The Rock Fight: Outdoor Industry & Adventure Sports Commentary

Episode: Nike Eyes Trail Running & Sierra Steals the Suburbs
Date: November 24, 2025
Hosts: Colin True, Owen Comerford, Dave Owen (Producer: Dave Karstad)

Episode Overview

This episode delivers a deep dive into two headline topics shaping the outdoor industry: Nike’s big bet on trail running, and the rapid rise of Sierra (the off-price outdoor retail chain owned by TJX). The hosts—Colin, Owen, and Dave—also answer a listener email about Patagonia and ethical manufacturing, highlight Women Led Wednesday, dissect retail strategy, and finish with a parting shot about fair compensation for outdoor industry educators. As always, their tone is unfiltered, irreverent, and fueled by both industry experience and a genuine passion for the outdoors.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Patagonia, Supply Chain Ethics, and Industry Accountability

[06:04–14:12]

• Listener Mailbag: Caroline writes in, questioning Patagonia’s use of the same factories as fast fashion brands and urging more systemic change.
• Hosts’ Insights:
  • Patagonia’s Practices: The hosts clarify that Patagonia works with top-tier factories, not the same ones as Shein, and is quick to address violations. “They're working with the best of the best factors in terms of quality, in terms of their technical abilities and in terms of the way they treat their workers.” – Dave Owen [07:55]
  • Limitations of Brand Influence: Patagonia can’t “move the needle alone,” as factories serve many brands; true wage and labor change requires industry and governmental engagement.
  • Role of Retailers: REI’s supplier standards are credited as an industry lever: “If REI basically said, hey, it has to be fair trade, it has to be certified in a certain way, guess what? The industry would fall in line because that is a big portion of where they're selling into.” – Dave Owen [12:17]
  • Overproduction: The panel recognizes overproduction but disagrees on scale compared to mainstream apparel; they call for better alignment through organizations like OIA.

2. Nike’s Trail Running Ambitions

[14:14–22:15]

• New Product Releases: Nike’s unveiling of the maximalist Vomero Plus, closely resembling HOKA, draws industry attention.
• Major Event Sponsorship: Nike ACG is sponsoring Gorge Waterfalls 100K with a $75,000 purse—one of the biggest in trail running globally.
• Is Nike “coming” for trail running?
  • “Of course they are... The push back into running makes a ton of sense from a bunch of factors… Trail running is the piece of running that's growing the fastest.” – Dave Owen [15:43]
  • Nike’s playbook: investment in events, athletes, and prize money, plus leveraging ACG as a sub-brand to build trail credibility.
  • Resistance from niche: Trail running's core consumer often prefers indie brands, but the panel believes Nike will eventually earn legitimacy.
  • “If Nike can wear down skateboarding and become a legitimate brand in that space, what chance does trail running really have?” – Owen Comerford [16:38]
  • The impact could “level up” trail running's exposure and resources, possibly shifting industry dynamics as Nike works to “create dream makers” with money and marketing.

3. The Lightning Round: Running Brands, REI’s Travel Comeback, and Women-Led Wednesday

[25:00–32:01]

• Running Shoe Segment: Brands like Saucony, On, Nike, Hoka, and Brooks all post Q3 gains—even as Hoka’s growth slows. Hosts joke that boots will come back “when society has to fall a couple more notches.” [25:31]
• REI Re-Enters Travel: REI, after shuttering its own adventure travel division, quickly partners with Intrepid Travel to re-offer trips without the overhead. “It just makes too much sense.” – Dave Owen [26:49]
• Women-Led Wednesday Brand Picks:
  • Po Campo: Urban cycling bags by Maria Boustead [28:31]
  • Hot Salad Bicycles: Custom bikes described as “equal parts industrial and jewel-like” [29:30]
  • BFF Coffees: High-quality, woman-owned coffee roaster [30:03]
  • Hosts emphasize the depth and diversity of women-led brands (18+ pages at womenledwednesday.com) and urge listeners to support them.

4. Sierra: The Off-Price Outdoor Retail Juggernaut

[32:01–48:52]

• Growth: 14 new stores in Q3, now 141 total; total square footage approaches 60% of REI’s retail footprint [32:46].
• Field Reports:
  • Store Mix is mostly private label and mainstream “outdoorsy” brands (e.g., Spyder, Volcom, Free Country), with true specialty gear and brands making up only about 10% of inventory.
  • “I was struck by how unoutdoorsy it felt… more home goods meets the apparel section of the ski swap.” – Owen Comerford [35:26]
  • Specialty finds—like Cotopaxi, Black Diamond—are “little treasures” you have to hunt for.
  • Customer Base: Overwhelmingly female, evidenced by things like a huge scented candle section.
  • Basics & Entry-Level: Solid for off-brand basics, affordable gloves/hats, and some “hidden gem” technical items (“the sock wall has every brand you can think of”).
• Industry Role:
  • Hosts debate whether Sierra is a threat to specialty or big-box (REI); consensus is it hurts REI’s share more than specialty independents.
  • Colin: “If a Sierra shows up next door… they can service the entry level people who will eventually find the way to my store... Sierra is more a threat to REI than to specialty.” [41:02]
  • Dave argues closeouts should first be offered to specialty retailers to “help round out their margins,” keeping things “more in the family than to include services here.” [43:02]
  • Panel notes the challenge of overproduction and the temptation of a quick PO from Sierra for brands stuck with inventory.
  • Geographical insight: Sierras tend to be in the same suburban strip malls as REIs; less overlap with true specialty shops [45:57].

5. Parting Shot: Trade Shows Must Pay Their Speakers

[48:52–51:44]

• Shouting Out Darren Josie: Colin highlights an industry LinkedIn post by Josie, criticizing trade shows for not compensating panelists/educators.
• Wins: Switchback event will now offer speaker packages with honoraria and travel/housing stipends [50:45]. ISPO’s new managers pledge $1 million for show content.
• “It’s important to be loud about our beliefs... good things actually do happen every once in a while if you speak up.” – Colin True [51:00]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Nike and Trail Running:
  • “If Nike can wear down skateboarding and become a legitimate brand in that space, what chance does trail running really have?” – Owen Comerford [16:38]
  • “The press release about the Gorge Waterfalls is that it’s sponsored by Nike ACG, not just Nike. Which I think is super smart…” – Dave Owen [19:09]
• On Sierra’s Retail Model:
  • “I was struck by how unoutdoorsy it felt.” – Owen Comerford [35:26]
  • “The sock wall—every brand you can think of… smart wool, of course, represented. But what’s the one brand I didn’t see? Darn Tough.” – Owen Comerford [39:45]
• On Specialty Retail and Closeouts:
  • “The way I look at closeouts is that the outdoor brands should be giving those closeouts to the retailers that are supporting their full price business… make my retailer healthier by allowing them to access these closeout goods.” – Dave Owen [43:02]
• On Speaking Up for Change:
  • “It’s important to be loud about our beliefs… good things actually do happen every once in a while if you speak up.” – Colin True [51:00]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Listener Mailbag on Patagonia and ethics: [06:04–14:12]
• Nike & Trail Running Strategy: [14:14–22:15]
• Lightning Round (Running brands, REI travel, Women-Led Wednesday): [25:00–32:01]
• Sierra: Store Reports & Retail Impact: [32:01–48:52]
• Parting Shot: Trade Show Compensation: [48:52–51:44]

Tone & Takeaway

This episode exemplifies The Rock Fight’s signature style: blunt, knowledgeable, and conversational, mixing real industry insight with irreverence and a genuine community vibe. The hosts break down conventional narratives, challenge brand and retailer decisions, and aren’t afraid to shout out both wins and problems in the outdoor space. If you crave candor and campfire honesty in outdoor industry talk, this episode is a must-listen.

Listeners will walk away with:

• Sharper insight into Nike’s (inevitable?) move into trail running and what it means for both the niche and the mainstream
• Retail intelligence on Sierra’s off-price expansion and its implications for REI, specialty shops, and brands
• Nuanced debate on responsible sourcing, overproduction, and the real-world challenges brands face
• A celebration of women-led outdoor brands for shoppers seeking to support diversity this winter
• Renewed motivation for industry insiders to speak truth to power for lasting change

Tune in for unvarnished perspectives from people who genuinely live, love, and sometimes gripe about the outdoor world.