Brooks Sports

Last updated
Brooks Sports, Inc.
Company type Subsidiary
Industry Sports equipment
Founded1914;110 years ago (1914) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
FounderJohn Brooks Goldenberg
Headquarters
Seattle, Washington
,
U.S.
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Jim Weber (CEO)
Products Sneakers, clothing
RevenueIncrease2.svgUS$1.2 billion (2022) [1]
Number of employees
c. 1,100
Parent Berkshire Hathaway
Website brooksrunning.com

Brooks Sports, Inc., also known as Brooks Running, is an American sports equipment company that designs and markets high-performance men's and women's sneakers, clothing, and accessories. Headquartered in Seattle, Washington, Brooks products are available in 60 countries worldwide. It is a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway. [2] [3] [4]

Contents

Brooks, founded in 1914, originally manufactured shoes for a broad range of sports. Popular in the mid-1970s, the company faltered in the latter part of the decade, and filed for bankruptcy protection in 1981. [2] [5] In 2001, the product line was cut by more than 50% to focus the brand solely on running, and its concentration on performance technology was increased. Brooks Running became the top selling brand in the specialty running shoe market in 2011, [6] [7] and remained so through 2017 with a 25% market share. [8]

History

Early history: Founding, Bruxshu Gymnasium Shoes, Carmen Manufacturing

1920 ad for Bruxshu Gymnasium Shoes Bruxshu Ad 1920.jpg
1920 ad for Bruxshu Gymnasium Shoes

Brooks Sports, Inc. was founded in 1914 by John Brooks Goldenberg, following his purchase of the Quaker Shoe Company, a manufacturer of bathing shoes and ballet slippers. [9] Based in Philadelphia, it operated as a partnership between John Goldenberg and his brothers, Michael and Frank. By 1920, Quaker Shoes had been renamed Brooks Shoe Manufacturing Co., Inc., and its shoes were sold under the brand name Bruxshu. In addition to bathing shoes and ballet slippers, it sold a gymnasium shoe, Ironclad Gyms. [10] The company's innovations included the 1938 introduction of orthopedic shoes for children, Pedicraft, [a] and rubber brakes for roller skates (then known as "quick stops"), patented in 1944. [12]

In 1938, the Goldenbergs bought the Carmen Shoe Manufacturing Company in Hanover, Pennsylvania. Until 1957 a better grade leather was purchased, cut, stitched and fit in Philadelphia, while the same procedure in Hanover used lower grade materials. Both shoes were sold in Philadelphia under the Brooks name, and ranged from inexpensive to high-priced. [13]

In 1956, after a series of operational changes, John notified his brother that he would not renew their partnership agreement, and Michael discussed expanding Carmen with his nephew, Frank's son Barton. In 1957, following the dissolution of the partnership, the existence of Brooks Shoe Manufacturing Company was terminated, and Michael and Barton each acquired 50% of Carmen. In 1958, Michael purchased Barton's interest in the company, and as the sole owner, he renamed Carmen the Brooks Manufacturing Company. [13]

  1. ↑ They were also renowned for their football shoes, track shoes, baseball shoes and ice skates. [11]

1970s: Introduction of EVA, the Vantage, the Vanguard

In 1975, Brooks worked with elite runners, including Marty Liquori, a former Olympian, to design a running shoe. The collaboration produced the Villanova, Brooks's first high-performance running shoe. [14] It was the first running shoe to use EVA, an air-infused foam that was later adopted by other athletic brands. Brooks followed the Villanova with the Vantage, a running shoe constructed with a wedge to address overpronation. In 1977, based on newly developed measurements of cushioning, flexibility, and durability. [15] The Vanguard was also introduced in the 1970s. Towards the end of the decade Brooks was among the top three selling brands in the US. [16]

1980s: Bankruptcy, the Chariot, Brooks for Women

In 1980, as a result of production issues with Brooks's manufacturing facility in Puerto Rico, defective shoes began to arrive at sporting goods stores. Nearly 30 percent of the shoes were returned, and Brooks scrapped 50,000 pairs. The company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, and was purchased at auction by footwear manufacturer Wolverine World Wide in 1981. [5] [16]

In 1982 Brooks introduced the Chariot, a medial post shoe that featured an angled wedge of harder-density foam in the midsole. It was thicker on the inside of the shoe and tapered toward the outside. [15] In 1987 Brooks launched an anatomically adjusted line of shoes designed for women. [9]

1990s: The Beast, Adrenaline, ownership changes, apparel, Run Happy

Brooks Adrenaline GTS 18 (2017) Brooks Adrenaline GTS 18.jpg
Brooks Adrenaline GTS 18 (2017)

In 1992, Brooks launched the Beast, a motion control shoe that integrated diagonal rollbar technology. In 1994, the Adrenaline GTS—an abbreviation for go-to shoe—was released. The Adrenaline GTS was built on a semi-curve, an accommodation for runners with a high arch and wide forefoot. The Beast became a best seller, and the Adrenaline GTS went on to become one of the best-selling running shoes of all time. [6] [17]

Wolverine moved Brooks away from the niche running market to a generalist athletic brand. The "class to mass" strategy was unsuccessful, and Brooks was sold to Norwegian private equity company The Rokke Group for $21 million in 1993. Brooks moved to Rokke's Seattle location following its acquisition. In 1998, Rokke sold a majority interest in Brooks to J.H. Whitney & Co., a Connecticut private equity firm. [18]

Brooks introduced a full-line of technical running and fitness apparel for women and men in the spring of 1997. It also expanded into the walking category with the introduction of performance walking shoes. [19]

Brooks's Run Happy tag line first appeared in print advertising in 1999. [5] Rather than depicting running as a grueling pursuit, as competitive brands did, Run Happy was based on the idea that runners love running, and suggested that Brooks products allowed "runners to have the running experience they were looking for". [20] [14]

2000s: Jim Weber, Berkshire Hathaway, BioMoGo

In 2001, Jim Weber, a former Brooks board member, was named president and CEO of the company. At the time, the company's market share was low, and bankruptcy had again become a concern. Weber cut lower-priced footwear from the Brooks product line, added an on-site lab and staff engineers, and focused the company on technical-performance running shoes. [21] As the brand was rebuilt, its annual revenue fell to $20 million. Three years later, it was $69 million. [18]

Brooks was acquired by Russell Athletic in 2004. In 2006, Russell was purchased by Fruit of the Loom and Brooks became a subsidiary of Fruit of the Loom's parent company, Berkshire Hathaway. It became an independent subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway in 2011. [18]

In the mid-2000s, Brooks introduced High Performance Green Rubber, a material it developed for outsoles that used sand rather than petroleum. [22] It subsequently developed BioMoGo, a biodegradable mid-sole for running shoes. [23] Brooks estimated that it would cut more than 30 million pounds of landfill waste over a 20-year period. The BioMoGo technology was open source. [24]

2010s: DNA, $500 million milestone, Brooks Heritage

Brooks DNA (and later Super DNA) was released in 2013. It adapted to the user's gender, weight and pace. It was engineered from non-Newtonian liquid. [25]

In 2011, Brooks became the leading running shoe in the specialty market with revenue of $500 million. [18] [2] [3]

The Brooks Heritage Collection was launched in 2016, returning the Vanguard, the Chariot, and the Beast to the market. Only the technology was updated; the details of the original shoes, including the colorways, were replicated. [26]

In 2017, Brooks shoes were named Best Running Shoe (The Glycerine and the Launch, Sports Illustrated ); [27] [28] and Editor's Top Choice (The Adrenaline GTS 18, Runner's World ).

Sponsorships

Desiree Linden.jpg
Scott Jurek, Ultramarathon Champion.jpg
Brooks has signed long-distance runners Desiree Linden (left) and Scott Jurek.

Brooks sponsors the Brooks Beast Track Club and Hansons-Brooks Distance Project. Some sponsored athletes include, Olympic runner Dathan Ritzenhein, [29] two-time Olympian Kara Goucher, [30] Olympic runner Jess McClain, [31] and three-time Ironman World Champion Chrissie Wellington. [32]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Converse (brand)</span> American lifestyle brand owned by Nike, Inc

Converse is an American lifestyle brand that markets, distributes, and licenses footwear, apparel, and accessories. Founded by Marquis Mills Converse in 1908 as the Converse Rubber Shoe Company in Malden, Massachusetts, it has been acquired by several companies before becoming a subsidiary of Nike, Inc. in 2003.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sneakers</span> Sport and casual shoes

Sneakers (US) or trainers (UK), also known by a wide variety of other names, are shoes primarily designed for sports or other forms of physical exercise but which are also widely used for everyday casual wear.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fruit of the Loom</span> American clothing manufacturer

Fruit of the Loom is an American company that manufactures clothing, particularly casual wear and underwear. The company's world headquarters are located in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Since 2002, it has been a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deckers Brands</span> Consumer retail company

Deckers Outdoor Corporation, doing business as Deckers Brands, is a footwear designer and distributor based in Goleta, California, United States. It was founded in 1973 by University of California, Santa Barbara alumni Doug Otto and Karl F. Lopker. In 1975, the company was incorporated in California under the name Deckers Corporation. In October 1993, Deckers initiated a public offering of stock in its company. Deckers' portfolio of brands includes UGG, Teva, Hoka One One, and Koolaburra.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chuck Taylor All-Stars</span> Canvas and rubber shoes (sneakers)

Chuck Taylor All-Stars or Converse All Stars are sneakers manufactured by American fashion brand Converse. Initially developed as a basketball shoe in the early 20th century, its design has remained largely unchanged since its introduction. The shoe consists of a stitched upper portion, and a toe cap and outsole usually made of rubber. Although Chuck Taylors are made of various materials such as leather or suede, the original and most widely known version is made from cotton canvas. The innovative detail of the original shoe was the "loose lining" of soft canvas that was intended to provide flexibility and prevent blisters.

Saucony is an American brand of athletic footwear and apparel. Founded in 1898, the company is owned by Wolverine World Wide. Products commercialised by Saucony include footwear and clothing ranges, such as athletic shoes, jackets, hoodies, T-shirts, sweatpants, shorts, and socks. Accessories include hats and backpacks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Salomon Group</span> French sports equipment manufacturing company

Salomon SAS is a French sports equipment manufacturing company headquartered in Annecy, France. It was founded in 1947 by François Salomon in the heart of the French Alps and is a major brand in outdoor sports equipment. Salomon is owned by Finnish retail conglomerate Amer Sports, along with Wilson, Atomic, Precor, and Arc'teryx, among others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Balance</span> American footwear manufacturer

New Balance Athletics, Inc. (NB), best known as simply New Balance, is one of the world's major sports footwear and apparel manufacturers. Based in Boston, Massachusetts, the multinational corporation was founded in 1906 as the New Balance Arch Support Company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nike Grind</span>

Nike Grind is Nike's collection of recycled materials that is composed of pre-consumer manufacturing scraps, recycled post-consumer shoes from the Reuse-A-Shoe program, and unsellable footwear. The purpose of Nike Grind is to eliminate waste in line with the tenets of sustainable fashion practices and close the loop on Nike's product lifecycle. Materials recycled include rubber, foam, fiber, leather and textile blends, which are separated and ground into granules.

Merrell is an American manufacturing company of footwear products. It was founded by Clark Matis, Randy Merrell, and John Schweizer in 1981 as a maker of high-performance hiking boots. Since 1997, the company has been a wholly owned subsidiary of Wolverine World Wide. Products currently commercialized by Merrell include hiking boots, athletic shoes, sandals, jackets, knit caps, gloves, t-shirts, hoodies, shorts, and socks. Other accessories include backpacks, stuff sacks, and bags.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reebok</span> Footwear and clothing company

Reebok International Limited is an American footwear and clothing brand that is a part of Authentic Brands Group. It was established in England in 1958 as a companion company to J.W. Foster and Sons, a sporting goods company which had been founded in 1895 in Bolton, Lancashire. From 1958 until 1986, the brand featured the flag of the United Kingdom in its logo to signify the origins of the company. It was bought by German sporting goods company Adidas in 2005, then sold to the United States–based Authentic Brands Group in 2021. The company's global headquarters are located in Boston, Massachusetts, in the Seaport District.

The following is a timeline of notable events in the history of Nike, Inc.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Xtep</span> Chinese sports equipment company

Xtep International Holdings Limited is a Chinese sportswear company based in Xiamen, Fujian. Established in 2001, the company has been traded on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange since 2008.

Rocky Brands, Inc., formerly known as Rocky Shoes & Boots, Inc., is a company which designs, develops, manufactures, and markets outdoor, work, western and military footwear, and other outdoor and work apparel and accessories. The company was founded in 1932 in Nelsonville, Ohio, and still maintains its corporate headquarters there.

Russell Athletic is an American clothing manufacturer based in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Currently a subsidiary of global company Fruit of the Loom, Russell Athletic was the main brand of Russell Brands, LLC. until its acquisition in 2006.

Altra Running, commonly known as Altra, is an American manufacturing company engaged in the design, development, marketing, and sales of athletic shoes for road running, trail running, and general footwear. Since 2018 Altra is owned by VF Corporation, an American global apparel and footwear company with other brands like Icebreaker, The North Face, Vans, JanSport, Eastpak and Timberland.

Hoka One One is a sportswear company that designs and markets running shoes. It was founded in 2009 in Annecy, France, and had been based in Richmond, California before it was acquired by Deckers Brands in 2013. Hoka first gained attention in the running industry by producing shoes with oversized midsoles, dubbed "maximalist" shoes, in contrast to the minimalist shoe trend that was gaining popularity at the time.

Adidas Yeezy was a fashion collaboration between American rapper, designer, and entrepreneur Kanye West's Yeezy and German sportswear company Adidas. It offered sneakers in limited edition colorways, as well as shirts, jackets, track pants, socks, slides, lingerie and slippers. The first shoe model was released in February 2015. In 2020 Forbes described Yeezy's rise as "one of the great retail stories of the century". Yeezy influenced and inspired a multitude of other fashion brands. Outside of the former Adidas collaboration, Yeezy is the name of Kanye's company Yeezy LLC and is not connected to Adidas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">World Balance</span> Filipino footwear manufacturer

World Balance is a Filipino sports footwear and apparel brand that was established in 1980. A division of CHG Global, Inc., the brand is one of the Philippines' major sportswear manufacturers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">On (company)</span> Swiss athletic shoe and performance sportswear company

On Holding AG is an athletic shoe and performance sportswear company originating in Switzerland that designs and markets sports clothing and running shoes.

References

  1. ↑ Ciment, Shoshy (2023-02-21). "Brooks Global Sales Hit $1.2 Billion in 2022 As the Running Category Soars". Footwear News . Retrieved 2023-11-08.
  2. 1 2 3 Tracy, Abigail (April 24, 2014). "How Brooks Reinvented Its Brand". Inc. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
  3. 1 2 Thomas, Lauren (October 30, 2017). "Brooks Running sees double-digit sales growth despite unpredictability of sports retail". CNBC. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
  4. ↑ Koopmans, Kelley (February 23, 2017). "How Brooks Running came back from the edge". KOMO News. Retrieved 16 December 2017.
  5. 1 2 3 Garnick, Coral (June 19, 2014). "Brooks Sports running strong at 100". Seattle Times. Retrieved 17 December 2017.
  6. 1 2 Karlson, Dana (January 21, 2015). "Brooks Sprints Into 2015, Holds Top Spot with Runners". Footwear News. Retrieved 17 December 2017.
  7. ↑ Max, Sarah (July 29, 2014). "Brooks Sports Moves New Home Closer to Trails". New York Times. Retrieved 19 December 2017.
  8. ↑ Wahba, Phil (February 1, 2018). "A Kindred Sole". Fortune (Print edition): 30. ISSN   0015-8259.
  9. 1 2 FN Staff (May 12, 2014). "Milestone: Brooks Looks Back at 100 Years". Footwear News. Retrieved 20 December 2017.
  10. ↑ "Ironclad Gym Advertisement" (PDF). Daily Iowan. February 25, 1920. p. 5. Retrieved 23 December 2017.
  11. ↑ "Column". Frederick News. September 29, 1966. p. 14. Retrieved 20 December 2017.
  12. ↑ "US patent US2343007". US Patent Office (Via Google), 1944. Retrieved 16 December 2017.
  13. 1 2 "United Shoe Workers of America vs. Brooks vs. Brooks Manufacturing Co". justia.com. US District Court for Eastern Pennsylvania. May 2, 1960. Retrieved 16 December 2017.
  14. 1 2 Terjesen, S. and, Argue, E. (2001). "Run Happy: Entrepreneurship at Brooks". International Journal of Sports Management and Marketing. 7 (1/2): 133–139. Retrieved 23 December 2017.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  15. 1 2 Beverly, Jonathan (November 18, 2016). "50 Years of (Mostly) Fantastic Footwear Innovation". Runners World. Retrieved 21 December 2017.
  16. 1 2 Gupta, Hamanee (June 21, 1994). "If the Shoe Fits: Firm Seeks Bigger Foothold In Market". Seattle Times. Retrieved 21 December 2017.
  17. ↑ RW staff (September 10, 2013). "Wayback Wonders". Runner's World. Retrieved 21 December 2017.
  18. 1 2 3 4 Cunningham, Lawrence A. (October 21, 2014). Berkshire Beyond Buffett: The Enduring Value of Values. New York: Columbia University Press. pp. 154, 155. ISBN   9780231170048 . Retrieved 23 December 2017.
  19. ↑ "Apparel World: Companies". Apparel International: The Journal of the Clothing and Footwear Institute. 28. 1997.
  20. ↑ Elliot, Stuart (January 27, 2014). "New Running Shoe Line Says, 'Come Fly With Me'". New York Times. Retrieved December 23, 2017.
  21. ↑ Wahba, Bill (October 21, 2014). "How Buffett's Brooks Running plans to become a $1 billion brand". Fortune. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
  22. ↑ Orlovi, Orlovic (June 27, 2016). "URBANMEISTERS SELECTS THEIR FAVORITE BRAND". Archived from the original on 29 August 2018. Retrieved 27 December 2017.
  23. ↑ Schwartz, Ariel (June 29, 2009). "Brooks Designs a Sustainable Running Shoe From the Bottom Up". Fast Company. Retrieved 27 December 2017.
  24. ↑ Staff (June 10, 2009). "Brooks' BioMoGo Midsoles – a lighter impact". Alternative Consumer. Archived from the original on 24 August 2018. Retrieved 27 December 2017.
  25. ↑ Jones, Riley (June 4, 2013). "Know Your Tech: Brooks DNA". Complex. Retrieved 27 December 2017.
  26. ↑ Forester, Pete (October 21, 2016). "The Heritage Sneaker Brand You Need on Your Radar". Esquire. Retrieved 27 December 2017.
  27. ↑ "Best Women's Running Shoes". Sports Illustrated. April 4, 2017. Retrieved 28 December 2017.
  28. ↑ SI Staff (March 14, 2017). "The Best Men's Running Shoes 2017". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 28 December 2017.
  29. ↑ "New Sponsor, New Attitude. Can Dathan Ritzenhein Make the 2020 Olympic Team?". Runner's World. 2017-07-12. Retrieved 2024-12-05.
  30. ↑ Battaglia, Joe (2024-01-29). "Kara Goucher Signs Footwear Deal With Brooks". FloTrack. Retrieved 2024-12-05.
  31. ↑ "Olympic Alternate Jess McClain Signs Sponsorship Contract With Brooks". Runner's World. 2024-03-25. Retrieved 2024-12-05.
  32. ↑ Hichens, Liz (2010-01-19). "Brooks Sports Partners With Three-Time Ironman World Champion Chrissie Wellington". Triathlete. Retrieved 2024-12-05.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.