The Story of Velocità and the Evolution of Running in Brazil
Alexandre Estefano reflects on 30 years of the brand, market shifts, and the future of specialty running retail.
In an interview on the Se Liga Nelas podcast, Alexandre Estefano details the history of Velocità and three decades of transformation in road running. Discover the key takeaways from the episode, from the evolution of running shoes to the brand's 30th anniversary celebrations.
Celebrating 30 years of history, Velocità has closely followed the transformation of road running in Brazil, witnessing the sport grow from its early stages into today's era of broad diversity and advanced technology. On the Se Liga Nelas podcast, Alexandre Estefano, managing partner of the brand, shared behind-the-scenes insights into this journey, the challenges facing specialty retail, and the company's upcoming anniversary plans. Below is an overview of the key topics discussed during the conversation.
Alexandre Estefano's background: from Penalty to Velocità
Alexandre reflects on his roots in a family with over 50 years of tradition in sports entrepreneurship—his father was one of the co-founders of Penalty. After building an executive career at multinational corporations and managing the international expansion of his family's brand, he took over partner leadership at Velocità in 2014, when running became a permanent fixture in his personal and professional life.
The founding and Velocità's pivot to running
Founded in 1996 under the name Sport Now as a multi-sport retailer, the company underwent a strategic pivot in 2002. Identifying the rise of running coaching groups and the international technical store model, the founders decided to focus 100% on road running. This pioneering move established the brand in specialty retail with technical curation and dedicated space for the running community.
Shoe evolution and runner profiles in the 1990s and 2000s
Contrasting older models with today's advanced foam technologies, Alexandre explains that running shoes in the 1990s and 2000s were heavy and focused almost exclusively on injury prevention. The market back then was dominated by Japanese brands such as Mizuno and Asics, driving the era of gait analysis (pronation, supination, and neutral), a concept that guided choices prior to the recent revolution in materials.
Running's cultural shift and a specialized sales team
Once viewed as an activity for older athletes or those recovering from injuries in other sports, running has undergone a cultural renewal that attracts younger demographics. To keep pace with this evolution, Velocità built a sales team composed primarily of active runners who test gear, train with local running groups, and share genuine, hands-on experience with customers on the sales floor.
Identity, running clubs, and urban crew culture
The episode explores the dynamic between traditional coaching groups and urban running crews, which have turned the sport into a vehicle for self-expression and lifestyle. Alexandre examines how apparel and specialty brands gained symbolic importance in this ecosystem, and how major manufacturers are working to connect with these cultural movements without losing their performance-driven audience.
The digital pivot, pandemic hurdles, and new strategies
Having an established e-commerce platform allowed the business to navigate the mandatory shutdown of physical retail stores in 2020. Alexandre details the unexpected surge in sales of Fiber athletic masks, the decision to maintain inventory purchases while the broader market pulled back, and the integration of WhatsApp into the sales team's daily workflow—ultimately solidifying a balanced 50% brick-and-mortar and 50% digital operation.
Growth of the female demographic and consumer habits
Female participation in stores has grown significantly over the years, rising from historical levels of 20% to roughly 35% to 40% of the customer base. Alexandre highlights the specific preferences of this demographic, which values curated styling and aesthetics without compromising on performance technology, requiring tailored curation across apparel and footwear.
Loyalty rewards and the creation of the Black Friday Run
To steer clear of aggressive price-slashing wars common in mass retail, Velocità created the Black Friday Run a decade ago. This innovative campaign syncs with customers' activity tracking apps (such as Strava and Garmin) to convert kilometers logged on the day of the event into store discounts, embedding the loyalty program directly into participants' training routines.
Velocità's 30th anniversary, physical stores, and future plans
To mark three decades since its founding, the retail chain is preparing the 10th edition of its Black Friday Run alongside a group run connecting its five physical locations across São Paulo (Moema, Pinheiros, Jaú, Santana, and Zona Leste) in December. Alexandre also previewed the release of a comprehensive survey profiling Brazilian runners and plans to launch a proprietary race event in 2027.