As Run Clubs Flourish, These Shoe Brands Are Capitalizing

Survey data from Zappos reveals the brands dominating runners’ attention, how run clubs are influencing purchasing decisions and the footwear trends defining the category’s future

As the running boom continues to take off, brands are trying to ride the wave and capitalize on the influx of new runners across all ages, demographics and regions.

Zappos surveyed runners from five run clubs nationwide from May through June — with additional data collected from aggregate tracking of Zappos customer engagement and shopping patterns from January through May — in an attempt to understand how this rapidly changing and growing subculture is influencing the industry .

Current Top Running Brands

While the running shoe market is only getting more competitive (read: saturated), there are clear front-runners..

Brooks, On and Hoka are the trendiest brands, according to the report, while Brooks also claims a top spot as one of the fastest-growing and most searched labels.

Adidas and Topo are also among the fastest-growing names, with Hoka, On, New Balance and Nike the most searched for.

Although Brooks is a long-standing legacy brand, the Seattle-based company has been doubling down on its innovation and growth in recent years.

Brooks reported its ninth-consecutive year of growth, securing record-breaking revenue in 2025, all while capturing the eyes of consumers globally and domestically by sponsoring some of the highest-profile elite runners across major marathons.

“We want to be known for innovation,” Brooks chief marketing officer Melanie Allen told Athletech News. “You can trust us to be reliable, but we’re also pushing the sport and running forward.”

Run Clubs Are Changing the Sport, Industry & Social Scene

There is undoubtedly an industrywide boost attributable to run clubs — not just within the sport, but across fitness and wellness, too.

Those community-building opportunities are changing not only how people engage with running, but also how they socialize, the report found.

Nearly half of respondents (45%) said that a run club is their primary way of meeting new people, with a vast majority — 84% — saying they’ve prioritized a run club over a night out. A quarter said they met four or more people they identified as being in their “inner circle” through a run club.

Naturally, people in run clubs are going to share all their training tips and gear opinions in those spaces, and that seems to be shaping industry trends — especially given the volume of run clubs.

Over half of respondents (53%) said they are motivated to try a new shoe based on recommendations from friends and run clubs. Among run club members, their top shoe franchises were the New Balance 1080, the Brooks Glycerin and the On Cloudmonster.

What’s Next in Running?

Zappos also identified the up-and-coming trends in shoe tech and design.

Performance is one of the major factors fueling conversation, especially as world records across the sport continue to drop and the once-unthinkable 2-hour marathon barrier was shattered in London earlier this year.

The shoe worn by current record-holder Sabastian Sawe is one of the lightest to date — Adidas’ $500 Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3 — so it’s no wonder that brands are looking to leverage ultra-light technology, the report pointed out, with shoes sometimes weighing in lighter than a deck of cards.

Sustainability also appears to be making its way into the conversation. You’ll now see fully biodegradable organic-fiber sneakers, upcycled automotive leather repurposed into performance footwear and midsoles made entirely from renewable feedstock on the market. 

Marketing narratives are also highlighting take-back programs and closed-loop recycling, with runners typically replacing their shoes every 300–500 miles.

On the design front, brands are embodying a variety of vibes to capture a wide market. Styles are ranging from monochrome palettes to metallic and chrome futuristic designs to vintage and streetwear-inspired colorways, the report pointed out.

As with other areas of the fitness industry, nostalgia also seems to be resonating — brands are reviving slim, low-profile styles inspired by 70s and 80s track shoes, embracing classic mesh, suede materials and old-feeling colorways.