Brooks Running wants to cement its positioning in the performance running sector.
The running brand in May posted its best first quarter in brand history following a record-breaking 2025. And although it didn’t reveal revenues, it noted double-digit growth due to strong demand for its performance running brand’s footwear and apparel across regions and channels.
“Brooks’s success in run specialty is consistent with our checks in the channel, where the brand continues to widen its lead as the No. 1 player,” observed BTIG retail analyst Janine Stichter.
How strong is that success? “We believe this strength presents continued headwinds for Hoka, given its reliance on run specialty, and to a lesser extent On,” Stichter said. Hoka is under the Deckers Outdoor Corp. umbrella. On Running is refocusing its efforts on run specialty, and has its upcoming Cloudsurfer 3 release date set for this fall.
At Brooks, Glycerin has led the portfolio as the brand’s top seller in the first quarter, at up 34 percent year-over-year globally. And its 25-year-old Adrenaline GTS is no slouch either. Adrenaline sales were up 31 percent year-over-year for the quarter. In performance racing, the Hyperion Elite franchise saw sales climb 114 percent year-over-year. The broader Hyperion family was up 32 percent and Hyperion Max rose 64 percent.
Over the years, Brooks has also kept up with investments in innovation. The new Glycerin Flex from the first quarter featured an “industry-first articulated, strategically segmented midsole.” And the lifestyle reissue of the Adrenaline GTS 10, also from earlier this year, reimagined a heritage silhouette with DNA Tuned foam. The retro running sneaker in three new colorways even garnered strong endorsement from Jay-Z.
Not wanting to rest on its laurels, Brooks has made some team changes. In February, it hired New Balance and Sorel alumnus Claire Wood as vice president of footwear product strategy. Her mission is to continue acceleration of the brand’s focus on performance footwear.
Brooks followed one month later with a “strategic evolution” of its global and regional business structure. It was a moved to reinforce the brand’s commitment to global growth and innovation. Carson Caprara was promoted to chief product officer, while also elevating chief marketing officer Melanie Allen’s responsibilities. And Mike Billish was promoted to the newly created role of senior vice president and general manager of the Americas.
This week, Brooks turned to its sales team. The brand promoted 26-year Brooks veteran Marc Misiewicz to vice president of U.S. wholesale. His responsibilities include leading the channel strategy and guiding multi-year growth across the company’s largest commercial businesses. Misiewicz has oversight for sales operations, cross-functional initiatives and field support programs that will strengthen partnerships with retailer nationwide.
“Marc’s leadership and strong connection to our retail partners have helped shape Brooks’ wholesale business for multiple decades,” Billish said.
Other promotions within the U.S. wholesale sales group include Shawn Kohn to director, sporting goods, and Micah Tanaka to senior manager, shoe chain. Rick Wilhelm, vice president of U.S. specialty retail accounts, will continue to lead sales for the run specialty channel and wholesale digital markets, Brooks said.
A look at the Brooks Glycerin Flex.
Courtesy of Brooks Running
