The latest trends in running shoes
Running shoes are a lucrative global business, and that drives innovation and novelty. Jeanette Wang runs through the latest footwear trends
People are taking to running in record numbers, so it's no surprise that selling running shoes - the only essential gear you need for the sport - has become a lucrative business.
Research company NPD Group reported that consumers worldwide spent US$15 billion on running shoes in 2011, up 13 per cent over the previous year. Running is worth almost twice as much as soccer globally, driven by hardcore runners, newbies and fashionistas alike, according to a recent report by Bloomberg.
In the United States, which accounts for 40 per cent of the global total, running shoe sales grew 8 per cent last year. More than 38 million pairs were sold in America in 2011, according to a US National Sporting Goods Association report.
In a highly competitive market where traditional footwear giants are being challenged by niche brands, innovation is flourishing. Here's a look at the hottest trends.
Featherweight road racing shoes, also known as "racing flats", have been around for decades and are used mainly by distance runners. But it was the glove-like shoe Vibram FiveFingers that really sparked the minimalist running shoe trend and made it mainstream around 2005.