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Like all runners, I’m more than happy to tell you all about the world of running. But it’s not just me: with run club memes abounding, swimsuit season in full swing, and the Olympics right around the corner, running is on a lot of people’s minds lately. And with my running shoes on the brink of no longer functioning as running shoes (gee, I must have worn them out…I guess I’m hardcore like that), I figured it could be worth using this week’s blog post to test two hypotheses at once:
- Is everybody really as into running as they seem to be?
- Which brand should I go to for my running shoe needs?
Sure enough, I discovered that, at least going off a few prominent brand examples, it really isn’t just me: running is all the rage.
But which running brands are leading the pack?
Running Brands to Watch: Hoka, On Running, Brooks
We’ll drill down into each brand’s individual performance, but first, let’s see how these three standouts performed from 2018 to 2023.
Hoka, Brooks, On Running EMV, 2018 - 2023
All three brands pass the HBBIP Test: posting YoY EMV improvements in each of the last five calendar years. This is a rare enough feat on its own, so for three brands within a relatively niche industry to be posting these sorts of numbers is clear validation for the space at large.
Plus, check out that photo-finish between On Running and Brooks in 2023, with upstart brand On Running juuuuust beating out Brooks.
When I dived into each brand’s creator marketing strategies, I found both broad similarities and telling differences. The bottom line, however, is that running is more than just cardio—it’s also fuel for an industry that’s moving faster than ever.
Let’s start at the top:
Hoka
Established in the French Alps (ooh la la) in 2009, Hoka has been on an uphill trajectory ever since. Having achieved near-ubiquity, Hoka is now a go-to for runners, walkers, and those folks who buy shoes and instead of wearing them keep them sealed up in temperature-controlled glass chambers. (I assume.)
With apologies to the other brands in this analysis, Hoka is also my current shoe of choice. Sorry, On Running and Brooks. By all means send me some free swag to change my mind!
Here are fast facts on everybody’s favorite colorful puffy sneaker:
Hoka EMV, Impressions, Creators, Posts, Engagements for June 2023 - May 2024
We’ve got healthy expansions across the board here, with Hoka setting several notable personal bests, particularly in the Engagements category.
As with, well, any other running brand, Hoka’s social content stemmed primarily from the small (but growing) community of running creators on social media. Whether documenting their race prep routines, sharing technical advice, or posting motivational content, these creators have helped to foster a supportive ecosystem for prospective runners, spreading the gospel of moving your legs.
Some of Hoka’s top advocates from the time period monitored included streak runner Hellah Sidibe, who really wants you to know that he’s run at least two miles outdoors everyday since May 15, 2017. Oh, and then there was the time where he went all Forrest Gump and ran across the United States in 84 days.
Thanks to his impressive accomplishments and infectious positivity, Sidibe powered $2.1M EMV for Hoka, nearly twice as much as any other creator. However, he ‘only’ posted about Hoka 333 times—meaning that, unlike his running habit, it’s not quite an everyday thing for him.
In addition to runners, Hoka also saw content creation from another contingent that’s always on their feet: nurses. Thanks to nursing creators (yes, it’s a thing) like Nurse John, who boasts over 3.0M followers on Instagram, the healthcare community powered over $1.2M EMV for Hoka. This total was nearly 10x what nursing content inspired for On Running or Brooks, demonstrating Hoka’s crossover appeal.
In all, $52.1M EMV, or roughly 80% of Hoka’s haul, came from Instagram—below Brooks’ 90% mark, but above On Running’s 74% mark. On that note, let’s check out our friends at On Running, and see how TikTok—plus a few splashy partners—helped set that brand apart.
On Running
Founded in 2010, this sleek Swiss brand has shot up the charts, racing from $1.8M EMV in 2018 to $37.5M EMV in 2023. With $21.4M EMV from January to May 2024, On Running shows no signs of slowing down, and is on track to shatter more records in 2024.
Here are the key stats to know for June 2023 to May 2024:
On Running EMV, Impressions, Creators, Posts, Engagements for June 2023 - May 2024
Of these three brands, On Running boasted the greatest YoY growth across key metrics. I was particularly struck by the brand’s raw totals for Impressions and Engagements. Despite On Running claiming less EMV than Hoka, On Running boasted greater totals in Impressions and Engagements.
Some of this discrepancy stemmed from the virality of the On Running community. Running coach Kim Clark, aka @trackclubbabe on Instagram, did double duty for On Running and Brooks, fueling a respective $3.5M EMV and $3.9M EMV as the top EMV-driver for both brands. These totals represented significant improvements over the No. 2 creators for On Running and Brooks, underscoring Coach Kim’s pre-eminence in the running community.
Additionally, On Running featured heavily in impactful giveaway posts, with the brand’s top five EMV-driving posts (amounting to more than $1.0M EMV) all mentioning these contests. As noted earlier, TikTok played a key role in deepening the impact of this content, with creators like Lydia Keating (@lydialoo121) hyping up the On Cloud Collection via a series of viral campaigns.
What’s more, this viral impact is only set to increase from here: at the beginning of June, On Running debuted a partnership with a little-known actress and singer named—let me make sure I have this right—‘Zendaya.’ Never heard of her, and kind of a weird name tbh, but I guess she’s popular? Anyway, we’ll see how that works out for them, but I’m sure this is the last you’ll hear of it.
Brooks
Amid this brand trio, full of new-fangled Swiss/French brands with their cloud cushions and neon color schemes, Brooks is something of a blue-collar OG. Founded in 1914 in Philadelphia—about as far as you can get from the French Alps, spiritually speaking—Brooks has positioned itself as something of a runner’s runner’s brand. However, as indicated by Brooks’ growth trajectory since 2018, old dogs can indeed learn new tricks. Behold:
Brooks EMV, Impressions, Creators, Posts, Engagements for June 2023 - May 2024
A few things stand out here. Buoyed by creators like Coach Kim, Brooks claimed a healthy 45% YoY growth. However, this didn’t translate to a spike in Impressions, which ticked up by just 4%. Some of this lack of Impressions momentum arises from a gap between new creators and new posts—more creators are posting about Brooks, but they aren’t posting more frequently.
While most of Brooks’ content came from (you guessed it) running creators, the brand did ally with several less conventional partners. For example, one of Brooks’ top EMV-drivers was viral dog-content aggregator We Rate Dogs. The account recently branched into ‘We Walk Dogs,’ presenting an opportunity to position Brooks as the ideal dog-walking shoe. On a different note, the brand also partnered with actor Jeremy Renner (more like Jeremy Runner, amirite) while the Hollywood star documented his training and road to recovery following an accident.
Covering opposite ends of the social media spectrum, and highlighting Brooks’ versatility, We Rate Dogs and Renner powered a respective $1.6M EMV and $878.6k EMV.
Putting it All Together
In many ways, all three of these brands have successfully mirrored their identities via their social media and creator marketing presences:
- Hoka has positioned itself to be not just a resource for runners, but a sensible choice for everyone in need of comfy footwear.
- On Running is every bit the cool, viral alternative, and is carving out a niche with some of Gen Z’s biggest stars.
- While Brooks may not be as flashy, the brand has made creative inroads with new partners, showing considerable social media savvy.
With so many solid options, how can I choose my next shoe? I guess it’ll come down to whomever sends me free product first…
But really, major credit to all these brands, and many others, for making running a more accessible, inclusive, and widespread sport. Now would you guys cut it out? It’s getting a little too crowded down at the park.
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