Coffee with Larry, August 20, 2024, Running Stores , the key to success in the business of running, A Primer.

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This is my daily chat with #RunBlogRun viewers and track fans on track & field!

This is Coffee with Larry for Tuesday, August 20, 2024.

Coffee with Larry is sponsored by #OMIUS, the cooling technology company. You can find OMIUS at www.omius.io

Omius makes hats, visors, and headbands with cooling pods that, once inserted, help keep you cool during a strenuous workout. Spray with water every 30-45 minutes during a workout, and OMIUS will keep you cool. It works; we’ve tried it!

Omius hat with cooling cubes, photo courtesy of Omius

Sifan Hassan, the Olympic marathon winner, wore the OMIUS headband in Paris. Bashir Abdi, the men’s silver medalist, wore the OMIUS headband. In the sweltering and humid conditions of the 20k race walk on August 1, Daniel Pintado, Ecuador, won the grueling walk wearing the OMIUS headband most of the way.

Sifan Hassan won the Paris Olympic marathon, wearing the OMIUS headband, photo courtesy of OMIUS.

Check out the OMIUS products at www.omius.io

Thanks, OMIUS, for sponsoring #CoffeewithLarry!

Our topics:

1. Running stores are becoming more critical in the world of running. When I see running stores, I think of Gary and Steve Goettleman at Ryan’s Sport Shop, in Santa Clara, California.

Ryan’s Sport Shop, Santa Clara, CA, photo from Ryan’s FB site.

2. In the Running stores, HOKA, Brooks, On, ASICS, Saucony, New Balance, NIKE, Altra, Mizuno, and PUMA are some of the most popular. Brands that do well in performance running are completely involved in this important channel.

Track spikes at HOKA booth, The Running Event, photo by Larry Eder

3. Top brands are producing fantastic products, one shoe after another. Consumers want the changes on their favorite shoes to be subtle and will respond with pocketbooks on shoes they like or don’t like.

Hyperion Elite 4, photo by Brooks running, learn more about this great shoe at www.brooksrunning.com

4. Running Stores respond to consumers’ needs and trends. The maximal shoes were answers for many, and the minimal shoes were answers for some. Most runners want a shoe that fits comfortably, lasts for a while, has good support and cushioning, and looks good. They would also like good pricing. Pricing is getting out of control.

5. Successful running brands organize grassroots events, support elite athletes, consistently provide great products, and support running performance retail.

Finish line, PUMA ATL Hawkeye Pro Classic, photo by AMerican Track League

6. Some of the big brands forget every five to seven years that running got them to where they are. They end up rediscovering running and then doing the same thing again and again. NIKE and NB were at the top of the food chain for many years, but they now have to fight their way back.

7. Brands like Brooks, HOKA and ON know where their bread and butter is, which is in performance. Yes, they will sell 70 percent of their shoes to non-runners, but even non-runners want authenticity.

8. I think there will be a culling of brands over the next half-decade, and the brands that do not dedicate themselves to running performance will stay around in much-altered positions.

9. Today, 8 years ago, Matt Centrowitz, Jr., USA, running a savvy race, won gold in the 1,500 meters, the first time for an American since 1908! Matt got the pride moving again.