When running retailer Dan Medved enters the expo hall at The Running Event (TRE), a near-annual endeavor for him over the past two decades, he does so with his eyes and ears open. 

And so it will be at this year’s edition of TRE, which takes place December 2-4 at the Henry B. González Convention Center in San Antonio.

On an expo floor featuring more than 350 vendors, from long-time partners to unfamiliar names, Medved’s antennae are high and active. He’s eager to find unique brands, products or services he might bring into his 41-year-old operation in Rochester, NY.

“I always block out time to explore,” Medved says. “And even as I’m traveling from one appointment to another, I’m looking.”

Medved will be one of hundreds of run specialty retailers walking the TRE floor this year and he, like many of his retail peers, is ready to discover. In their own words, retailers detail what they’ll be monitoring on the TRE 2025 floor.

Dan Medved
Medved Running & Walking Outfitters (Rochester, NY)

I’m always on the lookout for something new. Something that stops me in my tracks. Something that is different. Something I could see our customers liking. That’s necessary if we’re going to stay relevant and special in our market. 

I had looked at rabbit a couple of times over the years and liked the fabrication and the company, but I didn’t feel they were there quite yet. Walking by the rabbit booth one TRE, I saw the current version of their holiday shirt and stopped immediately. I liked the colors and feel of it. As I walked to my next appointment, I couldn’t get it out of my head, which was a signal I needed to investigate the brand further. Today, rabbit’s a staple in our store.

One year, I remember waiting to get into the show and talking with two other retailers. Both of them were wearing Topo and talking about their experience with the brand. Still, Topo wasn’t top of mind for me to see. Then, I walked past their booth and the upcoming Vista caught my attention. It led to conversations with a brand rep and [Topo founder] Tony Post about the brand and its lineup, and I could see the brand fitting into our store.

Amy Minkel
Fleet Feet (Charleston, SC)

On the show floor, we don’t spend much time with the bigger brands. We always tend to devote more of our time to what’s new — an up-and-coming brand or product. That might be an accessory brand like sunglasses or a new category of footwear. With apparel, we’re looking for items we can bring in that others don’t have, so we can be on the ground floor and help it blow up. We’re looking for back-of-the-house processes to make our team members’ lives easier or a product or service that’s going to enhance our customers’ experience.

Before even going to TRE, though, we do our homework. We’ll review all the vendors on the list and make a note of those we don’t recognize. We’ll then do a little research on those brands and highlight some that seem particularly interesting.

On the floor then, we divide and conquer. There’s usually about four or five of us and we’ll try to hit every booth on the floor because you never know what you might miss out on if you don’t go down an aisle or turn around a corner. You have to be looking everywhere because you don’t know what you don’t know. You also don’t know what you’re missing until you see what’s out there.

Dane Simmons
Run In (Greenville, SC)

“We’ve got the big hitters in our stores, but it’s other niche products and newer brands we need to have our eyes open for, especially accessory items that pop. Last year we brought in ArtiKen bracelets after seeing them at TRE and we met face to face with Revive & Revel after just picking up some of their shoe care products a few months prior. We’ll have the same focus at TRE this year: find uniqueness.

I’m also interested in anything and everything I can put the Run In logo on, whether it’s towels or shoe bags or backpacks. I’m in a competitive market and need to stand out. So, if there’s something I can customize, especially an intriguing accessory product, I’m interested. 

Daniel Greenhalgh
Skinny Raven Sports
(Anchorage, AK)

We need innovation in every area of run specialty, especially in our accessories business, which has fallen flat over the last few years. We need fun, fresh products, whether that’s from emerging brands or well-known names, and products that differentiate themselves or put a new twist on an old thing. Goodr was that years ago, but what happens so rapidly these days is brands come to TRE, they build their name in the channel and then they’re onto the mass market. 

There’s a lot of pressure on us to find the next brands that will be intriguing to our customers so that our store looks interesting and we’re building momentum in the accessories category. So, that’s what I’ll have my eyes open for on the TRE floor this year.