Run specialty retail is on the way out. They have expanded within a shrinking sector. That should serve them well if they can deliver to Zappos and have a good direct-to-consumer presence.
People have been predicting the death of run specialty for 20 years and it hasn't happened yet. There are literally hundreds of independent run specialty stores across the US (Fleet Feel alone has about 300). The number is down from 10 years ago, but seems to have stabilized. I suspect most of that decrease is due to the collapse of Jackrabbit.
You thought it would happen swiftly and suddenly? Nobody ever suggested that. There are cycles and waves to business, there is further erosion coming.
Most of it is due to Amazon/Zappos and other web-only outlets. What is boosting everyone, including brick-and-mortar, is the current post-pandemic boom.
Brooks should sponsor a mall walking influencer team called the Brooks Boomers. They can post about things that have changed they don't like and refuse to understand why.
You'll be complaining too when comparable shoes are $250, whippersnapper!
It's amazing how people can be so ignorant when it comes to money. The shoes you're complaining are so expensive are actually less expensive than when you first bought them. This is 7th grade math...
Great way of putting it. My only complaint as a long time Brooks wearer is they keep jacking up their prices. 25 years ago, I could get the Adrenaline for $85. Now it retails for $155. It's insane! Although to be fair, shoe prices have gone up across the board.
Go thank Joe Biden for losing 20% of your money over 4 years. Stolen elections have consequences
Brooks is a great case study in customer loyalty and corporate self-awareness. They know their customer, they design for that customer, and when they change a loved model for a new iteration, it's an evolutionary step - not a radical overhaul. People that run in Brooks keep coming back because of that consistency.
They are the Toyota of running shoes. Reliable, dependable, a bit boring, but they offer great value for the customer seeking these traits.
Great way of putting it. My only complaint as a long time Brooks wearer is they keep jacking up their prices. 25 years ago, I could get the Adrenaline for $85. Now it retails for $155. It's insane! Although to be fair, shoe prices have gone up across the board.
Brooks is #1 thanks to dog walkers everyone. Their "real" running shoes are average at best when compared to the rest of the market. But..I've peaked behind the curtain and see what they are planning to bring to market by 2028 and 2032. They have the right people and ideas in place to make a push to compete against best "fast and racing" shoes in the market. Think ASICS (blast), adidas (adizero), New Balance (SuperComp), Puma, Nike and the like. Tomorrow Brooks will be better.
I think I am wearing Brooks shoes since 1989 consistently. I have used other brands as well but off all overall shoe buys it's probably 80% Brooks in real numbers.
People like the Brojos are surprised but Nike is a fashion brand. Real runners are maybe 5% of their customer base. Brooks has probably more like 50-70% runners as customers.
Brooks is a great case study in customer loyalty and corporate self-awareness. They know their customer, they design for that customer, and when they change a loved model for a new iteration, it's an evolutionary step - not a radical overhaul. People that run in Brooks keep coming back because of that consistency.
They are the Toyota of running shoes. Reliable, dependable, a bit boring, but they offer great value for the customer seeking these traits.
This! For me it's like a toothbrush, I need a bunch of them but I don't really care how they look, they just have to work.
Great way of putting it. My only complaint as a long time Brooks wearer is they keep jacking up their prices. 25 years ago, I could get the Adrenaline for $85. Now it retails for $155. It's insane! Although to be fair, shoe prices have gone up across the board.
Go thank Joe Biden for losing 20% of your money over 4 years. Stolen elections have consequences
It's a year in Dumpsters term and shoe prices are still going up. Agree or disagree?
If disagree then back it up with a spring 2026 new model price .cheaper then older model.
You'll be complaining too when comparable shoes are $250, whippersnapper!
It's amazing how people can be so ignorant when it comes to money. The shoes you're complaining are so expensive are actually less expensive than when you first bought them. This is 7th grade math...
It depends on the shoe and the years you're comparing. I just looked at an inflation calculator. Forty five dollars in 1985, a fairly reasonable price then, converted to $134.64 today. So you can find plenty of models for lower adjusted prices. Ninety dollars from 1985, a pretty high end shoe price at the time as I recall, converts to $269.28.