Year 2014 can’t come soon enough for football fans, but they will have to take the backseat for now as 2013 is still the year for running.

 

“It’s the World Cup next year, and we’re looking forward to that. But for Adidas Philippines, 2013 is the year of running. It’s our main focus this year,” said George Youssef, country head of Adidas Philippines, at the recent opening of the brand’s new concept store in Bonifacio Global City (BGC).

 

Youssef said basketball continues to have the biggest share in Adidas’ business here at 30 percent, with running at 25 percent.

 

“It doesn’t mean running is catching up because basketball is still growing,” he noted. “But if you compare it to other categories, running is increasing much faster.”

Perfect location

 

While Adidas’ entry into BGC, a popular enclave for run enthusiasts and venue for weekend races and fun runs, is overdue, it seems to have found just the perfect location: The new boutique is at Two Parkade on 30th Street and 7th Avenue, right across Track 30th, a popular mini running oval. At the store opening, mingling and shopping with guests were the area’s regular night-time runners.

 

Running’s popularity in the country has grown exponentially in recent years, with weekend races and fun runs scheduled nearly every weekend not just in the metropolis but now also in major provincial cities. With this has come the demand for a greater variety of running gear, not just technology-wise but also fashion-wise: It’s no longer just about what makes you zoom, but also about what makes you look good on the track. Specialty stores have sprouted in BGC alone, and brands like Adidas are heeding the call for high-tech and trendy gear.

 

“We’re committed to bringing more running offerings, for different age groups and at different price categories, whether they’re professional runners or those who only need shoes for training,” Youssef said. AdiZero, Adidas’ lightweight running shoes, now comes in new colorways.

 

“As you can see, we’re introducing a very colorful collection. In the past we only had very safe colors.”

 

Basketball, however, remains the core of Adidas’ business here, where the sport’s popularity is “unlike any other,” said the executive, who was based in Dubai before getting posted here four months ago.

 

Youssef declined to give a name pending confirmation from the headquarters, but he promised basketball fans that Adidas will be bringing in the brand’s celebrity endorsers to the Philippines this year. “You will know who in a couple of months,” he said.

 

The BGC boutique is the first of three concept stores Adidas is opening in 2013. It offers shoes and apparel for basketball, running, training, football, and its lifestyle line called Originals.