runstyle

written well, you probably didn't feel this impact as much as those retailers that rely on at-once for most of their business." Pricing remains a significant concern, Porter says, as rising costs are affecting various products and "consumers are becoming increasingly price conscious." He notes, "We've observed that the price increases have impacted add-on sales to some extent. Additionally, the abundance of high-quality products from all the new brands that surface every day is adding some competition in some categories." At Tradehome, Kehrwald says, "We rely on prebooking and internal redistribution of products to mitigate reactionary inventory concerns. The brands demonstrating a commitment to clean pricing will continue to earn priority in our assortments." Diversifying the store's selection of running shoe categories and brands has been a focus for Mitten Running Co. "is was a strategy we developed through the tough Covid times," says Hansen. "It has served us well to get ahead of what our running customers are asking for." Installing a Foot Balance 3D foot scanner "with the opportunity to make custom insoles in a matter of minutes," has also been a boon for Mitten Running Co. "With a 3D scan to start our fitting process, it immediately gives us credibility. We can determine what category of shoe to fit someone right away. Whether it be Max Cushion, Cushion, Cushion to Structure or Motion Control, we have all feet covered. is allows us to pivot to different brands to see what the optimum fitting shoe will be for our customer. We can then talk over any pricing concerns and adjust to a different brand as needed. We have not yet been faced with too many questions on prices. For the most part, our customer base understands and is willing to get into the correct running shoe that has been selected for them at whatever cost it may be." n "Innovation is still going to be coming from the conversation around foam," says Porter, who adds, "I think max cushioning is slowing down. at seems to be what we are hearing on the sales floor. So, as the story goes the pendulum will swing back to the middle and we will apply what we have learned through this max cushioned phase and have a new middle of the road that is for everyone." "We're seeing more and more brands utilize super critical foams which shows midsole technology is still leading the way with respect to innovation," opines McGreer. "As for max cushioning, we were surprised to see midsole stack heights get even higher for SS25, as we're starting to hear consumers ask for firmer, or less stack under foot. Brands like On and Brooks have several styles which have resonated with consumers wanting less cush and stack." "We are seeing a great deal of push for carbon- plated super shoes," says Mitten's Hansen. "We also see this technology entering the everyday trainer category. I for one am not totally sold on this idea. I have watched a great deal of running reviewers and podiatrists talk about this type of technology and it has mixed reviews. e concern is what is happening with the reverberation that comes back up the leg into the knee and joints up the chain. Studies are showing an uptick in knee injuries from the super shoes. In my mind, this would be a shoe for not our everyday runner, but that person that is a few minutes away from Boston qualifying times, and possibly searching for some way to qualify. e middle of the pack runner will not see a tremendous upside to a super shoe and might possibly be better off in their everyday trainer for a marathon distance." Hansen adds, "We continue to see stack height go up in the Max Cushion category. We see a great deal of change in the foams as well. I feel that moving forward we will see a return to less cushioning but possibly a more super critical type of foam (Pebax) to give a bounce feel to the customer. We are seeing supercritical foam and EVA foam being layered together right now to give stability to running shoes. I truly feel that the brands will have to take a closer look at 'drop' more than anything. With the reduced drop of some shoes to even a zero drop in some, this will give relief to the runner's knee position and reduce stress and strain to give a more relaxed ride." At Tradehome, Kehrwald says, "Max cushioned products are still winning at the fitting stool. Additionally, technical running brands continue to disrupt the traditional trail and hike categories. We're also keeping a close eye on how top running brands are blending upper materials as they aim to establish a presence in the casual footwear market." n 22 runstyle Fall 2024 runstylemag.com SHOP TALK / RUNNING RETAIL 3. Where do you see the most innovation happening in the run industry? Is max cushioning still a growing sales driver for footwear, or has it peaked? A look inside Mitten Running Co. Tradehome Shoes staff.

• Cover