic medals. The partnership between Mammoth and Asics marks a historic time in the history of running, joining together two of the largest and most successful brands in the running community. The Mammoth Track Club is one of the most significant and accomplished distance running groups in the United States with a rich legacy of track all-stars and a supportive, winning communal environment. With a new high-performance, all-weather, 8-lane polyurethane track, Mammoth has gained an-other accolade as a premier, high altitude-training facility for world-class runners looking to train in ideal atmosphere con-ditions. In addition to all these accomplishments, Mammoth has a prestigious board of directors which includes Olympic bronze medalist, American record holder, and Asics elite ath-lete Deena Kastor as the president and world-renowned coach Andrew Kastor as the club’s vice president, head coach, and Asics running coach.

Through this sponsorship, Asics demonstrates its support and commitment to the sport of running while helping Mam-moth continue its legacy as the leading elite running club in the country. As newly titled sponsor of the Mammoth Track Club, the club will officially be renamed to the “Asics Mammoth Track Club,” and Asics America will become the official sup-plier of athletic footwear, accessories, and apparel for the club.

“We are honored to expand our existing relationship with the Asics America family under this new partnership,” said Andrew Kastor, vice president of Mammoth Track Club and Asics running coach. “The brand’s dedication to the sport and community is an ideal fit for the club and our mission is to provide a platform for the athletes to continuously improve beyond their expectations. With Asics’s support, each athlete that comes to Mammoth will know they can better their best in this community of runners.”

Over the past year, Asics has fortified its leadership in the sport of running with milestones such as its second year as title sponsor of the Asics LA Marathon, the continued sponsorship of the Foot Locker Cross Country Championships and the 2013 ING New York City Marathon. ASICS’ sponsorship of the Mammoth Track Club emphasizes the continuous growth of the brand, and its dedication to elevate their level of support to athletes and runners across the United States.

Asics Mammoth Track Club athletes will support Asics events and races throughout the year, beginning with the Asics LA Marathon on March 9, 2014. Two members of Mammoth, Gabe Proctor and Lauren Kleppin, will share their success skills and bring a new energy to the marathon on behalf of their esteemed club.

coMpetitor Group APPOINTS CEO

Competitor Group, Inc., named David Abeles as CEO, effective im-mediately. Additionally, Barrett Garrison has joined the company as CFO and Keith Kendrick has been permanently appointed chief marketing officer.

“David, Barrett and Keith have a passion for building and leading teams, are brand savvy and have proven track records operating com-plex businesses,” said Paul F. Walsh, Chairman of CGI, who was serving as interim CEO and led the global search. “I couldn’t be more delighted that these talented executives are joining Competitor Group and will de-vote their talents to growing the finest media and event company in the world.”

Abeles brings a 20-year ca-reer of executive experience in the sports industry to CGI. He was most recently the EVP and general manager at Taylor-Made-Adidas Golf Company, where over the past six years he led the commercial operations of a $1.8 billion global equip-ment and apparel division. Prior to TaylorMade, Abeles served as VP of sales and mar-keting for Cobra Golf.

“This is a very exciting time for the endurance sports in-

dustry and it’s a great privilege to lead the talented team at CGI,” said Abeles, who is originally from New York and lives in Del Mar, CA with his wife and three sons. “As participation and interest in running and triathlon events continue to grow around the world, I’m incredibly en-ergized by the opportunity to help contribute to the next phase of our growth and innovation, setting the standard for operating world-class events and delivering the most authentic content to the active lifestyle community.”

Most recently, Garrison spent the past six years as the VP and then CFO of NetSpend Corporation, a leading provider of reloadable prepaid debit cards that was recently acquired. He also held senior finance positions with Dell and Seiko Instruments. Kendrick joined CGI as a consultant and was appointed interim chief marketing of-ficer in October 2013.

Headquartered in San Diego, CA, Competitor Group owns and operates 53 events around the world, including its flagship Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series, KiDS Rock Series, TriRock Triathlon Series and Women’s Running Series. It also operates a number of running, cycling and triathlon publications, including Women’s Running, Tri-athlete, Velo, and Competitor.

David Abeles, Ceo, Competitor Group, Inc.

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communications and marketing, UNC Kenan-Flagler. "The results that surfaced from our analysis were eye-opening. It was remarkable to see the profound impact a simple activity like running could have on our society." The analysis brought interesting figures to light for the U.S., including:

» $130 billion in health care savings » Increase of more than $47 billion to the

national GDP » Nearly 2 billion pounds of total weight loss » 10 percent increase in household earning

potential » 5 million fewer hospital visits

The entire results, including a down-loadable white paper, are available online at ifeverybodyran.com.

The analysis is the first part of the "What If Everybody Ran?" campaign which will roll out throughout the year and celebrate running's im-pact on individuals, communities, and ultimately the U.S. Another aspect of the campaign includes Mizuno's support of Back on My Feet, a national for purpose 501(c)(3) organization that uses the transformative power of running to elevate home-less individuals out of poverty through the dis-cipline, focus, and determination developed via a consistent running regimen. The Mizuno and

"What if Everybody Ran?" That's the question Mizuno Running posed to MBA students at the University of North Carolina (UNC) Kenan-Flagler Business School. The unique analysis puts perspective on the potentially profound impact a nation of runners could have on many of the biggest issues and challenges facing American society today.

"Runners understand and see first-hand the positive effect running has on their lives," said Fritz Taylor, VP/GM of Mizuno Running. "Knowing the effect of running on our lives, we couldn't help but wonder what the macro im-pact would be if more and more people started adding running to their lives."

According to a 2013 study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 80 percent of American adults do not get enough exer-cise. Today, there are approximately 30 million runners in America. In a month-long analysis process conducted by UNC, the research team combed through volumes of statistical data, ex-isting studies and U.S. Census data to project the impact on several key areas of life – health, re-lationships and the economy, among other sub-jects – if all Americans were runners.

"Mizuno brought our MBA team a unique and thought-provoking opportunity," said Michael Schinelli, associate dean of external

Back on My Feet partnership started with an Atlanta chapter sponsorship in January 2014 and will continue with a national fund-raising campaign tied to the "What If Everybody Ran" campaign in late Spring.

"We witness the positive impact run-ning has on the individual daily at our 5:30 a.m. morning group runs," said Mary K. FitzGerald, CEO of Back on My Feet " We applaud Mizuno for commissioning this study as the tangible evidence prov-ing running's power is undeniable. The Mizuno campaign and analysis clearly adds greater context to the personal trans-formation we work to bring about through running with individuals experiencing homelessness across the U.S."

The "What If Everybody Ran" microsite takes individuals on a running journey to see the potential of a world of runners. The campaign anthem video, "What If Every-body Ran" campaign poster and the analy-sis white paper further highlight the find-ings and reasons for Americans to take to the roadways, trails and sidewalks on their first or one-thousandth run. Consumers are also being asked to join the conver-sation and share their running moments through Twitter at #IfEverybodyRan.

Mizuno ExPLORES "WHAT IF EvERYBOdY RAN?"

NEWS

Photo courtesy Mizuno

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http://www.mizunousa.com/running/what-if-everybody-ran

Photo courtesy Mizuno

1

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BaleGa AMPLIFIES

CHARITY EFFORTS

GIvING BACK

Balega, the South African maker of performance socks headquartered in North Carolina, plans to expand its charity and fundraising initiative by donating to SoliderSocks, Veterans in Need, and the Catawba County United Way. These services and contributions will run through Balega’s registered non-profit charity organization, The Lesedi Project.

As part of the effort, Balega this winter will donate 5,000 pairs of socks to SoldierSocks, a non-profit organization dedicated to serving the men and women who are or have recently served in the United States Armed Forces.

Balega already supports men and women in uniform through its Veterans in Need pro-gram, in which fifty cents of each Enduro Physical Training sock sold is donated to Homes for our Troops, an organization that builds specially adapted homes for disabled veterans. This year, Balega’s Veterans in Needs’ funds benefits Home for our Troops charity support-ing Army Sergeant Micheal Beck of North Carolina in the building of a new adapted home. Together, SoldierSocks and Veterans in Need help soldiers take their next steps forward.

“We have an urgent need to help as much as we can to better the lives of these courageous men and women,” said Tanya Pictor, Balega’s VP of sales and marketing. “They sacrifice their lives for our safety and this seems like the least we can do. The military loves our socks, but cannot wear them with their uniforms as the logos showed. We took one of our top selling favorites among military personnel and removed all visible logos so that they could wear high performance socks with their uniforms.”

Balega commits to donating 500 pairs of socks to the Catawba County United Way to assist with the Point in Time Count of homeless people living in that area. Point in Time Count serves as the primary source of data locally and nationally to understand homelessness trends and to track progress on efforts to prevent and end homelessness for all communities.

In addition to the charities above, Balega, a key vendor partner of Fleet Feet Sports, has been a partner with Fleet Feet Sports stores to support The Lesedi Project, which was estab-lished in 2003 as a registered non-profit. Education tops Balega’s charitable efforts and The Lesedi - meaning “light and enlightenment” - Project supports South Africa’s Ethembeni School, offering education and life skills training to over 300 impoverished and disabled youth.

The Lesedi Project raises funds for the school by organizing fun runs through U.S. retail partners such as Fleet Feet Sports, and through sales of students’ commissioned beadwork.

Initially, The Lesedi Project started with the Ethembeni School, but today all of Balega’s charity actions and proceeds are run through The Lesedi Project. This provides the ability to either split funds and donate to more than one fund, or change funds from year-to- year.

Balega’s charity work aims to make a difference in the lives of many people. “We can only be, through others around us.’ As Pictor commented, “It is our passion and absolute need, to live it every day.”

hoka one one AddS MORE ELITE RUNNERS TO

ATHLETE ROSTER

Hoka One One has added Olympic Marathoner Magdalena Lewy-Boulet and All-American Miler Nicole Schappert to the brand’s squad of elite runners.

Lewy-Boulet’s achievements have included winning the San Francisco Marathon in 2002, claiming back-to-back bronze team medals at the IAFF World Cross Country Championships in 2010 and 2011 and competing for the USA at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. She also held the title of the nation’s top-ranked marathoner in 2012. Her PR for the marathon is 2:26:22 and she has now expressed an interest in pursuing ultra marathon distances as well.

“I am looking forward to running further and am confident that Hoka One One shoes will help me to do so,” Lewy-Boulet said.

A former All-American in both Cross Coun-try and Track at Villanova University, Nicole Schappert, has also joined the Hoka One One elite team. Schappert was a 1500-meter finalist at the 2012 USA Olympic Trials and was Amer-ica’s fastest indoor miler in 2012. She was also a member of the USA National team in the 2013 World University Games in Kazan, Russia. Cur-rently a graduate student at Rutgers University, Schappert ran a PR of 9:00.84 for 3000 meters at the Millrose Games earlier this month.

“In 2012, I missed a spot on the U.S. Olympic team by a few seconds. The very next season I had a foot injury that required surgery. I went from my best year in 2012 to seriously fearing the end of my running career. Then I tried a pair of Hokas. Not only was I able to run, but also I was able to train at the level needed to be competitive. I’m looking forward to another shot in 2016,” said Schappert.

“Our goal is to always find the right athletes who compliment our brand with best in class performance. Magdalena and Nicole are no ex-ception,” said Jim Van Dine, brand president of Hoka One One. “These two women bring im-pressive achievements in their respective fields and substantial contributions to the running community as a whole. They are the perfect fit for Hoka One One and the future of our brand.”

Hoka One One was founded in 2009 by Jean-Luc Diard and Nicolas Mermoud and was cre-ated to design shoes that offer improved per-formance primarily for ultrarunners. Deckers Outdoor Corp. acquired the brand in late 2012 and is investing to broaden the product line to service all runners.

Photo courtesy Balega

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Women’s shift

to neutral

The shift from minimalist to more-cushioned running footwear styles offers opportunities

and challenges for running stores.

By Thomas J. Ryan

Photo courtesy Altra12 SGBWeekly.com | MARCH 17, 2014

MARCH 17, 2014 | SGBWeekly.com 13Photo courtesy Altra

ith their different body structure, foot shape and aesthetic appeal, finding the right running shoe for a woman is al-

ways a central task for running specialty shops. The shift away from minimalism toward more cushioned models, however, presents its own unique challenges with the big trend overall toward neutral cushioning.

“More and more runners are finding that neutral shoes have enough engineered support that they don't need a stability shoe,” said Patrick O'Malley, SVP of global product at Saucony. “What this does is create lighter, more flexible and bigger cushioned shoes that makes the run enjoyable.”

“The running industry continues to collectively energize spaces that perhaps have lacked in freshness,” added Claire Wood, senior footwear product line manager at New Balance, on the shifting focus toward the neutral and even stability/guidance categories. “The no-tion of creating stable, protective rides with less ‘stuff ’ is fun to see come together. Obviously neutral continues to be a zone with a lot of innovation and runners are gravitating towards this style.”

The opportunity arrives, according to Wood, with runners being increasingly open to trying a different running experience.

“We believe that, for example, two neutral runners of the same build, similar stride, etc. could crave totally different experiences underfoot,” said Wood. “Addressing the ‘ride’ someone can experience, through various foams, compounds, and geometries can deliver a variety of experiences. The aesthetic, design and how upper materials come together also plays into this. Men and women are discerning with fashion in other realms of their wardrobe, running shoes should be the same.”

Golden Harper, founder of Altra Running, believes women have notably benefited from the additional stability, proprioception, and foot strength they received by using a minimal shoe.

“Since women are generally less stable through the gait cycle, they ben-efitted greatly from the additional stability they got from being lower to the ground,” observed Harper. “A lower to the ground shoe is more stable in general. Now we're learning how to try and apply those principles to shoes that are higher off the ground. We also learned that if we can get women to run with better form and land closer to underneath their body, that we see a

reduction in stability issues as well…minimal shoes made all this possible.”The push back towards more-cushioned styles poses some complications

since cushioned doesn’t mean they’re more supportive, Harper believes. In reality, the softer the shoe, the more unstable the platform, raising the risk of excess pronation.

To address those support issues, Altra women’s styles have a female-spe-cific last built from the ground up with a narrower heel, longer arch, higher instep, and slightly different foot shape. By contrast, Harper believes nearly all athletic shoe companies “take a little volume off the top of the men's last” in creating their women’s models and still “just shrink it and pink it.”

Said Harper, “We try to make our women's shoes proportionally softer and slightly more cushioned than the men's models in addition to account for their unique stability needs and the different shape of their feet.”

With countless studies on gender differences, the Q-angle, and various debates regarding heel width, New Balance has a range of lasts in multiple offsets for both men and women that generate sepa-rate patterns.

“We approach running shoes, regardless of gender, with the same sense of style and performance,” said Wood. “We hyper-focus and sweat all the small stuff on men’s and women’s shoes. We do feel, in general, women tend to scrutinize or be more particular about a silhouette, a shape, etc. and therefore we design with a very discerning eye. Construc-tion is an area of footwear engineering and one that we pride ourselves on, shoes that look and feel beautiful on the foot is what we strive to produce for men and women.”

Woods believes the minimalism movement has impacted both men’s and women’s designs. She still sees demand for minimal models such as its Minimus collection but also believes minimalism being defined by the midsole drop or offset has finally started to shift into a larger conver-sation of foot position in the shoe overall.

“I do think the consumer is still confused with this verbiage, and associates need to understand that the consumer may associate minimalism only with the angle of the runners’ foot, not necessarily the overall substance of what is under their foot,” said Wood. “That said, we believe strongly that minimalism shoes, as the industry first learned it, absolutely still have a place and the learnings and influence from this trend should be applied to more ‘substantial’ running shoes.”

W

Adiidas Boost

14 SGBWeekly.com | MARCH 17, 2014

For spring 2014, New Balance is launching the Fresh Foam 980, which delivers a smooth ride and full length, soft cushioning from heel to forefoot.

“We are very proud of the innovation and science that contributed to this new line-up within our cushioned offer-ings,” said Wood. “The snappy, resilient 890V4 continues to be surprisingly light, but on a sil-houette that feels just as cool to

run in as it looks. A podular segmented REVlite midsole allows for a very quick feel, no matter how fast you are running, and a ride that’s going to be very responsive.”

Saucony’s O'Malley said the challenges with any shift are that some offerings go to the extreme.

“The thing that we are really proud of at Saucony is that we heard the consumers loud and clear on what they were looking for: light and flex-ible shoes that allow the body to move naturally,” said O'Malley. “We did not go to the extreme side of that, instead really studying the runner and offering shoes that provided those great benefits, but at the same time protecting them from the harshness of the roads. Another great side of this is that minimalism made us smarter as we updated some of our tra-ditional models. It allowed us to drop to an 8mm heel-to-toe offset as well as take 2 ounces out of our shoes.”

For spring 14, Saucony’s ma-jor update is the Guide 7 in the stability category. A fully decou-pled SRC (Super Rebound Com-pound) crash pad in the heel area provides a smoother transition at foot strike. A redesigned medial

sole unit improves support for runners with slight to moderate pronation needs while creating a smooth transition to midfoot. The outsole of the new Guide’s forefoot has been flared by 2mm for a more supportive plat-form during the latter stages of the gait cycle. Finally, the Guide’s 8mm heel-to-toe offset positions the foot during impact in a way that creates a greater range of motion for the Gastrocnemius-Soleus-Achilles tendon system, allowing for a more powerful running stride.

“We really wanted to work on the geometries of this shoe so that we could provide a smooth heel-to-forefoot transition,” said O'Malley. “Along with the smooth ride, our 8mm heel-to-forefoot offset sets the runner's body up to maximize all the muscles and the joints to take away the strain and stress.”

Another key launch for Saucony is the Mirage 4, a shoe within Saucony’s natural motion silo that’s for the runner looking for a lightweight and responsive shoe that allows the foot to move naturally through the gait cycle. Said O'Malley, “This will really maximize the muscles and joints in the lower part of the leg and make the runner stronger.”

On the aesthetics side, color and prints continue to be very strong head-ing into spring 2014 and women runners are driving these trends.

“As far as experimenting, we find that both men and women are looking for ways to improve their running,” said O'Malley. ”So when we came out with the Kinvara in Natural Motion, we had about a 50/50 split between women and men. I think as long as the experimenting is not extreme, we find both women and men willing to trust us and follow us down the path of innovation.”

All Saucony’s women’s models come with a women-specific last.“We build our last based on the contours of the women's foot, care-

fully taking into account the bunion and the heel area,” noted O'Malley. “This allows us to construct our women's shoes around a fit that women runners love.”

For spring 2014, Altra is launching the world’s first foot-shaped, Zero Drop maximally cushioned shoes – the Olympus and Paradigm - targeted at women who run extreme terrain or extreme distances. These shoes can also be beneficial for those trying to protect a foot injury.

“We’ve known for years that women prefer more cushioning than men, but they also like lightweight so we’ve worked very hard to make them lighter weight than your average running shoe while making them more stable than other maximally cushioned shoes,” said Harper. “Our ultra distance athletes and those nursing a foot injury are really happy with the amount of protection we’ve been able to give them in such a lightweight package.”

Saucony Mirage 4

Saucony Guide 7

New Balance Fresh Foam 980

Photo courtesy Altra

Photo courtesy New Balance

MARCH 17, 2014 | SGBWeekly.com 15

For spring 2014, Brooks’ big launch is the Transcend, positioned as the “ultimate Float shoe” to ad-dress the revival of the support category featuring new Super DNA cushioning and on-demand support to provide a “float” experience for runners. Key technologies include the Super DNA for the ultimate cushioned ride and Guide Rails that

revolutionizes traditional stability by allowing the hips, knees and joints to move within their unique motion path while you run – all without any tra-ditional posts. Other selling points include Ideal Pressure Zones that mini-mize localized pressure evenly in the heel, midfoot and forefoot; as well as a rounded heel to align the stride naturally, and plush upper.

“During the development of PureProject and our efforts to define the Feel experience, we realized there are a number of runners who crave the opposite end of the spectrum, which we call Float,” said Jon Teipen, Brooks footwear product line manager. “Transcend is the first shoe that addresses this, driven by new technology that delivers a smooth ride with support that kicks in only when you need it, acting as a safety net that helps your body stay in a balanced position throughout the run.”

Having a max cushion shoe that allows the toes to spread free with a foot-shaped toe box and encourage low impact running technique with a Zero Drop design holds appeal for the healthy running. Added Harper, “The longer a runner is out

there, the more important those two things become to her, because form and feet both tend to degrade with fatigue.

Brooks is finding women are becoming more adventurous when it comes to color.

“They tend to gravitate toward the bright, trend relevant color options,” said Kira Harrison, footwear-merchandising associate. “But that doesn't mean there aren't men out there who love color. It is such a personal choice, we work hard to offer a variety of options so each runner can find the shoe that speaks to their wants and needs.”

The Transcend comple-ments the Brooks Adrenaline GTS, the best-selling shoe in the support category in the SRG channel. For spring, the Adrenaline GTS 14 gains an update with extended mid-foot crash pad, thinner, closer-

to-foot overlays, and the introduction of the comfort eyebrow, a new design that brings the upper closer to the foot for a more conformable fit.

Other key updates for spring include the Ravenna 5, coming in three-quarter ounce’s lighter with a blended, BioMoGo DNA midsole, a new adjustable arch saddle, and ultra thin, welded overlays in the vamp.

The PureProject 3 now has a 360 degree rounded heel, bringing contact points even closer to joint center as well as a sculpted medial arch integrated with the Nav band for a closer-to-foot fit. The toe flex has been repositioned in be-tween the second and third met heads, al-lowing the first two met heads to work as a functional unit.

Hoka One One uses a women’s specific last for its spring 2014 women’s styles, along with all the Hoka technology as the men’s styles. The big differentiator is the engineered mid-sole volume, which is up to 2.5 times the volume of performance-specific cushioning materials, compared to standard running shoes, according to Tom Daley, Hoka’s mar-keting manager.

For spring 2014, the key launch for Hoka is the Conquest, a responsive, high mileage road model with 50 percent more midsole material than traditional running shoes for

added protection. “The Conquest features

an early-stage Meta-Rocker for a fast transition onto the forefoot, and a high re-bounding RMAT midsole material that provides a

quick and responsive ride, excellent resilience, and dynamic perfor-mance,” said Daley. “A layer of EVA – built close to the foot – pro-vides the signature ride quality of Hoka One One shoes.”

Also new for spring is the Bondi 3, featuring a reinforced upper with layered No Sew construction.

Hoka is the leader in maximal cushioned running shoes, with other brands attempting to follow Hoka with their own versions of higher-cushioned products.

“Hoka One One is growing rapidly as running specialty retailers are being asked by consumers for Hoka One One,” said Daley. “Hoka One One is adding new specialty running retail accounts every day, and sell through is strong. Minimalist shoes don’t work for the ma-jority of runners, and the explanation of the minimalist phase should be explained in a straightforward manner. It is a product that works for a very small segment of the running population, but it was hyped

Hoka one one Conquest

Brooks Adrenaline GTS 14

Brooks Transcend

Altra olympus

Photo courtesy Brooks

16 SGBWeekly.com | MARCH 17, 2014

by the brands, the retailers, and the media to the point where it became confusing to the consumer. As a result, many runners got hurt or injured from minimalist products.”

Chris Brewer, running specialty category manager at Adidas, said women tend to be willing to try new things, but they are also more aware of short-lived or over-hyped trends.

“Women do, indeed, lead on the trend side, which is why we are predicting, and seeing, a return to understated elegance,” said Brewer. “Another trend is that more runners are buying neutral shoes, which means they are chasing cushioning first and worrying about stability later. Most running shoe brands have adjusted with a broader offering of more stable neutral shoes to ensure the runner gets the cushioning she wants with the structure she needs under her.”

Adidas is capitalizing on that shift with its hot-selling Boost shoe offering revolutionary cushioning technology that lead it to become Adidas’ most successful running launch last spring. Based on a development process first created in 2009 by BASF, solid granular material (TPU) is literally blown up and turned into thousands of small energy capsules to make up the footwear’s distinctive midsole. With its unique cell structure, the capsules store and unleash energy more efficiently in every stride to deliver cushioning and high responsiveness. Version two of

the Energy Boost arrived in February.“Boost is a giant difference-maker and will continue to drive market share gains for Adidas,” said

Brewer. “But the most important thing about Boost is that it is the one single midsole technology or material that a runner or athlete can feel both at try-on and during her run.”

Another unique selling point is temperature indifference - from zero degrees Fahrenheit to 110 degrees Fahrenheit, the cushioning feels the same while EVA gets either very firm or very soft as the temperature changes, noted Brewer.

On the aesthetics side, Adidas sees a shift to cleaner designs with women seeking “less overtly bright and busy shoes and instead buying the understated and subtle colors and designs.” But while most runners are returning to shoes with normal slopes and normal midsole heights, runners are still demanding lightness due to the learnings of the minimalism phase.

“We are in the midst of a return to more traditional midsoles and it will be interesting to see the appetite for this product across the broader swath of runners once the early adopters dip their feet in those waters,” said Brewer. “Our prediction at Adidas is that everyone will continue to want maxi-mum cushioning but the answer will not be oversized midsoles.”

Regardless of gender, Adidas believes sales associates should focus on the athlete first, with critical

information including time spent in her activ-ity of choice, the intensity of her training, her short- and long-term goals and any past or cur-rent injuries.

“This information, along with an accurate assessment of foot-type and foot movement during the gait cycle, really enables the female consumer to feel comfortable that she is getting expert attention and will find the best solution on the shoe wall,” said Brewer.

The fitting process is essential for a new run-ner or a runner who has injuries or has had a long layoff, but even those with little fit issues can benefit by exploring alternatives to their current shoe to fully understand the newest shoes in the market that could make running even more enjoyable.

“This is where Boost is finding its footing,” said Brewer. “It feels completely different and sales associates can show that their store is on the cutting edge with new innovations to help make all athletes better.”

Woods believes retailers and associates should be equipped with the best and most up-to-date information behind their product to service both vendors. Said Woods, “There are a lot of choices these days and I don’t believe men need a different selling pitch than women. I be-lieve the information should be accurate, under-standable, and the shopping experience should lend itself to inquiries answered and products walking out the door by choice and excitement, not default.”

O'Malley said the key for associates is to sell the benefits, not the features. Said O'Malley, “They should really be able to explain why a particular shoe is going to work for the runner. The features are the things that create the ben-efits and that is what the runner really needs to understand.”

Harper is frustrated with sales people who are “unwilling to push to get someone into the correct size.” The majority of women, as well as nearly half of men, buy their shoes too small, contributing to the bunions, neuromas, Plantar Fasciosis, and stress fractures common with so many runners.

For women, the bigger size often feels “too loose” to them at first, and need to be con-vinced that the benefits will arrive in a short matter of time. Also, the higher instep on many women needs to be addressed through lacing techniques and shoes that aren’t as tight over the instep. Added Harper, “Once a women has been gently guided out of her ‘comfort zone’ and into the true comfort of proper fit, she will thank you forever!” ■

Adidas Boost

Photo courtesy Adidas

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• Helps alleviate pain associated with Plantar Fasciitis

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ssessing the difference between selling run-ning footwear to men versus women can

sound “very, very stereotypical,” admitted Todd Colby, store manager at Jack Rabbit Sports in Park Slope, Brooklyn.

Said Colby, “Sometimes you have very picky men who really want to discuss all the ins and outs of the shoe, discuss minimalism and the full range of the shoes. And there are certainly women who will do that too but then there are those women who will be totally bored with that aspect. They’re just running a 5K and want a shoe.”

But Colby and other run specialty retailers noted that generalizing; women “tend to be a little bit more particular about not just fit and feel but also the aesthetic.” Consequently, they tend to ask more questions.

“They’re curious,” said Colby. “They want to make sure they’re not only getting the right shoes but wearing the right apparel and being fitted properly with a sports bra. Whereas there’s very little discussion with many guys. They want what they want.”

That curiosity is especially helpful given that the fit process can be more challenging due to a women’s unique body features, including gener-ally wider hips, narrower heels, typically a lower body mass and other nuances. Asics even came out with research a few years ago that showed women's feet change during their monthly cycle.

By Thomas J. ryan

sizing up Women

Wider hips, narrower heels and a greater fashion sense are only a few of the challenges involved in

fitting women in running shoes.

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MARCH 17, 2014 | SGBWeekly.com 19

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Another fitting challenge is that women tend to prefer a tighter shoe, closer to the feel of their casual shoes or boots that may not work with a running shoe. Added Colby, “So you tend to find you’re having more discussions about our philosophy of fitting and how a women fits into a shoe in general.”

Stephanie Blozy, owner, Fleet Feet Sports, West Hartford, concurred that one positive about working with women is that they, for the most part, shop in her store because they like or need expert assistance. She added, “We joke that men don’t like that much help because they don’t like asking for direc-tions.”

But the challenge is that many women want a specific color and think their feet are much smaller than they really are.

“While women account for about 65 percent of our shoe business, they account for about 80 percent of our returns,” added Blozy. “My thought is that women try to listen to our recommendations, but when they get home they have buyer’s remorse in terms of the shoe color and size. So we focus on training staff to really listen to what the customer wants and offer some guiding questions to determine if color/size are important factors in the customer’s final decision – or if the customer really wants what’s best for their feet no matter if the shoe is day-glow yellow!”

Lori Shannon, president of See Jane Run, with stores in San Francisco, Oakland and Danville, CA, doesn’t sell to men but notices that men com-ing in often interfere with the fit process.

“The men will tell the woman to ignore how she feels because XX is the best shoe, or because this shoe does this one thing (cushion, support, etc.) and that is what they need so they should buy it,” said Shannon. “When women are outside of that influence, they look past the marketing, and the suggestions of what is ‘best’ and work from a place of what feels right. The posting, the gel, the MoGo, or whatever is irrelevant. Women are very interested in the mechanisms of the foot and the synergy between the shoe and the foot, but not specifically the details of the shoe. They seem to take a very holistic approach to a shoe fitting.”

Tripp Southerland, footwear buyer at Pacers Running Stores, with five stores serving the greater Washington, DC area, agrees that there’s “often embarrassment associated with big feet” for women. When a new runner/walker comes in looking to get fit for the first time, they’re often surprised they’ll have to size up 0.5 to 1.5 from their casual shoe size. Said Souther-land, “Convincing a woman to buy a size 10 running shoe when she has worn a size 9 casual shoe all of her life requires practice and skill that not every salesperson has mastered.”

Additionally, the fitting process requires the salesperson to narrow the shoe selection down to a handful of shoes that work for the customer.

“A female customer may like the way one shoe feels over another, but does not like the look or color of that shoe,” noted Southerland. “In that situation, we prefer the customer choose comfort over style because on a run, it is more important that the shoe fit and feel comfortable rather than look good. The salesperson can achieve all of this with an even keel, good options, and a bit of sales experience.

Overall, while it’s important for a salesperson to match every custom-er's energy levels, it’s especially important with female customers because women tend to be pickier when it comes to aesthetics and size of the shoe. Said Southerland, “Building rapport, providing options and not rushing the customer becomes that much more important with female customers.”

Chet James, owner of Super Jock 'n Jill in Seattle, believes a bigger chal-lenge is capturing the young male from 20 to 35. Said James kiddingly, “They can probably wear flip flops to do a marathon. So they don’t really have this urgency to have customer service, which is our makeup.”

Men typically have a pelvis that’s boxier in shape like a 4x4 post and

women tend to be more like a 2x6, which means that the angle of their upper leg is often greater. This slant of the upper leg, referred to as the Q angle, requires extra attention on the fit process.

“There’s a little more movement to the leg and hip and knee and feet with women so that’s one of the things we try to be conscious of,” said James.

Thankfully, James noted that it generally tends to be easier to provide information and advice to women.

“They’re typically more engaging,” said James. “They’re more likely to want more information than the guy. They like to know more about fit, how it looks on them and overall, ‘Does this make sense for me?’ Whereas as the guy may say, ‘Does it fit? Fine. I’m going.’”

For staff, while they may get the quick-sell for men in the younger age group, they should be prepared to work a 20-to-40 minute fit session to work through the evaluation process with everyone. James added that’s the value his store brings as part the run specialty relationship.

“We’re not trying to sell you a shoe,” added James. “We’re helping you learn how to buy them correctly. It’s getting them comfortable enough to interact with the product and make up their mind.”

Jessica LaPointe, store manager at the recently-opened New Jersey Run-ning Company in Hoboken, NJ believes that while two years ago she “defi-nitely” felt men cared more about the technical features of products and women were much more aesthetically driven, the wants of the two genders are closer in line. For example, in the four months her Hoboken store has been open, all of her vendor-special orders have been for male customers looking for a color other than the ones they stock.

“I chalk a lot of this new aesthetically-driven running culture up to the emergence of fitness as lifestyle,” said LaPointe. “As sales associates, we need to be mindful that we are no longer fitting the veteran runners of the past who only wore their trainers for running. Today, those same run-ning shoes carry you through a morning run, into a class at the gym, and straight on to a casual brunch with friends or weekend errands.”

With both genders looking for shoes that work beyond running to in-clude CrossFit, yoga, Zumba, boot camps, kickboxing, etc., the time spent in the fit process has “increased dramatically” over the years but it also offers a greater opportunity to sell multiple shoes for multiple purposes in a single sale, she added.

Regardless, the greater attention to aesthetics places challenges around finding the correct shoe for a specific foot.

“I almost always mention that any and all are welcome to shop solely based on style - but also remind them that we offer a tremendous service, and that once the gait analysis is complete, we can do our best to narrow down both style AND comfort,” said LaPointe. “Sometimes the simplest fix is a set of different colored laces or a simple special order from a vendor.”

LaPointe said women seem to opt for a minimal style without guidance because it tends to look "less bulky" and gives the foot a smaller appear-ance. But she added that as women become increasingly competitive and aware of shoes as training tools, it’s essential to make sure similar techni-cal information is delivered to both men and women. Basics of each shoe include: general weight, heel-to-toe offset, trail versus road racing/perfor-mance versus training, minimal versus neutral…versus stability… versus motion control.

“Each piece of information can really help sell a shoe,” said LaPointe. “Women might be more interested in the amount of forefoot cushioning and weight of a shoe for dance/group fitness purposes, while men might be more interested in durability and heel-to-toe offset for heavy weight-lifting and plyometrics - but there will almost always be a crossover and need to throw bits of technical information into any sale.” ■

CALENDARFor full year calendar go to sportsonesource.com/events

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MARCh

25-27 ASI long Beach long Beach, CA

27-30 ASA-ICAST Fred hall Shows San diego, CA

ApRIl

7-8 SFIA litigation & Risk Management Summit phoenix, AZ

22 SFIA/NFhS/NCAA Rules Committee Meeting Indianapolis, IN

27-30 N.S.G.A. Mgmt. Conference Indian Wells, CA

JUNE

11-12 Altanta Shoe Market Atlanta, GA

17-19 licensing International Expo las Vegas, NV

26-28 Sports, Inc. Summer Team dealer Show Nashville, TN

JUlY

8-11 NBS Summer Market Austin, TX

10-13 European Outdoor Trade Fair Friedrichshafen, Germany

15-17 ASI Chicago Chicago, Il

18-20 A.d.A. Spring Show Reno, Nevada

AUGUST

6-9 Outdoor Retailer Summer Market Salt lake City, UT

14-16 Sports Inc. Outdoor Show Nashville, TN

SEpTEMBER

3-8 NBS Fall Semi - Annual Market Fort Worth, Texas

4-6 Imprinted Sportswear Show (ISS) Orlando, Fl

10-12 Interbike International Trade Expo las Vegas, NV

16-17 SFIA Industry leaders Summit Chicago, Il

OCTOBER

7-9 OIA Rendezvous Asheville, North Carolina

NOVEMBER

15-16 A.d.A. Fall Show palm Springs, California

23-25 Sports, Inc. Fall Team dealer Show las Vegas, NV

Athletic Dealers of America1395 Highland AvenueMelbourne, FL 32935t 321.254.0091f 321.242.7419athleticdealersofamerica.com

National Shooting Sports FoundationFlintlock Ridge Office Center11 Mile Hill RoadNewtown, CT 06470t 203.426.1320 f. 203.426.1087nssf.org

National Sporting Goods Association1601 Feehanville Drive / Suite 300Mount Prospect, IL 60056t 847.296.6742f 847.391.9827nsga.org

Nation’s Best Sports4216 Hahn Blvd.Ft. Worth, TX 76117t 817.788.0034f 817.788.8542nbs.com

Outdoor Industry Association4909 Pearl East Circle / Suite 300Boulder, CO 80301t 303.444.3353f 303.444.3284outdoorindustry.org

Sports & Fitness Industry Association8505 Fenton St., Suite 211Silver Spring, MD 20910t 301.495.6321f 301.495.6322sfia.org

Snow Sports Industries America8377-B Greensboro DriveMcLean, VA 22102t 703.556.9020f 703.821.8276snowsports.org

Sports, Inc.333 2nd Avenue NorthLewistown, MT 59457t 406.538.3496f 406.538.2801sportsinc.com

Sports Specialists Ltd.590 Fishers Station Drive / Suite 110Victor, NY 14564t 585.742.1010f 585.742.2645sportsspecialistsltd.com

Team Athletic Goods629 Cepi DriveChesterfield, MO 63005t 636.530.3710f 636.530.3711tag1.com

Worldwide 8211 South 194thKent, WA 98032t 253.872.8746f 253.872.7603wdi-wdi.com

20 SGBWeekly.com | MARCH 17, 2014

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