Staying healthy is important — and being active plays a huge and influential part in our health journey. More people than ever are taking their athleticism to the gym, the trails, or local sports groups. But what cannot be understated is how relevant your shoes are to your performance. When you’re running, hiking, playing soccer, or simply taking that much-needed walk around your neighborhood, you need comfort, support, and high performance. Most people over the years have turned to brands like Nike (NYSE: NKE | NKE Price Prediction) or Adidas for their athletic footwear. But times are changing. More brands than ever before are coming out with athletic shoes with perks for users. Not only can you look stylish in many up-and-coming brands, but you’ll get added bonuses like reduced risk of injury, better arch support, and more cushioning. (Avoid all running shoe brands besides these nine.)
The reality is that if you are someone who only wears Nike shoes, you’re missing out on some other exceptional brands. For many people, wearing Nike symbolizes being “cool” or having the latest new Jordan, but the flip side of this argument is that looking beyond Nike can help you find even more comfort. Here, 24/7 Wall St. set out to identify the top athletic footwear brands that you might not know about. To do so, we looked at forums like Reddit and Quora; pored over review websites; and explored athlete-specific websites to figure out what shoes people loved the most. We listed these in order of growing popularity across the country.
Why You Need the Details on Shoes
Nike may be one of the most popular or well-known shoe brands — but that doesn’t automatically mean that it’s the best. Testing and reviewing smaller, or lesser-known, footwear brands is incredibly important. Consumers are now beginning to look for more than just popularity. People want performance, value, and affordability. While major companies may dominate the shelves and the advertising space, innovative smaller manufacturers are raising the bar with the quality they’re offering. With growing concerns about sustainability, many smaller brands are also making headway in transparent sourcing and manufacturing processes. If you’re a runner, a walker, an athlete, or anything in between, knowing what’s available to you can help you find the best shoe to fit your needs — even if it doesn’t fit into the traditional confines of what your shoe brand should be.
Here are 10 shoe brands to try instead of Nike:
10. Salomon Group
- Headquartered: Epagny-Metz-Tessy, France
- Known for: Outdoor sports equipment, footwear
- Global revenue: $4.4 billion (parent company Amer Sports)
- Famous faces: Rihanna, Hailey Bieber, Emily Ratajkowski
From The French Mountains To Your Feet
Headquartered in the French mountains, the Salomon Group (“Salomon”) has been popularized by its relationship with celebrities like Rihanna. The footwear brand offers a wide range of footwear, but is rising in popularity with its running, trail, hiking, and sports shoes. This trusted outdoor brand does come at a premium price point, but many users say the durability and reliability is worth it. If you’re considering buying a Salomon shoe, people rave about the Sense Ride, Pulsair Trail, and S Lab Genesis.
9. Champion
- Headquartered: Winston-Salem, North Carolina
- Known for: Footwear, casual wear clothing
- Global revenue: $22.5 billion (parent company Authentic Brands Group)
- Famous faces: Chance the Rapper, 50 Cent, Kylie Jenner, The Game, Saweetie
Huge In the 1990s
One of the biggest sporting goods companies in the 1990s, Champion fell out of favor over the last few decades. For this reason, the brand is relatively unknown to millennials, Gen Z, and Gen Alpha. However, Champion is on the rise again, riding its one-time success as the brand that invented the hoodie with new shoes that are far more comfortable than those it used to sell at Walgreens and grocery stores. The shoes, though maybe lacking the durability of some other brands, are also relatively affordable — making them a great choice for people looking for more casual athletic support.
8. Speedland
- Headquartered: Portland, Oregon
- Known for: Trail shoes
- Global revenue: N/A
- Famous faces: Dylan Bowman, Liam Lonsdale, Amanda Wiggenhorn
Only Four Years Old
Founded in 2021, Speedland is an upcoming brand primarily focused on trail shoes, with plans to expand into other categories. As it stands now, Speedland considers its shoes to be the “first hyper-performance trail shoe” focused on “all-terrain adventures.” The team’s founding members include individuals with decades of experience working at brands like Nike, Puma, and Under Armour. Its shoes continue to go viral on Reddit and TikTok for their fit, innovative look, and comfort, giving the brand plenty of buzz in its early years. Though these shoes are definitely more expensive than you’ll find elsewhere, many people say that they hold up well to heavy use.
7. Mizuno
- Headquartered: Osaka, Japan
- Known for: Footwear, sports equipment, sportswear for dozens of sports
- Global revenue: $1.5 billion
- Famous faces: Sergio Ramos, Carson Foster, Catie DeLoof, Jay Litherland
A Brand On the Rise
After seemingly falling out of favor with the footwear market over the past decade or two, especially considering issues with customer service, Mizuno is on the rise again. The company’s introduction of the Rebellion shoe has helped revitalize the brand and provide those looking to step away from Nike with something new and exciting to try. The Japanese brand is also famous for making sports equipment for more than two dozen different sports.
6. ASICS
- Headquartered: Kobe, Japan
- Known for: Sportswear, footwear, accessories
- Global revenue: $3.8 billion
- Famous faces: Brian Cox, Valarie Allman, Novak Djokovic, Emma Bates
Still An Unknown
Far and away, the biggest name endorsing Asics is Novak Djokovic, one of history’s best men’s tennis players. However, if you asked most people to identify his logo, they would be hard-pressed, even for a brand like ASICS that has been around for 75 years and counting. Surprisingly, the Japanese brand initially partnered with Nike founder Phil Knight to sell its shoes in the US in the 1960s, given the two companies a strong early connection. Where ASICS thrives is its price. These running and trail shoes are significantly lower in price than competitors, but still offer amazing benefits like a cushioned gel sole and easy propulsion.
5. Saucony
- Headquartered: Kutztown, Pennsylvania
- Known for: Athletic footwear and apparel
- Global revenue: N/A (parent company Wolverine earned $1.4 billion)
- Famous faces: Molly Huddle, Laura Thweatt, Jared Ward
126 Years and Going Strong
For a brand that is 126 years old, Saucony is surprisingly much less known than brands like Nike or Adidas. Its shoes are wildly popular inside racing circles, and the company has long been a staple in cross-country and track-and-field circles. Its everyday shoes are said to be incredibly comfortable, with great arch support and just the right amount of bounce with every step. Plus, given the high performance of these shoes, the price is pretty much a steal.
4. Alo Yoga
- Headquartered: Los Angeles, California
- Known for: Leisure-wear, athletic apparel
- Global revenue: $250 million
- Famous faces: Jin, Jamie Chung, Alessandra Ambrosio, Kaia Gerber
From Leisurewear to the Trail
Better known for its leisurewear and yoga-friendly apparel, Alo Yoga is growing rapidly in the United States and worldwide. The Alo Runner shoe is relatively new and definitely lesser known than Nike, but early reviews of the shoe and its comfort on the street and trail have been nothing short of glowing. Whether you’re looking for all-terrain performance or simply a recovery shoe that’ll keep your feet safe, Alo Yoga has an option for you.
3. Hoka (One One)
- Headquartered: Goleta, California
- Known for: Running shoes, apparel, trail running
- Global revenue: $1.8 billion
- Famous faces: Katie Wasserman, Abby Nichols, Paige Wood, Nick Hauger
A Celebrity Favorite
When you see celebrities like Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, and Jessica Alba wearing Hoka shoes, you know they are something special. Praised for their “pillow-like” walking experience, the Hoka brand has hit its stride with oversized midsoles. Founded in 2009 in France, the Hoka brand has been steadily growing as a Nike competitor since its American acquisition by Deckers in 2013.
2. Brooks
- Headquartered: Seattle, Washington
- Known for: High-performance men’s and women’s sneakers and accessories
- Global revenue: $1.2 billion
- Famous faces: Dathan Ritzenheim, Kara Goucher, Jess McLain, Chrissie Wellington
100 Years and Counting
For a brand that has been around for far longer than Nike, Brooks Sports, as it’s better known, still hasn’t found a way to beat the larger brand. This is true even though, in many ways, it offers a more superior shoe. For those in the running world, Brooks shoes are arguably more supportive than Nike and remain competitively priced. The brand’s popularity is starting to shine as it holds approximately 25% market share in the specialty running shoe market.
1. On Cloud
- Headquartered: Zurich, Switzerland
- Known for: Athletic shoes and sportswear, specifically running shoes
- Global revenue: $2.04 billion (2023)
- Famous faces: Iga Swiatek, Ben Shelton, Joao Fonseca, Roger Federer
The New Nike?
While certainly not any less expensive than Nike’s, On Cloud’s products are quickly becoming the favorite shoes of millions. The company is believed to have acquired as much as 6.6% of the running shoe market share in the United States and shows no sign of slowing down. There is no question that On Cloud believes it can make better products for the planet and prides itself on being created for athletes by athletes. Many reviewers on Reddit and similar forums say that these are the most comfortable and supportive shoes they’ve ever owned.
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