A new brand of running shoes from Denmark? It’s not every day that a trade publication in the sporting goods industry gets to write about that. But such will be the reality next year when Movv (pronounced move) launches its first running shoes.
The images published here at SGI Europe are an exclusive first look at Movv’s first product to hit running stores in April 2025: the Nostara, a neutral shoe, as neutral runners are the most common type throughout the world today. The Nostara will be followed by the support product Solara, designed for pronation runners or those who need a more supportive shoe.
Nikolai Christensen, Movv’s creator, is no newcomer. He has a long history in footwear. He was recently Vice President of the lifestyle segment at Danish shoe brand Ecco, where he and his team won several awards for their shoes, including the German Design Award and the ISPO Award. Before that, he was Product Vice President at Keen Footwear in Portland, Oregon.
“The last 23 years I have spent in footwear on an international level, focusing on product management and brand creation. Of course, this background has led me to believe that this is possible. I have a simple business school degree, but my career is definitely colored by working my way up through the organizations from trainee to VP,” says Christensen, explaining that there is a purpose behind the design of Movv’s shoes: it can reduce injuries caused by running. “Each year, around 80 percent of people who run or jog will find themselves out of action due to running-related injuries. Movv was created to reduce that statistic and keep runners moving. We are inspired by human performance and we are driven by experience, not trends.”
In designing Movv’s shoes, Christensen used data scans from thousands of runners from two running companies that joined Movv in a collaboration. “The learnings and the collaboration with Kaiser Sport & Orthopedic [KSO] and Runners Lab, both experts in addressing and reducing running-related injuries, have given us the data and the foundation of how we should design the Movv products. Their expertise and dedication to improving runner health align perfectly with our mission.” Christensen says that with KSO and Runners Lab’s guidance and knowledge, Movv has created a product that aligns with the proper motions of the human body when it runs.
“In a way, our running shoe will help reduce running-related injuries while, at the same time, strengthening your body, your ligaments and, most importantly, your bones. Our product offering focuses on the runner. We don’t hunt seasonal updates to bolster our share price. We don’t follow; we move differently and play by the rules of facts. After all, data doesn’t lie, which is evident in our company.”
Christensen explains that consumers can connect with Movv’s community when they buy a pair of shoes. “We will have an app or a web solution in which runners can scan their feet and get the right size of footwear as well as interact with the running community. We will also have an ongoing process of including the web-solution with injury-reduction content. In the coming weeks, we will also start a podcast – where we try to educate listeners about the running community,” he says.
Sales will take place mainly through KSO, the biggest premium running shoe store with a sit & fit concept in Denmark, but Movv will also sell through Runners Lab, the biggest running store in Belgium, and on Movv.com. Sales begin in April 2025.
