Editor’s Note: Brooks has been leading the way in performance running since 2013 when it took the lead from ASICS as the top performance running brand. What is Brooks doing right? They asked the right questions. Product innovation and consistent quality are key. One of Brooks’ biggest critics recently told me: “Brooks is firing on all cylinders.” Brooks also treats existing stores like they are leading cultural venues. Shows their ongoing support for existing stores. Customer service is also pretty good. Their sports marketing support around events is impressive, Chicago, Boston and New York were impressive.
Innovation-driven portfolio strength and Q1 focus 23% global growth in Q1
SEATTLE (May 1, 2026) – Brooks Running opened 2026 with double-digit growth in the first quarter as demand for the performance brand’s footwear and apparel was strong across regions and channels. Based on a record 2025 figure, in Q1 Brooks delivered 20% growth in North America and 30% currency-neutral growth in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), while its sales in China grew 136% year-over-year. In Q1, Brooks also developed its leadership and operational structure to power its next phase of global growth, strengthening both long-term enterprise vision and regional execution as the brand continues to scale globally.
Brooks maintained its leadership position in Q1, gaining the No. 1 share of the running shoe market at US specialty retailers.1: At national retailers, Brooks had approximately 20% market share for the 11th consecutive quarter, with its core franchisees holding three of the top five styles in Q1 2026, collectively accounting for more than 12% of footwear sales.2: In Germany and France, Brooks led the market across all mobile price points year-over-year, delivering growth of 24% and 15% respectively.3:
“I’m incredibly proud of the progress we made in the first quarter to bring new innovations to market and introduce our brand to more runners around the world,” said Dan Sheridan, CEO of Brooks Running. From products, experiences and how we present ourselves to sports around the world, our teams perform at the highest level and earn the trust of runners every day. Our record quarter is proof that our long-term strategy resonates.”
Portfolio innovation in emerging + core styles drives growth
Brooks introduced the all-new Glycerin Flex in the first quarter, introducing the industry’s first articulated, strategically placed midsole. The brand supported the launch with a 3D outdoor space in Times Square, and by the end of its first quarter on the market, Glycerin Flex represented 4% of Brooks’ global footwear revenue. In trail innovation, the all-new Cascadia Elite, Brooks’ most tested trail racing shoe, contributed to the brand’s overall trail style growth of 59% year-over-year in the first quarter.
In Brooks’ existing styles, Glycerin, which features Brooks’ DNA Tuned midsole foam, led the portfolio as the brand’s best-selling quarter, delivering 34% year-over-year growth worldwide. In its 25th year, the Brooks Adrenaline GTS also posted strong gains, up 31% year-over-year in the quarter, reflecting continued confidence in Brooks’ most popular stability platform. In productive racing, the Hyperion Elite franchise is up 114% year-on-year, with the wider Hyperion family up 32% and Hyperion Max up 64%.
With a new look for 2026, Brooks apparel grew 33% year-over-year, driven by sales of the Dash Collection, Chaser Padded Bra and Convertible Bra. Favorable market acceptance led Brooks to capture five of the top 10 bra styles sold at run specialty retailer Fleet Feet.4: This growth signals increased demand for Brooks apparel as the brand continues to invest in head-to-toe performance offerings.
True partnerships based on trust, performance and purpose
In Q1, Brooks developed its global brand platform “Let’s Run There” by reaching out to runners and communities around the world. Through Connection Moves Us All, Brooks partnered with nine running crews around the world to spotlight how running connects locally. With Shine Under Pressure, Brooks worked closely with actor, singer and producer Cynthia Erivo, MBE, to chronicle her pursuit of a personal best in her hometown marathon in real time. Coached by Brooks athlete Erika Kemp and wearing the Hyperion Max 3, Erivo ran a personal best of 3:21:40 in London. Together, the two campaigns reflect Brooks’ commitment to authentic participation in sports, from everyday runners to the world’s biggest stages.
Brooks et al to runDisney’s limited-edition footwear collection continued to build momentum in Q1, reaching tens of thousands of runners through immersive event experiences and exclusive product drops. Sales at race weekends, including the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend and Princess Half Marathon Weekend, set records for both expo and e-commerce sales in Q1. Brooks also continued to build loyalty in the hometown of its global headquarters by becoming an official partner of the Seattle Mariners, serving as the presenting sponsor of Kids Run the Bases and the all-new Rally Shoe Cam, and as the official running shoe of the Mariners Salmon mascot.
In lifestyle, Brooks expanded its reach with culturally rooted collaborations, with the Brooks x STAPLE Cascadia 1 and Brooks x STAPLE Ghost Trail debuting at Paris Fashion Week in January. Along with these partnerships, Brooks introduced the Adrenaline GTS 10 in February, reinterpreting the heritage silhouette with DNA Tuned foam that combines performance-born innovation with everyday wear. Combined, Brooks’ Q1 lifestyle offerings helped the category more than double year-over-year.
Brooks athletes excel from running to trail + mountain to marathon
In Q1, Brooks’ professional athletes had elite performances in a variety of disciplines. On the track, world champion middle distance runner and Brooks monster Josh Kerr won the 3000m world indoor championships and announced Project 222’s pursuit of the historic mile world record in London this summer. In the mountains, Anna Gibson made history by finishing fourth in the Alpine mixed relay at the Milan Cortina Olympics in the sport’s Olympic debut. On the roads, Casey Klinger finished fifth in the Houston Half Marathon in 59:34, the third-fastest time ever by an American, before taking the top American in the Tokyo Marathon in 2:08:43 in the all-new Hyperion Elite 6.
Brooks expanded its athlete roster globally in Q1, adding Olympian and US marathon runner Clayton Young, European trail and mountain runner Theo Detien, and High School National Cross Country Champion and NIL (Name, Image and Likeness) athlete Natasha Dudek;
About Brooks Running
Brooks Running creates market-leading running shoes, apparel, sports bras and accessories that are distributed worldwide. Brooks exists to inspire everyone to run and be active through innovative equipment, tools and experiences designed to take you to a place that makes you feel more alive. Since 1914, Brooks has been driven by an endless curiosity about how people move, pushing the boundaries of motion science, engineering and technology to create gear that unlocks the power of energy and movement for everyone. Brooks is a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. and is headquartered in Seattle, Washington. A visit www.brooksrunning.com For more info or follow @brooksrunning.
1: Source: Upper Quadrant Specialty Running Market Data, January – March 2026
2: Source: Circana, LLC, Retail Tracking Service, USA, Adult Performance Running Shoes, Dollar Share, 3 ME Sept 2023 – 3 ME Mar 2026 & Jan – Mar 2026
3: Source: Circana SCS & Circana GmbH, Retail Tracking Service, FR & DE, Adult Performance Running Shoes, Sales Value % Change, Apr 2025 – Mar 2026 v YA
4: Source: Fleet Feet
