Returning for the second month in a row. Due in part to the promise of male validation, and the potentially pseudo-praise I’ve received in person via coworkers. Once again a slave to the handcuffs I have looped around my desk leg. I guess this is just the price of fame. A price I’m willing to pay to keep the adoring fans informed on the inner machinations of the running world.

Happy Global Run Day to those who celebrate. I can’t wait for my whole social media feed to be filled with “get out and run” or retired pro runners posting a pic from ‘08 with “thanks for everything <3” in the caption. Maybe Ian’s biggest accomplishment is avoiding social media altogether, but that remains to be seen since it also means that I have to be the peppy influencer cheerleader for the store.

The Tariffs Strike Back - A Trade Wars Story

(sponsored by that mouse that owns a castle or whatever)

Some updates below for the prior newsletter, and a Mad Max reference. This newsletter is the equivalent of Space Balls to Star Wars for anyone unaware of the vibe.

Altra: Just met with the rep the last week of May, and boy, I’m excited for the new stuff coming down the pipe. I really believe they can make a huge leap in other stores, and I’m predicting they finish inside our Top 3 brands this year. In terms of prices, they’ll see a 4% to 5% increase, which means a $5 increase. Going by model; Lone Peak will be $145, Lone Peak+ will be $160, Timp will be $165, Experience Wild will be $145, FWD Via will be $165, and Experience Flow will be $145. I’m pleased to report that the Escalante will not see any price change. A stellar revelation for all the former FiveFingers fanatics everywhere. Similar to Saucony, the Vanish line will see higher price changes such as the Mont Blanc Speed seeing a $10 increase to $195 and Mont Blanc Carbon seeing a $15 increase to $275. Another noteworthy mention is the Torin going up $10 to $160; returning back to medieval times when the Torin 4 jumped from $120 to $150 in a single iteration.

Asics: A late bloomer in the run game after the lead shoes, and when they tried to convince everyone the word ‘gel’ meant soft and cushy. Pretty much the same marketing campaign On used during the Super Bowl for the Cloud Surfer 2. “Soft wins” traditionally means a soft shoe, but call me a heretic I guess. Anyways, I can confirm it’s going to continue to be on the rise in early 2026 from what I’ve seen so far. Here are the notable price changes: Nimbus 28 to $170, Cumulus 28 to $145, Magic Speed 5 to $180, Trabuco Max 5 to $170, Trabuco 14 to $145, and the Metaspeed line to $270. I’d also like to mention the Novablast price moves to $150 starting June 1st. Apologies for not giving everyone an earlier heads up. However, on our end, Asics has offered to keep all our existing fall preorders at the same wholesale price, which is something other brands have not offered so far.

Hoka: Still waiting as long as possible to give anything official. I like to think it’s because they know the newsletter needs content. We have to get through the first twelve issues and sign a brand deal, so I’ll only need to sell shoes on the weekdays. I would not be incredibly surprised to see a $155 Clifton and a $175-$180 Bondi in January. However, the optimistic side of me wants to believe that if Hoka waits long enough for the tariffs to go back to pre-Trump levels, they may be the only brand not to see increases. They’d still be on par with everyone else coming up to meet their retail prices, so less likely any brands will go backwards on pricing. Still super infuriating when tariffs go down again.

Maybe in our post-capitalism-thunderdome society, they’ll finally loosen up some of the patents and trademarks, and we can all be in some custom Clifton 2s (the Clifton 2 was indeed the best version by the way). In this instance, FLRC would still be in business, hosting trail races in the dried-out bed of Cayuga Lake and offering new shoes to the top 3 finishers. Pretty much like Cocodona 250 or whatever those weirdos are doing out west in their $78k adventure vans. Oh, and anyone in the bottom 15% of finish times are forced to work in the supercritical foam mines, Vibram rubber oil rigs, or the elusive moth cleaner in the Moth Tech shirt factory. I’m well aware this isn’t the exact production model we currently have, but you’ve got to let a boy dream.

Mizuno: Haven’t seen the spring lineup yet from them, but I’m hopeful they’ll start picking up steam in the store with the Brooks Ghost changing so much this year. For price changes: Neo Vista 2 moves from $190 to $200, Wave Rider 29 moves from $145 to $150, and Wave Sky moves from $175 to $180. That’s right. When we thought Mizuno couldn’t be more Brooks-adjacent, they seem to have a similar pricing strategy. Increases in the short term, and potentially waiting it out to see what happens.

New Balance: Just saw the spring 2026 lineup on Monday this week, and it looks interesting. A couple brand new models are coming out, and two of which I think we’ll try adding to a lineup on release to see how they do. More to come on those and the other spring lineups much much later in the year/next year, so get subscribed (or just come into the store and ask me). Most things are increasing $5 to $10, with the higher-end plated stuff going up $15 or so, but very model-dependent. It was also interesting to note that matching other brands’ pricing was a part of this conversation as well. It should be clear that New Balance isn’t just increasing prices in response to other companies too, the tariffs do have an impact on them despite the 57 NILs they sign every outdoor season. However, it does remind me of the graph I made not too long ago on the Ghost price increase and my warning that other brands will see that as the proverbial B-59 in this iteration of the Cuban Missile Crisis. A reference for anyone over 35. Alternatively, the horseman War for those religious readers or anyone over 65.

Nike: Ian sent me an article a few weeks ago saying Nike will see price increases of $5 to $10 in shoes between $100 and $150. Super vague, but that’s what happens when you have a ton of models and all the major news outlets don’t want to spend time on that junk. However, here is a fun quote I pulled from the MSNBC article I read: “Further, Nike’s Air Force 1 shoe will remain $115, the person said. “It’s a shoe that people in the workplace wear,” the person said. “It’s comfortable, accessible.” Air Forces are workwear, and they belong right next to my 9” Carhartt cutoffs and Walmart tuxedo tee shirt. We’ve all got to pour out a $12 IPA for Nike now as they make the very very hard choice of whether they stick to their guns (sweatshops in China) or bend to the current administration (sweatshops in Vietnam).

A New Brand and A New Hope

This might be another good time to reiterate some of the cost breakdowns of the shoe biz and correct some wrongs. I was wrong to say that most of the profits and put back into research and development for future products. A rare occasion of course, but a man owns it when his journalistic integrity is at stake to all 87 people who read this. It’s not a full recope into R&D, but a good chunk of the profit also goes into marketing. I have been following a super small apparel startup out of Leavenworth, WA called Terignota, and really appreciate the transparency and the low cost of quality gear they make. In a recent Instagram post from them, they break down their income and costs after 6 months, and notably mentions that their cost of goods for manufacturing the shipping is as follows: $7.98 for their tee, $7.50 for their hat, $11.96 for their short, $2.41 for their sock, and $14.88 for their fleece grid pullover. All of which they claim to be on par with other brands in this run-apparel game.

But Mr Newsletter Man, how can the good people of Bandit Running make us pay $68 for a mesh shirt with technology on par with run gear from ‘03? It’s about the name. The high-class superiority that comes with ‘I look cool’ because we’ve all been conditioned to idolize that crap we see on social media with shakey run footage on a lamp-lit street and two second clips of gear that is less functional on paper on the body of a 20-something year old that may or may not have a mustache. I happen to support a good mustache when I can, but it paints a picture you’re hopefully familiar with. Anyways. Support what makes you feel good people, but don’t get a god complex along the way. Maybe I want to run in my classic cotton Parkhurst Invite meet shirt, and if I hadn’t lost it in college six years ago maybe I would.

Is this viable to run a company long term? No idea. I have a hard enough time trying to make a shift schedule. However, it is a nice sentiment to think that other like-minded people in the running world see the big profit-hungry brands and are trying something different.

Updates and Upcoming Launches

As far as shoes go, May has still not been as fruitful for my own running due to a mystery illness. I like to think it was food poisoning from an undisclosed restaurant location in the Finger Lakes Region, but I’m not confident or a doctor so I’m willing to chalk it up to an act of god. Possibly a form of divine punishment for being just the sweetest little guy ever. Alternatively, a punishment for trying to bring in Birkenstocks, which is something Ian reminds me of on a weekly basis. I’m one crash out away from doing a flash sale on all our sandals at this point. If only to clear up space in inventory for more shoes. However, I have been running and do have a good list of recent and upcoming updates. My Novablasts do have 350 miles on them and are still hanging on there, so I’m hopeful the 500 mile mark is doable.

As a reminder, Saucony prices increase 6/28 so please get any purchases or orders in before that date if you’re on the fence right now.