Fashion Industry Competes to Attract Runners During Fall Running Season

[Financial News] Sports and fashion brands are targeting runners with running-focused stores and experiential content. As interest in running fashion grows among people in their 20s and 30s ahead of the fall marathon season, competition is intensifying to build communities beyond simply selling products.
According to industry sources on the 14th, fashion platform MUSINSA is targeting fall running demand by strengthening its online and offline experiences.
MUSINSA is holding a challenge at its offline stores, including the running specialty shops MUSINSA RUN Seoul Forest and MUSINSA KICKS, where participants record their running distances. It is also hosting related events on its online store. The running event, which runs through the 21st, features about 200 brands, including global sports brands such as Nike, Adidas, and New Balance, and showcases nearly 10,000 running products.
Demand for fall running products is also rising rapidly as the seasons change. From the 1st to the 9th, searches for running windbreakers on the MUSINSA Store increased 4.4-fold from the same period a month earlier. Searches for running shoes, running gloves, and running long-sleeve shirts rose by 64%, 215%, and 155%, respectively. The figures suggest growing interest in footwear and seasonal clothing suitable for outdoor running in the fall.
Experiential stores specializing in running are also increasing. Fila, the Italian sports brand operated by Misto Korea, recently opened its first running-focused store near Seoul Forest in Seongdong-gu, Seoul. Customers can try on running shoes and experience their performance by running in them. The store also regularly operates running programs to expand its engagement with runners. After launching its performance line in August, Fila is now accelerating its expansion into the running business.
Global sports brand PUMA Korea recently opened its second domestic Sneaker Box store in Bukchon Hanok Village, following its location in Seongsu-dong. Taking advantage of its location near Gyeongbokgung Palace, which has recently emerged as a popular running destination, the store was designed as a place where runners can take a break. Pro-Specs is also reinforcing its identity as a running brand by recently opening a flagship store in Seochon Village and holding an exhibition commemorating the Chuncheon Marathon, an event it sponsors.
An industry official said, "As running has become a culture in which people interact and share their interests, rather than merely a form of exercise, particularly among those in their 20s and 30s, brands are increasingly strengthening content—including experiential stores and running programs—that can help build communities around each brand."

[email protected] Myung-yeon Kang Reporter