The 2025 Hakone Ekiden is shaping up to be not just another race along the famed route from Tokyo to Hakone, but rather a fierce battleground for sports apparel brands. With barefoot running gaining traction and high-performance shoes becoming the centerpiece of the athletes' arsenal, the competition among manufacturers, particularly Nike, ASICS, and Adidas, has heated up over the past couple of years.
This year’s race marks the 101st edition of the annual event, set to take place on January 2 and 3, 2025. The race spans approximately 107.5 kilometers and showcases exceptional talent from various universities across Japan.
Adidas has recently surged to claim the top spot among running shoe brands. According to Sports Hochi, the new statistics reveal Adidas shoes were worn by 39% of the runners on the outbound leg of the race, overtaking Nike for the first time since the introduction of high-thickness shoes around 2017. The Adidas “Adizero Adios Pro 1,” priced at ¥82,500, became popular among top athletes, including Tokyo International University’s Etiri and Aoyama Gakuin University’s Kuroda, with 29 athletes opting for it.
Meanwhile, ASICS has been experiencing its own revival. The brand, once at the pinnacle of running shoe sales, had fallen off drastically with zero participants during the 2021 race. But through strategic planning and product development, their market share grew from just 0% to 24.8% by 2024. The resurgence can be attributed to their METASPEED line, which focuses on optimizing runners’ stride length and frequency, effectively bringing ASICS back to relevance.
"When we started the C project to develop competitive shoes, we had to work from the ground up to regain our status," ASICS's leader of the project, Shuhei Takemura explained. After launching the new models, elite runners saw improved performance metrics, with famous long-distance runner Yuki Kawauchi achieving his personal best using METASPEED. This created buzz around the ASICS brand, allowing it to regain its footing among the elite runners.
Nike, which was once the uncontested champion of running shoes, has seen its dominance challenged. Although still maintaining 42.6% of users at the 2024 Hakone Ekiden, which included ten runners claiming top spot during specific segments, it faced notable competition. Many elite athletes have expressed interest in newer, distinct shoe designs—both for performance and to make a personal statement on the racecourse.
Nike's representatives acknowledged the brand's shift away from the previous iconic pink shoes. They introduced their new model, featuring eye-catching flames inspired by the idea of lighting the path for night racers. “Runners wanted to feel good about their shoes. We sought to reflect their desire for more distinctive designs,” said the Nike spokesperson. The brand aims for its new line to capture the spirit of the race and the energy of athletes participating.
The rivalry and shifts among the top shoe brands are projected to intensify even more during the 2025 race. Industry analysts anticipate the competition for market share to become increasingly fierce as brands continue to innovate and attract athletes with unique features and styles.
According to sports writer Masato Sakai, the battle for dominance among these shoe companies is reflective of greater trends within the professional running community, where aesthetics and performance continue to collide. "We are witnessing true diversification among running shoes as brands vie for athletes to wear their goods. It signifies not just preference but also personal branding within competitive sports."
The atmosphere at the Hakone Ekiden is charged with the anticipation of both athletic excellence and the fashion choices of the athletes. Spectators and fans will not only be keeping their eyes on the runners' performance but also on their footwear. Will Adidas continue to rise? Can ASICS make history with their remarkable comeback? And what will be Nike's strategy to regain its throne?
The 2025 Hakone Ekiden is not just about showing who is the fastest runner or which university takes home the title; it’s also a stage where the footwear worn tells its own dramatic story of competition, innovation, and identity. The athletes, their shoes, and the performances will resonate long after the final whistle is blown, establishing the narrative for this year’s race, and potentially, for years to come.