In Conversation: Blazing new trails with six pioneering running brands in Chamonix

Trail running has been gaining a lot of new fans over the last few years, and it’s easy to see why. Embracing the magic of the outdoors and finding adventure in simplicity, runners are renouncing the road and hitting the trail! With more and more converts to the sport, technology around footwear in particular is advancing. Matthew Glynn, Sports Buying Lead at Zalando, and Vincent Zimmer, Sports Buyer at Zalando were recently in Chamonix to get in on the action at one of the world’s most competitive trail ultramarathons. They sat down with six pioneering trail running brands to talk about what it takes to make the perfect trail shoe, and what it is about the trail that’s so inspiring.

So, what’s new on the trail?

“It all started with a shoe.” - Marc Fischer, adidas Terrex 

We caught up with Marc Fischer, Senior Director adidas Outdoor Europe, to talk about the inception and continued innovation of adidas Terrex. For Fischer, creating shoes that work in all conditions and that are designed to weather the forces of nature means thinking in terms of endurance, versatility, and innovation. adidas is not only targeting elite trail runners, they want to inspire all consumers to get outdoors and enjoy nature; to see trail running as a micro-adventure. Listen in to our conversation to hear more about how adidas is working with athletes, prototyping new products and creating buzz in the trail community. 

“Trail running is more than a movement, you can’t stop people talking about it.” - Jean-Marc Djian, The North Face

We sat down with Jean-Marc Djian, VP Footwear at The North Face, to discuss why trail running has become so much more popular in the last 20 years. Djian tells us, more and more people want to get out into the world, into nature, and it makes sense. We all yearn for inspiring experiences, adventure and freedom. The North Face understands that this is more than a movement, it’s something integral to us as humans. So, how does that translate to product? According to Djian, the main thing for the consumer is functionality and authenticity. If you want a product to become iconic it needs to stand for something. At The North Face, it’s function first. Trail shoes are built together with athletes and are 100% expedition proof. Listen in here to find out more about The North Face’s trail running mission.

“I love the feeling of getting fitter and faster.” - Daniela Oemus, Salomon

What’s a trip to Chamonix without meeting a world class athlete? We had the honour of chatting with Daniela Oemus, Salomon athlete, who won her first ever race at 13 and has been a German champion for 10K on road and cross country. Oemus discovered ultra running after her studies and found out she much preferred it to track. She ran her first ultra in 2016 and first trail run in 2017, finding herself drawn to alpine terrain over traditional asphalt. We were curious about what athletes look for in a shoe. For Oemus it’s quite simple, she wants to feel stable on uneven ground, while she still wants to feel the ground beneath her feet. Which means looking for a shoe that isn’t heavily cushioned. What is it about trail that she finds so inspiring? She loves the feeling of getting stronger and she’s curious to see how far the sport will take her. Listen to our chat here.

“We want to make sure that we’re keeping runners running how they naturally move.” - Megan Alfi, Brooks

At Brooks, it’s all about community out on the trail. We spoke to Nick Clinton, Footwear Product Line Manager at Brooks and Megan Alfi, Run Performance Research Scientist at Brooks about their love for good trail running products and for the sport itself. Clinton tells us that Brooks is currently working on new technology to increase stability in shoes, so that you can go out and enjoy yourself without experiencing discomfort, blisters or breaking a toe. The brand is always thinking about what problems it can solve, asking: “What are the things people hate about trail running and how can we improve those things?” Alfi tells us that in order to create a great shoe, she looks at biomechanics and perceptual feedback from runners, and then they iterate until it’s perfect. Have a look here at what the brand has to say about traction across various terrains, and creating adaptable, comfortable, user-friendly footwear.

“We had no intentions of starting a shoe company, we were initially just hacking the heels off traditional running shoes.” - Brian Beckstead, Altra

When it comes to taking matters into your own hands and taking initiative, few people are as passionately willing to try something unconventional as Brian Beckstead, Altra’s Co-Founder. Inspired by the evolution of trail running and increasing diversity in the trail community, Beckstead sat down with us to talk about how the sport has grown, and how the science, nutrition and technology around it have improved vastly. Beckstead told us his life purpose is getting more people out running so they too can feel its benefits. And why trail? According to Beckstead, trail running adds a whole other dimension to your run. Many brands talk about biomechanics and running technique, but as someone with severe scoliosis, for Beckstead it’s all about posture and alignment. It’s not just about running, it’s about running better, and running effectively. Listen to our conversation about hacking the heels off traditional running shoes, and much, much more. 

“Trail running allows us more room for expression.” - Jonathan Quint, Merrell

We spoke with Thibaud Gleize, Senior Regional Product Manager, and Jonathan Quint, Marketing & Product Director EMEA at Merrell, about how Merrell has undergone a full refocus on trail running over the last years. Together with athletes, Merrell now co-creates innovative products designed specifically for the trail. We asked Merrell what consumers’ main concerns are when it comes to trail tech. Something that comes up again and again is grip, so the brand is keen to reassure consumers about that in its storytelling. Listen in to find out how Merrell goes about product storytelling, and what new innovations they’re cooking up in the lab and out on the trail, for example, trying to adapt carbon fiber plates to trail shoes.