Endurance World Hits Texas for The Running Event 2025
Thousands of people attended The Running Event this week. Photo: The Running Event
More than 300 shoe companies, wearable brands and other running and endurance-related businesses were in San Antonio, Texas, from Dec. 2 to 4 for The Running Event (TRE) 2025. An annual affair since 2006, TRE has been the premier running and “outdoor specialty” conference and trade show in North America for close to two decades.
Slowtwitch was on site in Texas for TRE this year, and we got the chance to see some of the latest products that brands have already introduced, or plan to introduce in the coming months. We’ll have many previews and reviews of these various items in the future, but for now, here are some of the things to look out for in the new year.
Familiar Favorites: Hoka
Hoka had one of the biggest booths at TRE, so they had plenty on display, including updates to several fan-favorite road shoes, including the Skyward X 2. In 2024, the company released the Hoka Skyward X, and its second iteration will hit the market in 2026.
The Hoka Skyward X 2 was preceded by the Skyward X (above). Photo: Hoka
The Skyward X 2 will have pretty similar specs to its predecessor, weighing in at 11 oz with a 5 mm drop, but it has a lower stack height and a new carbon plate design that will give runners more spring with each step. Unlike the Skyward X, the X 2 will also come with a wide-fit option, giving more runners the chance to test out its springy, plush ride.
Familiar Favorites: On
At the On Running booth, I got the chance to test out the Cloudmonster Hyper 3 LightSpray. Triathlon fans will be familiar with On’s LightSpray shoe design, as Gustav Iden and Kristian Blummenfelt wore the Cloudboom Strike LightSpray in Nice at the 2025 IRONMAN World Championship. The Cloudmonster is just the second shoe from On to feature this LightSpray tech, which is a slip-in design and hugs your foot like a sock instead of a traditional running shoe with a tongue and laces.
The Cloudmonster is unbelievably light, weighing just 6.7 ounces thanks not only to the LightSpray upper, but also On’s Helion foam midsole. I was amazed by the lightweight build of this shoe when I tested it out, and I was also surprised by the upper’s ability to lock my foot down without laces. This is definitely a shoe worth checking out in 2026.
On has plans to add even more LightSpray uppers to their suite of running shoes. Photo: Ben Snider-McGrath
Familiar Favorites: Saucony
One final familiar favorite we can talk about from TRE is the Saucony Endorphin Elite 3, which isn’t going to be available for purchase until the fall of 2026. That’s a long wait, but it will be well worth it if you’re a fan of Saucony (or even if you’ve never worn their shoes before), because the company has made some big updates to what is already one of their top racing shoes.
The stack height of the Endorphin Elite 3 is 40 mm, and it features an 8 mm drop. Like the Elite 2, this iteration of the shoe has Saucony’s lightweight IncrediRun foam in the midsole, but the company has made changes to the shoe’s carbon plate. Many runners complained that the Elite 2 wasn’t the most stable when it came to making turns, but Saucony has addressed that issue by making the carbon plate more rigid. This change will not aid in turns on the race course, but it will make the shoe faster overall as well.
There are so many more shoes that triathletes and runners will love to see, but you’ll have to wait for individual reviews as the products come our way for testing.
Brands You Might Not Know: Kiprun
There were plenty of companies that everyone in the running world knows at TRE, but there were just as many (if not more) brands at the expo that are new, uncommon or unheard of in North America. Kiprun is one of these brands. Fans of the sport might be familiar with this French company, but Kiprun is far from a household name (although they certainly have shoes that could help the brand ascend to this status).
Even if you are aware of Kiprun, if you’re in the U.S., you’ve been unable to buy their shoes. That is about to change, however, as the company is expanding and has plans to start distribution in the US in April. This means you’ll have access to the company’s three suites of shoes: Kipsummit (Kiprun’s trail lineup), Kipride (everyday trainers) and Kipstorm (race day shoes). This company has a lot of variety, and once they come to the U.S., they are certainly worth checking out.
Kiprun is a fast-growing French brand that is making its way to the U.S. Photo: Kiprun
Brands You Might Not Know: Anta
Like Kiprun, Anta is a brand that has had success overseas, but hasn’t broken into North America just yet. It’s quite surprising that many runners in North America are not aware of Anta, as it is the shoe brand with the third-highest revenue in the world (behind Nike and Adidas).
Anta is the best-selling shoe in China. Photo: Anta
Anta is the top-selling shoe in China (where the company is based), and the company is keen to expand to the rest of the world. Supported by the likes of multiple Olympic gold medallist Kenenisa Bekele, the brains behind the brand clearly know what they’re doing, so it might only be a matter of time before they become a staple of the American running scene.
Brands You Might Not Know: TYR
Now, most triathletes will be familiar with TYR, but did you know they sell running shoes? Maybe I was in the dark and people will judge me for not knowing this, but I was shocked to see TYR’s setup at TRE. Not only did the company have a number of shoes on display, but they were really good, too.
I tried the Maverick, a neutral everyday trainer, and it was comfortable, plush and extremely responsive from the first step. The TYR rep I spoke with told me that American triathlete Rudy Von Berg uses their shoes, so it shouldn’t have been all that much of a surprise when I felt how comfortable and fast they were, but I was still floored by how great they were.
TYR got into the running game a couple of years ago. Photo: TYR
You might be a TYR supporter for the company’s swimming gear, but if you’ve yet to test out their running shoes, this is your sign to do so. You might just find your new training or racing shoe for the 2026 triathlon season.
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