AI Reveals The True King Of Running Brands In 2024

Who knew that AI and feet pics would be a duo we needed in the running space…

BUT if you have taken part in a race in the US in the past year your feet have been used in one of the biggest survey of runners ever. It’s shown why Nike have chosen to rip up their shoe line up and it isn’t because of the likes of On or Hoka.

Running USA has released their 2024 National Shoe Brand Trends report, which details data on the most popular shoes brands worn during USA races. The company surveyed over 100,000 unknowing runners through a team up with MarathonFoto and a software company Greenfly. Using race photos from MarathonFoto, Greenfly’s AI technology compiled the bib numbers and shoes of 101,414 participants over the last year and broke them into three categories: marathon, half marathon, and 5K/10K/15K.

Nike: “The Stories Of My Demise Have Been Greatly Exaggerated”

In the marathon distance Nike dominated with almost 32% of the entire market, highlighting the huge dominance that the Alphafly and Vaporfly shoes still have in the market. It can be so easy to think Nike is falling from grace when you read so many stories about how they are floundering in the wake of the rise On and Hoka. But to be laced up by almost a third of the running market in the US is mind blowing and cannot be ignored. Saucony was in second with 17% a huge step down from Nike but still a huge share of runners with Brooks in third with almost 11%. 

But when we look at the shorter distances, the true picture of the running market becomes pretty clear…

Why Brooks are ACTUALLY the number one running brand

According to Running USA, “Nike wearers tend to have faster finish times, while slower runners prefer Brooks.” While this insight may invite debate, it points to a significant truth: Brooks is the brand for the everyday runner and for half marathons and shorter races, Brooks takes the crown in both. And with Brooks being so close behind Nike in the overall rankings of shoes people raced in (see the bottom of the post for the top ten) shows that they are actually the number one running brand in the US as this also doesn’t take in to account what people train in towards these races or for the people who run just to run. 

Brooks’ appeal lies in its dependability. The brand produces consistent, traditional running shoes like the Ghost and Glycerin, which are staples for beginners. These shoes dominate retail shelves across the U.S., thanks to their reliability and trusted reputation among running store experts. They know when they agree to the units they buy that they will sell because they always have, year in, year out. 

It’s a dynamic I know well. When I first started running, I headed to my local running shop was recommended a pair of Glycerins and then laced up exclusively in Brooks for the first few years because of that. 

Nike vs. Brooks: VERY Different Brands in a Battle for Market Dominance

Nike may lead in race-day performance shoes, but Brooks’ dominance in the overall market cannot be ignored. This is a brand that caters to runners who want one pair of shoes for everything—training and racing. While Nike’s racing shoes steal the spotlight, their non-racing models, like the Invincible, often polarise consumers. With the brand creating eye catching and PR hyped shoes they ultimately create shoes cater to a certain sector of the market. In contrast, Brooks delivers consistency for a broader market, iteration after iteration. A safe pair of hands but not really the most exciting as most runners I know usually labelling Brooks as boring however unfairly it may be. 

Many runners opt for one of these conventional and classic running shoes line ups for their training and then heading to the OG super shoes maker; Nike, for race day shoes like the Alphafly and Vaporfly.

The broader appeal of Brooks is further confirmed by another, but much smaller, 2024 survey from Running USA, which crowned Brooks the number one running shoe brand for the second consecutive year. In that survey of 7,000 runners, ASICS took second place, with Nike slipping to third.  ASICS with their Nimbus and Cumulus shoes being on their 26 versions highlights this traditional and dependable appeal vs the new and “sexy”. 

I believe THIS is why Nike have announced a huge shake up their line up of shoes this week at The Running Event. They have killed off the Invincible and Infinity to have a more streamline line up, much like ASICS and Brooks have. They aren’t looking to the On and the Hokas of this world they are looking to their true competitors…for now. 

Top 10 Running Shoe Brands Across All Distances

1. Nike: 21.3%

2. Brooks: 16.5%

3. Saucony: 12.6%

4. ASICS: 12.5%

5. Hoka: 12.1%

6. New Balance: 7.4%

7. Adidas: 5%

8. On Running: 3.7%

9. Mizuno: 1.7%

10. Altra: 1.6%