October has officially arrived, and here at Running Warehouse our focus has already begun to shift towards the fourth and final quarter of 2017. But, before we completely forget about quarter three, we’d like to take a look back at our footwear sales and see which shoes were the top sellers. After compiling the data and excluding any clearance sales, we have created a list of road running models (by color) that sold the highest volume during Fall 2017 (Q3).
On the men’s side, Nike was a clear favorite with the top three shoes on the list. The Vaporfly 4% took the title as the number one selling shoe, and after the hype of Nike’s Breaking2 marathon attempt, it’s no surprise that people were itching to get a pair. Coming in a close second and third were two colors of the more versatile Nike Zoom Fly. While the shoe was released partway though Q2 and saw decent numbers, it really stood out in Q3 and helped put Nike back on top in the performance road shoe market. Lighter weight performance shoes have always had a strong presence on our men’s best selling lists, and the trend only continued in Q3. Along with the Zoom Fly, we also saw the ASICS DS trainer rank fourth, the adidas Boston 6 rank seventh, and two colors of the Altra Escalante come in at sixth and twelfth respectively.
Similar to previous seasons, HOKA ONE ONE delivered a unique range of product that helped separate itself from the competition. With three colors of the Clifton 4 and an individual color of the Bondi making the top twenty, HOKA continued to be a top selling brand at Running Warehouse. ASICS was another brand that really stood out in Q3, beating out HOKA as the brand with the most shoes to make the best selling list. With six different models falling in the top twenty, ASICS proved its core lineup still has a strong and loyal following. It was also nice to see an individual color of the Mizuno Wave Rider 20 make it onto the list. While Mizuno hasn’t had any shoes make recent best selling lists, the Rider came in at eleventh, which seems to be a positive sign for the brand moving forward.
On the Women’s side we saw a similar trend to past seasons. While the men’s list tends to be dominated with performance trainers, the women’s list usually has a larger selection of daily trainers. Leading the charge this quarter was HOKA ONE ONE. With four shoes in the top five and two additional shoes in the top twenty, the brand continues to show dominance in overall sales. The Clifton 4 was by far the most popular model within the line, but we also saw solid numbers with the Bondi 5 and the Arahi.
Other brands that excelled in Q3 include Brooks and ASICS, who each had four shoes make the list. The Brooks Ghost 10 was the only non-HOKA to slip into the top five, and popular trainers like the ASICS Kayano 24 and ASICS GT 2000 5 showed a strong presence this quarter. Another similarity to the men’s list was the presence of two Mizuno Wave Rider 20 colors. This was the first time we saw a Mizuno model make a recent women’s best selling list as well.
While the majority of the shoes on the women’s list were daily trainers, we did see two performance shoes secure spots in the top twenty. The best selling performance shoe was an individual color of the Altra Escalante. A popular choice over the last few quarters, the Escalante delivers responsive cushioning paired with plenty of comfort. The only other performance shoe to make the list was the ASICS Gel DS Trainer 22, which has been a staple among mild overpronators for years and continues to be a go-to option for runners looking for a lighter-weight trainer.
Below are the full lists for the top twenty best selling* road shoes in the third quarter of 2017.
Men’s Best Selling Road Running Shoes – Q3 2017
Women’s Best Selling Road Running Shoes – Q3 2017
*Rankings are based on each color being treated as a stand-alone shoe. Units sold on clearance have been excluded.
Connor, aka The Face of Running Warehouse, is our resident footwear guru and helps us keep a finger on the pulse of running trends and current events. A member of the local HOKA Aggies running team, Connor walks the walk, or should we say, runs the run.
Connor, aka The Face of Running Warehouse, is our resident footwear guru and helps us keep a finger on the pulse of running trends and current events. A member of the local HOKA Aggies running team, Connor walks the walk, or should we say, runs the run.