The carbon war in Running shoes has only just begun. After the Nike Vaporfly Next 4% or the Nike Alphafly, other brands have jumped on the bandwagon of this technology for the midsole of running shoes (see example of the Hoka One One Carbon X). However, in the case of Brooks, the commitment to this material goes back a long way. The carbon fiber fever came years ago to the American brand, and it is that in 2018 in the Boston Marathon the American athlete Desiree Linden wore a mysterious full black sneaker that was the predecessor of the Brooks Hyperion Elite.
Precisely that model serves as an excuse to have the opportunity to have this interview with Jim Weber, CEO of the brand since 2001. On January 30, Brooks held a press event in which the company unveiled its fastest model to the world: the Brooks Hyperion Elite. With the new rules that the IAAF has imposed after the Nike Alphafly, this model could not have been used because now it is mandatory that the shoes have been on the market for at least 4 months for the general public.
In addition to the Hyperion Elite, we have been able to see the more accessible Brooks Hyperion Tempo (the undersigned is delighted with them for now), the new trail racing shoes: Brooks Catamount, and the following of the cushion and energize sagas: Levitate 4, Bedlam 3 and Ricochet 2 We took the opportunity to ask Jim Weber about carbon in the hours prior to the IAAF ruling on the use of new technologies.
What is Jim Weber's opinion on carbon fiber innovations?
The running industry is growing a lot in innovation and if any product comes along that helps you be more comfortable, prevent injuries or run faster we are interested in that. And carbon makes a difference in that respect. Other sports industries, such as cycling or swimming have already used many technological improvements and running is doing the same.
Can that carbon plate be considered doping?
Doping is when you add chemistry into your body. There have been rebound and response enhancement technologies for the last 40 years. We have to define how much of those technologies are acceptable. The athlete wants the best shoe but your brand depends on your performance, the day you have and that's what makes the differences.
- You may be interested in: The 6 best Running shoes with carbon plate.
Is the average runner asking for a shoe as specific as the Hyperion Elite or do you consider it a more aspirational model?
Not all runners are asking for the Hyperion Elite. But one of the goals of the runner is to run very fast and we have to invest in that. We have seen what was happening with carbon plates and we have been investing in that area for 3 years now. The athlete who won in Boston (Desiree Linden) ran in the shoe you are going to test today. We won't make a lot of money on that shoe but it's important for us to be at the top of Running shoes.
Is Jim Weber involved in the design of Brooks products?
I love the products but I don't get involved in the product design strategy. But I have done a lot of product reviews. It's the best part of our business, that every single person who is involved with Brooks is involved with our products, testing the shoes, the bra, the clothing, it's the fun part. I'd like to work on the shoes but I know they wouldn't let me (laughs). We all have an opinion about our shoes and that's exciting.
You have been in other sports in the past, are there plans to be in other sports again in the future?
Our biggest strength is being a 100% running brand. We are not number 1 and until we are number 1 in performance running we are not happy. We are happy that we have surpassed brands like New Balance or Adidas to be that number 2 in the US. The user is very loyal to a brand but it is clear that they require innovation.
A few years ago there was hardly anything new and the user knew it, the market was tired, but innovation is great for business. The quality of materials that are coming in the last few years is exciting.
Brooks: From bankruptcy to second largest running brand in the U.S.
Jim Weber, conveys approachability. Nearly 20 years at the helm of a company like Brooks gives him a background that comes through in his words. Weber took the reins of the American brand after a call from tycoon Warren Buffet, a person he admired before he was given the arduous mission of leading the company. When Weber arrived at Brooks, the brand, which had been a shoe brand for baseball, basketball and many other sports, focused on what is now its only sport: running. From a nearly bankrupt brand with just 60 employees, it is now the No. 2 technical running shoe company in the U.S. (second only to Nike in volume) and with more than $800 million in revenue.
We focused part of the interview to talk about his experience in this process of Brooks growth.
What is Jim Weber's day-to-day life at Brooks?
I lead the culture and strategy. Every day is different, I travel a lot, I visit users, and right now we are working on expanding into China. Every day is different in our business and that's what makes it exciting.
How important is company culture to Jim Weber and Brooks?
Company culture is very important to us. We are investing much more than in the past in leadership development. We have started a program called "connecting the US" with more than 115 managers that we bring to Europe to lead the cultural expansion of the company in Europe. And it's about how we behave every day and that's what's important about this program. We are looking for people with passion who love running and sport. We are going to grow in the next few years and if our culture is not strong I think we are going to suffer in this growth. We want to hire people who fit this approach. If we hire someone and they leave in 3 years we will be failing in that and if they stay it will be a success for us.
As a 100% running brand, are you looking to hire runners on the team?
We have people on the team who are not runners and that's fine, but they do need to understand how a runner thinks and what we are doing for the runner. We don't ask for the brand to get into Brooks. But we do like people who practice a healthy lifestyle.
Brands like Nike, Adidas or Under Armour are very focused on Apps that give valor services to the runner. Does Brooks have plans to enter that segment?
Apps that monitor your running, apps that help you train... are fantastic tools. Yes we are testing technology for example in sensors to improve the feeling of how you run. But we are mostly focused on making the best running shoe possible. And on the best jackets, pants, bras. But if we're talking about building tools like the Apple Watch, I look at the Apple Watch and it's fantastic. It's awesome. I'm not going to compete with Apple on that.
We're mostly focused on making the best running shoe possible, says Jim Weber CEO of Brooks Running.
Yes we are working on 2 mobile Apps, the Shoe Finder, and one to find the right bra for every woman.
What is the focus of a brand like Brooks that has an investment fund behind it as a majority shareholder?
We work with an investment group (Berkshire Hathaway Inc.) but they let us work with total peace of mind. There is no influence. They want us to build a brand, they want us to build a business, they want us to be profitable, but Warren understands how to build a brand and for that we have to bring valor to the user. We send them the numbers every month but they stand apart on how we get to those numbers.
However, we are still very young, and especially in Europe we have a lot of growing to do. We are very user and business focused.
We are very focused on how many new runners join the brand. It would be very easy to sell products if you sell at 40% discount but it is not so easy to sell them at full price and that is what we are looking for, to bring quality.
And how does Brooks balance the profitability demanded by the investor group with the sustainability demanded by society?
We have to work on sustainability. We have made a lot of progress in the last 10 years, but we still have a lot to do. The user cares about the environment, they run out there. It is a crisis, we want to be 100% carbon neutral, that is, without leaving a carbon footprint in our actions. For example we do it with our boxes, which are 12 million a year, and they are very sustainable, the most sustainable, recyclable and adapted to the exact size of the shoe.
Read more news about: Running News
