Glasses on the run Newsletter #67

Hi,

I hope you are all well and, amid market turmoil and other calamities, are able to enjoy the spring.

What was interesting in the business of running

Let's start with the hot topic - US President Trump's tariffs that he announced on 2nd April. Many of the major running brands manufacture their shoes and merchandise in Asia, and more specifically in Vietnam, which was hit with a 46% levy for goods exported to the US. Nike has 130 supplier factories in Vietnam, while 39% of Adidas's shoes are made there. Running brands have been shifting their manufacturing to Vietnam in order to diversify away from China (who in its own right has so far been hit with a cumulative 54% levy for goods exported to the US) and now they are facing a big challenge (Financial Times). And here is how the tariffs could impact the price of the Nike's Air Jordan 1 (BBC).

Puma is one of those brands that have been impacted by those tariffs too, which has added to existing challenges. As a result the company announced that its Arne Freundt is departing after only 2.5 years at the helm. He will be replaced by former Adidas sales chief Arthur Hoeld who will take over as CEO and Chairman on 1st July (Reuters).

Garmin has added a subscription tier and AI to its platform Garmin Connect. For years Garmin Connect has been free and the introduction of a paywall marks a big departure for the company. The price will be $6.99 per month or $69.99 for an annual subscription, which is close to what a Strava subscription costs (The Verge).

More from Garmin - it released the new Vivoactive 6 watch last week and here is a thorough, in-depth review from DC Rainmaker.

Finally, here is an overview of the six best Saucony running shoes of 2025 (Outdoor Gear Lab).

As always, thank you for reading,

Momchil