Media

7 September 2022, Hong Kong – Leading PRC-based professional sportswear enterprise Xtep International Holdings Limited (the “Company”, together with its subsidiaries, the “Group”) (Stock code: 1368.HK) hosted the “World-class Running Shoes of China Xtep” brand strategy upgrade and new product launch conference at the National Aquatics Center in Beijing on 5 September. At the conference, the Group announced its new strategic brand positioning of “World-class Chinese Running Shoes” and also unveiled the new generation "160X 3.0 PRO" under the "championship running shoes" series "160X" to showcase the Group’s innovation achievement – its proprietary cushioning technology platform "XTEP ACE".

Apart from top-notch celebrities including Xtep's brand spokesperson Nicholas Tse and brand running ambassador Han Han, various distinguished guests from the technology, sports and fashion fields including Duan Shijie, President of the Chinese Athletics Association, Wang Shi, Founder of Vanke Group, Liu Fumin, former Director of the General Administration of Sport of China's sports economy department, Cai Yong, Vice-chairman of the Chinese Athletics Association, Tang Weihong, party committee member of people.cn and Zhang Li, Researcher of China Institute of Sport Science, were also present at the event to show support. The prominent guests witnessed the unveiling of Xtep’s world-standard-matching running shoe technologies and new strategic positioning, marking the start of a new era for Xtep's "World-class Chinese Running Shoes" business.

Xtep, which has been focusing on the running market in Mainland China for 15 years, officially announced today its new "World-class Chinese Running Shoes" brand strategic positioning, to take the brand into the global market. In addition to having strong product technologies, Xtep has also come to possess unique brand equity by building a running ecosystem. Currently, the Xtep Runners Club has 1.5 million members, making it one of the largest and most active brand running groups in Mainland China. Guided by its new “World-class Chinese Running Shoes” strategic positioning, Xtep will continue to support road running in Mainland China. Through product development and innovation, sponsorship for sports events and athletes, athletes and running incentive schemes; offering operational support to running groups and organizing 5km/10km races, Xtep will continue to build an international standard running ecosystem.

Xtep announced its 2022 interim results last month, with revenue reaching RMB5,684 million, up 37.5% year on year, and operating profit amounting to RMB922 million, a year-on-year increase of 34.8%. Profit attributable to ordinary equity holders also rose by 38.4% year on year to RMB590 million. The outstanding results testify clearly to the strengths Xtep has built up over the years in the running sector, giving the brand remarkable competitiveness.

At the event, Xtep also launched the new generation running shoes "160X 3.0 PRO", which adopts the "XTEP ACE'' cushioning technology jointly announced by professor Barry C. Barish, Chief Scientist and Nobel Prize-winning physicist dubbed “Father of Gravitational Waves”, and the China Institute of Sport Science. The "XTEP ACE" cushioning technology employs the world's first “PISA” supercritical foaming technology to give professional runners excellent rebound and propulsion. It also helps protect the knees of mass runners from injuries. The appraisal report published by international accreditation institution SGS also shows that the "160X 3.0 PRO" is comparable or even superior to the top running shoes of key overseas brands in such core functions as cushioning, slip resistance, wear resistance and rebound.

Since 2018, the world-renowned "160X" running shoe series has repeatedly boarded the international stage and supported 38 Chinese athletes who bagged 207 championships in marathons. At the women’s marathon of the World Athletics Championships held in Eugene in the US in July this year, the “160X 2.0” were the only Chinese running shoes among those worn by the top 10 runners.

Mr. Ding Shui Po, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Xtep International Holdings Limited, said: “Amid the pandemic, the Chinese people have become more health conscious and the runner population in Mainland China has been growing steadily, Xtep believes that running shoes, as an essential gear for runners, have tremendous growth potential and, with the ‘World-class Chinese Running Shoes’ strategy steering, it will become a shining example of Chinese sportswear brands on the world stage.”