SUPER(MARKET) SHOES, ON BUSY IN THE LAB
Supermarket giant Lidl has made a surprising entry into the running shoe fray with the release of a carbon-plated shoe for just $54.00. The CarbonLite 1.0, which became available in the United Kingdom March 29, has an EVA midsole, weighs a credible 8.8 ounces, and, as might be expected, is rather generic in appearance. Men’s Fitness points out the shoe does not have a super foam midsole, aggressive rocker geometry, nor a lot of R & D behind it, but it does afford runners the chance to try out a carbon-plated shoe without having to spend an inordinate amount of money to do so. There is no word on when or even whether the shoe will see a U.S. release.
Amid a lot of talk during a call with financial analysts about how great On Holding is doing in the marketplace, Executive Co-Chairman David Allemann detailed the company’s “relentless performance innovation.” He related that “In the past five years, we scaled our R & D team by 1,000 percent. Today, our 400 experts, sports scientists, robotic specialists and AI engineers operate out of our Zurich labs.” Allemann continued, saying “the On labs in Zurich are home to the only advanced foam competence center outside of Asia” and he claimed On is the first brand that is able to combine structural engineering with super foams. The company says net sales are expected to grow by at least 23% this year.
Shortly after the call took place, On CEO Martin Hoffman announced he would be stepping down from his position on May 1 for personal reasons and will be succeeded by company co-founders David Allemann and Casper Coppetti. Company share prices fell 11% immediately after the announcement, as Hoffman has been considered the ‘face’ of the company by investors, who are concerned about the leadership changes.
Notace has released its first road running shoe, the michi 1. The low to the ground shoe is noticeably free of unnecessary style elements and is designed to support a natural stride and encourage better mechanics. As with other Notace models, the shoe features a foot-shaped toe box and a neutral heel to toe platform.
Footwear News reports that Nike is taking on its first ever footwear collaboration with a specialty running store, the Los Angeles and Oakland-based Renegade. The two will release unique Vaporfly 4 and Vomero Premium models this month with orange and brown color schemes, ‘Renegade’ boldly printed on both shoe’s uppers and ‘Barrios Unidos’ (United Neighborhoods) printed on the heels to reflect the political consciousness of Renegade founder Victor Diaz.
Topo Athletics’ fourth quarter sales grew an impressive 42% from a year ago. Parent company Designer Brands, Inc. expects “accelerated growth” for Topo in 2026 with much of it coming from increasing distribution in the specialty running sector.
Mizuno has released a new max cushioned technical trail shoe that Runner’s World says delivers as much substance as it does style. The Neo Accera features Mizuno’s new Enerzy Nxt foam in the midsole, a full length rocker plate and Vibram outsole along with an eye-catching upper consisting of black and white slashes and swirls. Runner’s World says the shoe “has the cushion of a road racing super shoe, the grip of a dedicated mountain scrambler, and an upper that doesn’t compromise breathability for structure.”
Brooks Running has promoted SVP of Footwear and Apparel Carson Capara to be their chief product officer, elevated SVP and chief marketing officer Melanie Allen’s responsibilities to include focusing on long-range strategic planning, global consumer insight and shaping and activating a global brand vision. Mike Billish has been promoted to the new post of SVP and General Manager of the Americas, where he will oversee the company’s business activities in the wholesale, marketing and retail arenas.
Marathon Tours & Travel is organizing a new Amazon Marathon event scheduled for September 2026 that will include a marathon, half marathon and 10.5 km races run on a looped jungle trail course on the edge of the Peruvian Amazon rainforest. The event will be limited to about 50 adventurous runners and will be a fully-packaged, hosted experience with optional, post-race excursions to Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley.
Clif Bar has added the TCS London Marathon and BMW Berlin Marathon to its list of marathon sponsorships that includes the Boston Marathon. At all three of the Majors events, Clif plans to have product sampling, merchandise stands and refueling stations along the race courses. To mark the new three-year deals, the company is releasing a limited edition Chocolate Berry energy bar. Clif is also launching a Strava-based initiative called “Run the World Challenge” from March 16 to April 26. Runners who complete the challenge will unlock rewards through the Strava platform.
Feisty Media, who cover women’s sports through podcasts, social media, events, online courses and written content, have acquired independently owned Another Mother Runner. Since 2010, AMR has helped women support and inspire each other through podcasts, books, training programs and retreats. Feisty Media plans to carry on their work in the same fashion and hopefully grow content along with reaching a larger audience of active women.
Smithsonian magazine reports a silver medal from the first modern Olympic Games in 1896 was recently sold at auction. At the first Games, silver medals, not gold, were awarded to the first-place finishers. The 2” medal shows a portrait of Zeus on the obverse side and the Acropolis in Athens on the reverse side. The medal, which came with its original case, sold for about $103,000 at a Danish auction house.