Europe has become the next battleground for America’s running giants. Hoka, Brooks Running and Saucony are all treating the region as a growth frontier, opening doors and pouring inventory into a market that has historically favored local heavyweights.
Brooks posted 14 percent first-half revenue growth, with EMEA the standout at 39 percent, as the performance brand’s footwear, apparel and accessories sold through strongly across regions and channels.
The strategy is consistent across the trio: skip the discounting race, own the specialty running channel, and build credibility through product performance rather than marketing volume.
Caroti acknowledged the European consumer is more pressured than the US shopper, weighed by higher energy prices, but said the brand is holding its own: in times of challenge, consumers gravitate to premium brands that make them feel good.
Hoka has planted flags in Berlin, Milan and Chamonix, the French alpine town the brand considers its spiritual birthplace. Deckers CEO Stefano Caroti reported robust wholesale sell-through across EMEA and another quarterly record for the region.
