From "rolling in" racing to meeting the needs of mass runners, domestic running shoes have learned this thing!

The postponement of the Beijing Marathon, Shanghai Marathon, Guangzhou Marathon... has become the memory of most Chinese runners about 2021.
But has China really stopped running circles due to the pandemic? The answer may be exactly the opposite. In the "2021 China Running White Paper" released by Yuepao Circle, running users and activity have achieved double-digit growth in the past year. And when the pause button is pressed during the competition, it also gives the brand more time to settle and think.

More and more domestic brands are starting to shift from simply pursuing racing products to providing the most suitable running shoes for their user base. The transformation of thinking is the growth of China's circle running.
The effect may not be good when rolled up
We position ourselves as companions and promoters, hoping to accompany Chinese runners forward and experience the process and fun of running together. "On March 2nd, Zheng Yexin, General Manager of the Brand Management Center, sighed at the 361 ° Running New Proposition and Racing Family Product Launch.
At the press conference, he repeatedly used the word "involution" to describe the competition in the field of running shoes. "From the brand name, it can be seen that some use racing, some use extreme speed, and some even use breaking speed
As he said, footwear, clothing, and sports brands are known as the "roll king" among fast selling products. Taking carbon board running shoes as an example, according to the annual running shoe big data report of Yuepao Circle - throughout 2021, 6 domestic brands launched 8 pairs of carbon board running shoes, and 5 international brands launched 7 pairs of carbon board running shoes.

Both consumers and brands seem to emphasize the importance of carbon plates in the field of running shoes, and even some netizens roast: "Now, for any pair of shoes, no carbon plate is embarrassed to say that they are a good pair of shoes."
This is a joke from netizens, but it also reveals the anxiety behind various sports brands.
However, it is gratifying that the product strength of domestic brands has rapidly improved after the high-pressure "rolling in" - according to big data from Yuepao Circle, domestic brands accounted for 39.8% of the running shoes purchased by runners in the past year, while international brands accounted for 60.2%. In the process of "voting with their feet", more and more people believe in the power of domestic brands.
But after another round of "arms race", Wang Xinning, the general manager of the 361 ° Shoe Product Center, discovered a problem: "We have researched the running shoes on the market, and the best-selling one is actually a less professional running shoe, which belongs to shoes with low rebound but very comfortable foot feel
During the reflection process, Wang Xinning believes that it may be due to the excessive emphasis on the needs of top elite runners in product development, which has led to a "blind spot" in domestic brands' products.
He gave an example to illustrate the issue with the first Fei Ran running shoe he collaborated with elite runner Li Zicheng.

It may be that we overly satisfied Li Zicheng's needs, but his needs are indeed different from ordinary runners, "Wang Xinning explained." His pace is around 3 minutes and 17 seconds, but most runners' pace is not within 4 minutes
So the user feedback received from the first running shoe is that the sole is hard, unstable, and difficult to handle... This situation is also a common problem for domestic brands. Some running shoes have good rebound but high driving barriers, while others have a comfortable foot feel but may not be suitable for running.
In the running shoe market where every gram of weight is weighed down, domestic brands have been "rolling" for a while, only to find that this competition may not be what users want the most.
Learn to subdivide, and China's circle running precipitates itself
In fact, the same product will have completely different feedback in front of people with different needs.
For elite runners, it is crucial to know how running shoes can help them achieve their PB (fastest performance); For mass runners, how to experience happiness during running may be the key.
But when brands continue to increase technology to drive the progress of running shoes, they often overlook the personal experience of mass runners.
After all, when major brands hope to "show off their muscles" in marathon races, the products naturally better meet the needs of elite runners.
One of the major problems we face in research and development is how to solve the problem of difficult to control running shoes. "Wang Xinning's solution is to disassemble the running shoe product line and more accurately segment users.
So there was a 361 ° press conference, showcasing three different performance running shoes: the Feibiao series uses more elastic nylon material, and is also the first carbon board running shoe in China to use a front and rear sole separation design, serving top runners;
The Flyburn series has a slightly thinner sole, suitable for professional runners with a pace of less than 4 minutes; The Flyburn ST, aimed at mass runners, has undergone a midsole replacement for a more comfortable foot feel, making it an entry-level carbon board running shoe with a wider range of speeds.
This subdivision method can also be seen in other domestic brands - Tebu will put two pairs of insoles in some running shoe boxes to meet the needs of runners with different foot types; Anta promotes asphalt road bullies, specifically serving runners on asphalt roads
It can be said that for domestic running shoe brands, the underlying logic is no longer limited to pursuing extreme elite runners, but also paying attention to the needs of mass runners.
Behind such segmentation is a shift in the mindset of domestic brands and another precipitation of China's race.
Picture and text: surging news
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