October running.news Brand Index: adidas Pulls Ahead as the Field Gets Wider
October 20, 2026
Berlin and Chicago give adidas a clearer lead. Nike’s running recovery continues to outpace its corporate recovery. Mizuno and Skechers sharpen the product contest, while Under Armour, Xtep and Bandit enter the Top 25.
adidas did not need another announcement. It needed more proof.
Berlin and Chicago delivered it. Tigst Assefa won in Berlin. Amos Kipruto and Hawi Feysa completed an adidas sweep in Chicago. Those results extend a run of elite-road success that now gives adidas a one-point lead over ASICS in the October running.news Brand Index.
But the more interesting change is further down the table.
Under Armour’s Sharon Lokedi finished second in Chicago with a personal best. Xtep added an Asian Games marathon medal to a business already built around racing shoes, training products and running communities. Mizuno announced a more ambitious racing system. Skechers brought a new racing proposition to market.
Bandit adds a different kind of challenge: a permanent European store built around an existing running community.
The leaders are not losing their positions simply because more brands are making noise. They are facing a wider set of credible performance businesses.
The October Top 25
| Rank | Brand | October /50 | September rank | September /50 | Rank move | Point change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | adidas | 42 | 1 | 41 | 0 | +1 |
| 2 | ASICS | 41 | 2 | 41 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | Nike | 38 | 3 | 37 | 0 | +1 |
| 4 | Brooks | 35 | 4 | 34 | 0 | +1 |
| 5 | On | 34 | 6 | 32 | ↑1 | +2 |
| 6 | Salomon | 34 | 5 | 34 | ↓1 | 0 |
| 7 | HOKA | 32 | 7 | 31 | 0 | +1 |
| 8 | Saucony | 30 | 8 | 30 | 0 | 0 |
| 9 | Mizuno | 29 | 10 | 27 | ↑1 | +2 |
| 10 | New Balance | 29 | 9 | 29 | ↓1 | 0 |
| 11 | KIPRUN | 28 | 11 | 27 | 0 | +1 |
| 12 | PUMA | 26 | 12 | 26 | 0 | 0 |
| 13 | Merrell | 25 | 13 | 25 | 0 | 0 |
| 14 | Under Armour | 24 | Outside Top 25 | Not published | New | New |
| 15 | Xtep | 23 | Outside Top 25 | Not published | New | New |
| 16 | Altra | 23 | 14 | 23 | ↓2 | 0 |
| 17 | Skechers Performance | 23 | 16 | 21 | ↓1 | +2 |
| 18 | norda | 22 | 15 | 22 | ↓3 | 0 |
| 19 | Kailas | 21 | 17 | 21 | ↓2 | 0 |
| 20 | Topo Athletic | 20 | 18 | 20 | ↓2 | 0 |
| 21 | 361° | 19 | 21 | 18 | 0 | +1 |
| 22 | Mount to Coast | 19 | 19 | 19 | ↓3 | 0 |
| 23 | Bandit | 18 | Outside Top 25 | Not published | New | New |
| 24 | Li-Ning | 18 | 22 | 17 | ↓2 | +1 |
| 25 | Diadora | 18 | 20 | 18 | ↓5 | 0 |
“New” means outside September’s published Top 25, not a new company or a September score of zero. Point changes compare this editorial assessment with the published September total. A lower rank does not necessarily mean a weaker score.
1. adidas: a lead built on results
Footwear images illustrate the brands. The Index assesses brand momentum, not the performance or launch status of these individual shoes.
42/50, up one point. Rank unchanged.
Assefa’s 2:11:04 Berlin victory was followed by Kipruto’s 2:01:09 and Feysa’s 2:13:33 in Chicago. The sustained breadth of that road-racing evidence earns adidas the strongest athletic assessment in this edition. Berlin result, Chicago results, Chicago athlete affiliations
This is not a claim that race victories immediately became retail sales. It is a stronger competitive case sitting on an already established commercial and product foundation. The Adios Pro 5 was available at September’s cutoff, so it does not earn another October launch reward.
The business question is whether adidas can keep converting elite credibility into products runners can actually buy. The recent race results strengthen that proposition without settling its next quarter.
2. ASICS: breadth still matters
41/50, unchanged. Rank unchanged.
ASICS remains the closest challenger because its case is broader than one race. The existing road-and-trail portfolio, commercial momentum and retail position remain intact. Emma Grace Hurley’s 2:20:47 in Chicago, the fastest marathon debut by an American woman, adds another meaningful athletic result. Organizer results, ASICS athlete recognition
The DISTANCE capsule adds a specialist-running cultural connection. It reinforces relevance, but the collaboration does not by itself demonstrate new demand or justify pushing an already high total upward. ASICS holds its score; adidas’s new race sequence breaks the September tie. ASICS × DISTANCE
3. Nike: two recoveries moving at different speeds
38/50, up one point. Rank unchanged.
Nike reported $11.2 billion in fiscal first-quarter revenue, down 4%, while management said Running grew double digits. Greater China fell 26% on a currency-neutral basis, and management expected full-year revenue to decline at a high-single-digit rate. The figures cover the quarter ending August 31 and were reported in October. They are not October sales. Nike earnings release
That distinction is the Nike story. Running can be improving while the company’s wider turnaround remains unfinished. Eliud Kipchoge’s 2:09:10 Melbourne victory adds verified athletic evidence, without requiring an unverified claim about his shoe. World Athletics result
Apex adds a substantive product-development signal, with a redesigned marathon platform announced for January 2027 retail availability. It strengthens the innovation case, not the current sell-through case. Together, category growth and the product pipeline justify a modest increase, while the broader company result keeps Nike behind the top two. Nike Apex
4–7. On broadens its case; HOKA executes on access
Brooks 35, On 34, Salomon 34, HOKA 32.
4. Brooks
Brooks gains a point after Clayton Young led the American men in Chicago in 2:05:23. That adds competitive depth to a business whose earlier first-half growth and specialty-retail strength already supported fourth place. Hyperion House provides a visible runner-facing program, but the race result, not an assumed attendance or sales increase, drives the October change. Chicago results, Brooks program
5. On
On rises two points and one place. Patrick Kipngeno and Ruth Gitonga won the men’s and women’s races at the Golden Trail World Series stop in China. Away from racing, On opened a larger replacement store in Santiago and announced a Philippine distribution agreement with SSI. The Chile move is executed; dedicated Philippine stores remain prospective. This is a broader performance-and-access story, not simply another celebrity campaign. GTWS, On’s Chile announcement, SSI agreement reporting
6. Salomon
Salomon holds 34. Its own athletes took third in both races in China, supporting its trail strength, while JISOO reinforces Sportstyle reach rather than proving running-sales growth. On wins their tie through the combination of fresh individual victories and added distribution evidence. Salomon campaign
7. HOKA
HOKA gains a point because Academy’s online offer now provides observable execution of the previously announced distribution plan. A Clifton 11 was selectable and available for shipping when checked October 20. That is more concrete than a launch promise, but it is not proof of sell-through or completion in every planned store. Deckers’ October 22 earnings are outside this edition. Academy
8–11. Mizuno’s product ambition changes the Top 10
Saucony 30, Mizuno 29, New Balance 29, KIPRUN 28.
8. Saucony
Saucony also holds: Space Cowboy supplies cultural interest, not a new technical platform. Saucony
9. Mizuno
Mizuno rises above New Balance on the editorial tie after announcing the HYPERWARP 96 concept and a four-model HYPERWARP range. We treat the related technology as one development program, not a stack of separate breakthroughs. The increase is for the substance of that program; the stated retail releases are still ahead. Mizuno concept, Mizuno range
10. New Balance
New Balance stays at 29. Its NYC finisher collection supports an existing event platform but does not establish a new business or performance inflection. New Balance range
KIPRUN moves to 28 as its regional product and distribution case develops. Decathlon Japan announced an October 2 launch of KIPCLIMB MAX and KIPRIDE GRAVEL. That is a concrete regional plan, although this review did not independently verify current stock. Its earlier UTMB victory remains part of the athletic foundation, not a second October win. Decathlon Japan
Three new entries, with different limits
Under Armour enters at No. 14 with 24. Xtep enters at No. 15 with 23.
Lokedi’s Chicago second place in 2:14:07 gives Under Armour a major-marathon outcome around the Velociti Elite 3. Under Armour identifies it as Lokedi’s seventh major-marathon podium, following earlier wins in New York and Boston. It is a sustained athlete-and-product story, not evidence of a company-wide recovery. The brand’s previously reported revenue and footwear declines remain important counterweights. Under Armour race account, August financial disclosure
Xtep’s case is not simply that Feng Peiyou won an Asian Games marathon bronze. The result sits alongside an established racing range, training products and running activity. Its earlier interim disclosure also shows why the score needs restraint: core Xtep revenue fell 2.2%. The headline growth in the company’s professional-sports segment belongs to other brands, not Xtep-branded running. Official race result, Xtep interim results, August product and community context
Bandit enters at No. 23 with 18. L’Espai, created with Odda in Barcelona, gives the brand its first permanent European store. September trade announcements specified an October 1 opening; Odda now lists the operating location at Carrer de Pau Claris 126. This is not Bandit’s first European activation, and it is not proof of retail profitability. It is a material step beyond temporary presence, supported by the brand’s separately documented Chicago training program. Opening announcement, Odda’s store listing, Bandit program
All three entrants have strengths and constraints across the full scorecard. They displace NNormal, which retains 17, and inov-8 and Craft, both still 16. These are relative exits, not invented score declines. NNormal remains relevant in the GTWS standings; October coverage of its Shanghai pop-up does not create a new opening, because the same location was documented in August. Earlier retail report
The rest of the field: progress is not always a higher rank
PUMA stays at 26 and Merrell at 25. Anta’s completed 29.06% PUMA stake matters strategically, but ownership change is not an operating turnaround. Merrell’s continuing trail-series activity supports its existing position without becoming an athlete win for the sponsor. Its new three-year Sundance program adds funded outdoor storytelling, but not running-specific sales or performance validation, so the total holds. Merrell announcement, Anta transaction, Merrell series
Skechers Performance gains two points to 23 through AERO Elite, yet slips one rank because new entrants change the field. That is not a contradiction. The product proposition improved; the relative competition also became stronger. At the 23-point tie, Xtep’s combination of racing, product and community evidence leads, Altra’s established running proposition comes next, and Skechers follows while validation of the new platform develops. Skechers
norda, Kailas and Topo hold their scores. Kailas’s Gongga event reinforces its trail ecosystem, while uncertain launch dates and recycled reviews elsewhere are not treated as new momentum.
361° rises one point to 19 on fresh, positive retail trading data, though the reported growth ranges moderated and do not isolate running. It wins the tie over Mount to Coast, where a product-leadership hire is a capacity-building step rather than a delivered product or commercial result. 361° filing, Mount to Coast appointment
At 18 points, Bandit leads the tie on executed permanent expansion and its running-community foundation. Li-Ning follows after the Feidian 7 ELITE AOA colorway went on sale through official channels on October 15. The evidence supports a limited channel release and product access, not a global launch or demonstrated demand. Diadora follows at the same total. Li-Ning AOA announcement, Li-Ning channel promotion
NNormal’s Elhousine Elazzaoui remains in contention in the Golden Trail World Series, with the final still ahead of this cutoff. GTWS standings
October’s message is not that every challenger is catching the leaders. It is that more brands can now put a credible piece of the running business on the table. The next test is connecting those pieces: results to products, products to distribution, and distribution to a durable business.
The five-category scorecard
| Rank | Brand | Business | Product | Athletic | Retail | Culture | Total /50 | September rank / total | Rank move | Point change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | adidas | 8 | 9 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 42 | 1 / 41 | 0 | +1 |
| 2 | ASICS | 8 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 41 | 2 / 41 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | Nike | 6 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 38 | 3 / 37 | 0 | +1 |
| 4 | Brooks | 8 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 5 | 35 | 4 / 34 | 0 | +1 |
| 5 | On | 7 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 34 | 6 / 32 | ↑1 | +2 |
| 6 | Salomon | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 34 | 5 / 34 | ↓1 | 0 |
| 7 | HOKA | 6 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 32 | 7 / 31 | 0 | +1 |
| 8 | Saucony | 6 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 30 | 8 / 30 | 0 | 0 |
| 9 | Mizuno | 7 | 8 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 29 | 10 / 27 | ↑1 | +2 |
| 10 | New Balance | 6 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 29 | 9 / 29 | ↓1 | 0 |
| 11 | KIPRUN | 4 | 7 | 8 | 5 | 4 | 28 | 11 / 27 | 0 | +1 |
| 12 | PUMA | 3 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 26 | 12 / 26 | 0 | 0 |
| 13 | Merrell | 5 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 25 | 13 / 25 | 0 | 0 |
| 14 | Under Armour | 3 | 6 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 24 | Outside Top 25 | New | New |
| 15 | Xtep | 3 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 23 | Outside Top 25 | New | New |
| 16 | Altra | 4 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 23 | 14 / 23 | ↓2 | 0 |
| 17 | Skechers Performance | 4 | 7 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 23 | 16 / 21 | ↓1 | +2 |
| 18 | norda | 4 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 22 | 15 / 22 | ↓3 | 0 |
| 19 | Kailas | 3 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 21 | 17 / 21 | ↓2 | 0 |
| 20 | Topo Athletic | 5 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 20 | 18 / 20 | ↓2 | 0 |
| 21 | 361° | 5 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 19 | 21 / 18 | 0 | +1 |
| 22 | Mount to Coast | 3 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 19 | 19 / 19 | ↓3 | 0 |
| 23 | Bandit | 2 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 18 | Outside Top 25 | New | New |
| 24 | Li-Ning | 4 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 18 | 22 / 17 | ↓2 | +1 |
| 25 | Diadora | 3 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 18 | 20 / 18 | ↓5 | 0 |
Business = business performance; Product = product innovation; Athletic = athletic performance; Retail = retail and distribution; Culture = cultural relevance. Each October category value is an editorial judgment out of 10.
How the Index works
The running.news Brand Index assesses current momentum, not market share, company size or the best shoes.
The Index uses the same five equally weighted categories as September, each scored out of 10 for a total of 50. September comparisons use published totals rather than individual category changes.
The October category values are current editorial judgments. This edition reviews developments after September 22 through the October 20, 18:00 UTC research cutoff; older evidence is retained as clearly dated context. Future earnings, scheduled events and promised launches are not completed outcomes. Ties are resolved editorially across the five factors, with the deciding reasons explained above. September comparisons use the published totals only. September Index
running.news | The business, culture and future of running.