Brooks Running Posts 9 Percent Growth In 2024, Falling Short of Eight-Year CAGR

Brooks Running reported sales were up 9 percent in 2024, fueled by growth in all regions and channels. The company’s performance marked eight consecutive years of growth, delivering a 13 percent compounded annual growth rate over that horizon. Still, the 2024 reported growth result was nearly double the trend in 2023 when sales increased 5 percent year-over-year

Global expansion efforts drove strong 2024 results in EMEA, where Brooks reportedly grew two and three times the pace of the performance running market growth rates in France and Germany, respectively, according to Circana data.

In APLA, Brooks said it grew 228 percent year-over-year in China.

For the third consecutive year, the Seattle-based running brand owned by Warren Buffet’s Berkshire Hathaway, said it maintained its position as the No. 1 adult performance running footwear brand in U.S. national retail, according to tracking by Circana. The brand also led the U.S. specialty retail channel throughout Q4, with a 19 percent year-over-year increase, according to a company media release.

Brooks said it has benefitted from a continued rise in worldwide run participation. In 2024, running event participants increased by 8 percent in the U.S., according to 2024 RunSignUp Year in Review. On the global app Strava, running is considered the fastest-growing social sport.

“The sun is shining on the performance running category, and we continue to welcome new people into the sport and our brand,” said Dan Sheridan, CEO, Brooks. “The Brooks team has never been better at crafting best-in-class running gear and experiences and then connecting with runners and active people in their health and wellness journeys.”

Core Innovation and Product Introductions Fuel Growth
For the first time since 2021, Brooks’ core footwear franchises introduced new versions in 2024, driving active (full-price) sales up 12 percent. The Ghost and Adrenaline GTS led sales for the brand commanded over 10 percent market share in U.S. retail for performance running footwear sold in the year, reported Brooks. Brooks Ghost Max’s global revenue increased 203 percent in the new style’s first full year, helping to drive growth and add dimension to the popular franchise.

In September, Brooks launched the new Glycerin Max, quickly adopted by the global market. On its launch day in China, it was the No. 1 shoe sold on Tmall, China’s largest online retailer. In the U.S. specialty channel, the $200 shoe gained a full point of market share during launch week due to strong adoption by the channel and runners.

Brooks’ Hyperion speed franchise also performed well in all regions with strong adoption among competitive runners. In China specifically, where elite runners are highly influential to the broader market, Brooks’ speed styles grew 41 percent year-over-year, driven by the Hyperion Elite, up 37 percent, and Hyperion Max, more than doubling up 103 percent.

Brooks Brand Engages New Audiences Worldwide, IRL and Digitally
In 2024, Brooks launched the global brand platform “Let’s Run There,” building on its purpose to “inspire people to run their path.” Brooks reported that the platform’s evolution reflects “consumers’ shifting relationships with running and celebrates a multi-dimensional view of health and wellness.”

Partnerships also landed the Brooks brand in front of new audiences in 2024. Brooks launched a collaboration with Extra Butter, the streetwear destination in New York City’s Lower East Side, featuring exclusive designs of the Brooks Cascadia 18 sneakers, and in Seattle, WA where the brand is headquartered, Brooks became the Official Off-Ice Performance Partner of the National Hockey League’s Seattle Kraken. In Q4, runDisney announced a multi-year sponsorship naming Brooks the official running shoe of its race series.

In the digital space, Brooks Run Club, the brand’s loyalty program, reportedly surpassed one million members in North America in 2024 and, in Q4, extended to the EMEA region with a launch in the U.K. Brooks said it plans to expand the program to other countries this year, starting in Q1.

On Strava, Brooks reported its Running Clubs in the U.S. and Europe grew “165 percent and 346 percent, respectively, year-over-year ending August.”

Image courtesy Brooks