XIAMEN, China, April 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — With the increasing popularity of healthy lifestyles and the widespread promotion of fitness, the global athletic footwear and apparel market continues to expand, driven by rising consumer demand for high-performance running products. In 2024, the global running shoe market reached $51.3 billion. The growth of this sector is primarily fueled by the following factors — rising health awareness and mass adoption of Marathons races. As there is a growing emphasis on health and fitness, it has encouraged more consumers to engage in running, driving demand for professional running shoes, functional sportswear, and related accessories.
Furthermore, the increasing participation in marathons and road running events has significantly expanded the market for performance running shoes and running gear, with athletes showing a growing preference for high-performance footwear and smart wearable devices.
Among all sportswear brands, Chinese sportswear brands have gained increasing recognition in global markets, transitioning from regional players to internationally competitive brands. With the global rise of Chinese trend culture, overseas consumers have shown growing awareness and demand toward the fashion-forward designs, high value-for-money, and deep cultural elements embedded in Chinese brands.
Chinese sports brands have strengthened their global presence through strategic initiatives such as collaborating with international ambassadors, sponsoring major sporting events, and expanding global sales channels. These efforts have significantly enhanced brand influence on the international stage. Meanwhile, leading Chinese sports brands such as Li-Ning, ANTA, and Xtep have ramped up investments in product research and development, technological innovation, and sustainable materials, enabling them to deliver internationally competitive products with superior performance, comfort, and quality. As consumer preferences evolve, a growing number of international buyers are choosing Chinese brands, further solidifying their global market share and accelerating their transition towards premiumization and internationalization.
Chinese sports brands have also increased their presence in national marathon events, with domestic running shoes demonstrating growing stability in professional races and significantly higher adoption rates among athletes. Meanwhile, marathon participation has surged across China, with both event numbers and scale expanding in parallel. In 2024, China hosted 749 road races of various levels, attracting over 7.04 million participants, reflecting the growing mass adoption and regional expansion of marathon events in the country.
As marathon participation rises, demand for professional running gear continues to escalate, with performance running shoes, moisture-wicking apparel, and GPS smartwatches becoming essential for runners. This trend has not only driven the expansion of the performance running gear market but also fueled continuous advancements in running shoe design and technology. Runners and marathon participants now form a key consumer segment, with their increasing demand serving as a crucial driver of market growth.
Sports brands play a pivotal role in marathon sponsorship, with running shoes being highly aligned with marathon event content, making them a natural fit for sports marketing initiatives. The broad exposure and high engagement levels in marathon events provide sports brands with greater visibility and stronger marketing effectiveness. As a result, marathon events have become a critical marketing battleground for sports brands, further strengthening brand recognition and competitiveness in the performance sportswear market.
Xtep – The Market Leader in Professional Running Shoes
As a well-known domestic sports brand, Xtep has solidified its position in the running shoe sector by making running footwear its core product focus while leveraging extensive exposure through marathon sponsorships. Since initiating its strategic expansion into the running shoes’ category in 2007, Xtep has continuously deepened its presence in the running track. After more than a decade of accumulation and refinement, it has established a solid foundation in technology R&D and product innovation, successfully transforming from a mass sportswear brand into a professional running brand. This strategic approach has successfully positioned Xtep as a top choice among consumers in the running shoe market.
Designed specifically for running, running shoes play a critical role in ensuring safety and enhancing athletic performance. Through deep insights into runners’ needs and continuous optimization of product performance, Xtep has built a solid foundation in running shoe technology and launched professional racing shoes. With lightweight design, advanced carbon plate technology, and exceptional cushioning performance, the shoes have been widely recognized by professional runners and core user groups, becoming their preferred choice for training and competition. Xtep’s flagship product, the 160X product series, has consistently garnered global recognition and prestigious running shoe awards for its exceptional performance and advanced technology.
Leveraging its product advantages, Xtep achieved outstanding sales performance across all distribution channels in 2024, marking a significant leap in market share and reinforcing its leadership in the industry.
In addition, Xtep continues to expand its influence in the running industry through deep engagement in marathon events and the establishment of a comprehensive runner ecosystem. Through years of continuous in-depth communication and interaction with runners, Xtep has gradually built a one-stop professional service system covering product experience, foot shape and gait analysis, scientific training guidance, and post-race recovery. This comprehensive approach not only enhances the end-to-end sports experience for runners but also enables the brand to gain more accurate insights into the real needs of different runner groups, providing ongoing feedback and support for product development and service optimization.
Xtep’s full-spectrum running shoe portfolio caters to a wide range of running needs—from daily training and competitive racing for professional marathon runners to everyday running for recreational athletes. This comprehensive product lineup meets the diverse usage scenarios of runners at all levels, achieving full market coverage from elite racing to mass participation.
Xtep continues to support China’s road running events and sponsored a total of 44 marathon races nationwide in 2024. With its expanding market share in recent years, Xtep has emerged as a leading brand in the domestic and international running shoe industry.
As a result, Xtep has become one of the most prominent sponsors of marathon events, steadily increasing its market share in the running shoe segment. With its continuous innovation and market expansion, Xtep has firmly established itself as a leading brand in the global running shoe industry.
Based on extensive market research, Frost & Sullivan has officially recognized Xtep International Holdings Limited for its outstanding market leadership. Xtep has been awarded the “Global Leading Brand in terms of Sales Volume of Running shoes in 2024” and “Top-Ranked Running Shoe Brand by Wearing Rate in China’s Marathons in 2024”, affirming its dominant position in both global sales and nationwide marathon participation.
