Running craze in Korea fuels sneaker sell-out frenzy

[Courtesy of Nike]

The running boom sweeping South Korea has sparked a frenzy for high-performance running shoes, leading to rapid sell-outs of popular brands.

On Friday, Asics launched its Celebration of Sport Collection Paris Series running shoes through its official Korean website.

The release saw nearly 10,000 users attempting to purchase the shoes at exactly 10 a.m., causing the website’s server to crash.

Just a day earlier, Nike’s Alphafly 3 Blueprint running shoes sold out almost instantly upon release on the company’s Korean website.

The rapid sell-outs can be attributed to running enthusiasts who, through various online communities, share launch dates and coordinate to participate in an open run at the exact time of release.

According to industry insiders, the number of runners in Korea has reached 10 million, ranging from marathon participants to casual hobbyists. This surge is further fueled by the increase in offline events and marathons post-pandemic, marking a significant growth in the running shoe market.

The domestic sneakers market, valued at about 4 trillion won ($2.88 billion), sees running shoes accounting for over 1 trillion won. With the rising demand, resale prices have also skyrocketed.

Resale platforms like Daangn Market, Joonggonara, and KREAM are flooded with listings for sold-out sneakers, often priced at a premium.

For instance, the Nike Alphafly 3 Blueprint, originally priced at 329,000 won, is now averaging mid-400,000 won on resale platforms.

Some listings on Daangn Market even reach 600,000 won, almost double the retail price.

Similarly, Asics’ Paris Series models like the Metaspeed, priced at 299,000 won, are being resold for between 360,000 to 400,000 won.

The Swiss running shoe brand On also saw significant resale activity.

The brand’s Cloudmonster2, launched in collaboration with Korean fashion brand Post Archive Faction (PAF) in May, is being sold for over 600,000 won, more than double its retail price of 279,000 won.

Running enthusiasts are urging brands to increase production to meet the surging demand. However, brands are likely to continue adjusting their supply to maintain high demand and marketing impact.

This scarcity has pushed some runners to seek international purchases. Reviews on Naver blogs and running communities highlight successful buys from Japanese stores, where Asics and other popular brands are still available. The On flagship store in Tokyo, for example, sees queues of 30-40 minutes even on weekdays.