Is Brooks Running a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway?

Yes. Brooks Sports, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway, held within the consumer products group. Berkshire acquired it in 2006 as part of the Russell Corporation purchase and allows it to operate with substantial autonomy under CEO Dan Sheridan.

Is Brooks Running publicly traded?

No, Brooks itself does not trade. Its parent, Berkshire Hathaway, trades on the New York Stock Exchange under tickers BRK.A and BRK.B. Investors can only gain exposure to Brooks through Berkshire shares.

When was Brooks founded?

Brooks was founded in 1914 in Philadelphia as a manufacturer of ballet slippers and bathing shoes. It pivoted to performance running footwear in the 1970s and became a pure running brand under CEO Jim Weber in the early 2000s.

Who founded Brooks Running?

John Brooks Goldenberg founded the company in Philadelphia in 1914. The modern running-focused business was shaped by CEO Jim Weber, who led from 2001 to 2024, and current CEO Dan Sheridan.

What is Brooks Running's market position?

Brooks is a premium performance running specialist and the No. 1 brand in running footwear at U.S. specialty retail as of late 2025. Estimated 2025 revenue approached $2 billion, with the fastest growth coming from China and EMEA markets.

Where are Brooks shoes made?

Brooks shoes are manufactured primarily in Vietnam and Indonesia by contract factories, with design and development in Seattle. The company has publicly committed to Southeast Asian production despite U.S. tariff pressure introduced in 2025.

Fashion & Apparel

Who Owns Brooks Running?

Brooks Running is owned by Berkshire Hathaway Inc., the diversified conglomerate chaired by Warren Buffett and led by CEO Greg Abel. Brooks operates as a wholly owned subsidiary headquartered in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 1914, the brand recorded roughly $1.9 billion in revenue for 2025 after a 16 percent annual increase, its ninth consecutive year of growth.

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Parent Company

Berkshire Hathaway

Acquired

2006

Status

Publicly Traded

Headquarters

Seattle, Washington, USA

Brooks Running Timeline

1839

Berkshire Hathaway

Parent company established in Omaha, Nebraska, USA

Company Founded

1914

Brooks Running

Founded by John Brooks Goldenberg

Founded

2006

Acquired by Berkshire Hathaway

Berkshire Hathaway acquired Brooks Running

Acquired

premiumpremiumGlobalunisexOfficial Website

Who Owns Brooks Running?

Parent Company: Berkshire Hathaway
Ownership Type: Wholly owned
Acquisition Year: 2006
Company Type: Publicly Traded
Stock Ticker: NYSE: BRK.A

Brand	Parent Company	Ownership Type
Brooks Running	Berkshire Hathaway	Wholly owned

Where to Buy

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Brooks Running on Amazon

History of Brooks Running

Founded: 1914
Founders: John Brooks Goldenberg
Acquired by Berkshire Hathaway: 2006

Brooks traces to 1914, when John Brooks Goldenberg founded a Philadelphia shoe company producing ballet slippers and bathing shoes. Through the mid-20th century the company manufactured orthopedic and specialty footwear, remaining a modest regional maker.

The pivot to running came in the 1970s jogging boom. The 1975 Villanova, developed with Olympic runners, and the 1977 Vantage, one of the first shoes with EVA midsole cushioning, established Brooks as a technical running brand. Financial instability followed: the company cycled through several owners in the 1980s and 1990s, nearly collapsing before a 1993 restructuring under CEO Helen Rockey refocused it on running specialty retail.

Jim Weber took over as CEO in 2001 and bet the company on performance running exclusively, exiting walking, court, and lifestyle categories. The 2004 sale to Russell Corporation and the 2006 Berkshire acquisition of Russell gave Brooks patient capital, and the Ghost, Adrenaline GTS, and Glycerin lines grew it into a top-three U.S. running brand by the mid-2010s.

Growth has been consistent since. Revenue reached approximately $1.6 billion in 2024 and climbed another 16 percent in 2025 to roughly $1.9 billion, a ninth straight annual increase. The Glycerin line with DNA Tuned foam grew revenue 33 percent in 2025, and Brooks claimed the No. 1 position in U.S. specialty retail performance running footwear in the fourth quarter. Expansion into China began in 2025, with a first store opened and about 30 planned by 2027.

About Berkshire Hathaway

What does Berkshire Hathaway own?
Berkshire Hathaway owns a diverse portfolio of over 100 wholly-owned subsidiaries and significant equity investments. Key holdings include GEICO (auto insurance), BNSF Railway (freight transportation), Berkshire Hathaway Energy (utilities), Precision Castparts (aerospace components), Duracell (batteries), See's Candies (confectionery), Dairy Queen (fast food), and NetJets (private aviation). The company also holds substantial investments in publicly traded companies including Apple, Bank of America, and American Express.

Is Berkshire Hathaway publicly traded?
Yes. Berkshire Hathaway is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange under two ticker symbols: BRK.A (Class A shares) and BRK.B (Class B shares). Class A shares have significantly higher voting rights and are priced much higher than Class B shares. Class B shares were created in 1996 to make Berkshire stock more accessible to retail investors. The company has been publicly traded since 1988 and has never paid a dividend.

Who founded Berkshire Hathaway?
The original Berkshire Hathaway textile company was founded in 1839 by Oliver Chace in Valley Falls, Rhode Island. The modern Berkshire Hathaway was shaped by Warren Buffett, who began acquiring shares in 1962 and gained control in 1965, transforming the struggling textile manufacturer into a diversified holding company. The original textile operations were closed in 1985.

Where is Berkshire Hathaway headquartered?
Berkshire Hathaway is headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, USA. The company has maintained its headquarters in Omaha since Warren Buffett took control, reflecting its commitment to a conservative, Midwestern approach to business despite its global scale. The corporate headquarters employs only approximately 25 people, reflecting the extreme decentralization of the organization.

How many companies does Berkshire Hathaway own?
Berkshire Hathaway owns over 100 wholly-owned subsidiaries across insurance, railroads, utilities, manufacturing, consumer products, and services. The exact number fluctuates as Berkshire makes new acquisitions and occasionally sells businesses. The company also holds significant minority stakes in publicly traded companies.

Who owns Berkshire Hathaway?
Berkshire Hathaway is owned by its shareholders, with no single controlling shareholder. Major institutional investors including Vanguard Group, BlackRock, and State Street hold significant stakes. Warren Buffett remains the largest individual shareholder and serves as Executive Chairman, while Greg Abel serves as CEO. The company has a widely dispersed shareholder base typical of large public corporations.

What is Berkshire Hathaway's revenue?
For full-year 2025, Berkshire Hathaway reported operating earnings of $44.49 billion, down from $47.44 billion in 2024. The decline was primarily driven by weaker insurance underwriting results. The company maintains one of the strongest balance sheets in corporate America with cash and equivalents exceeding $150 billion and insurance float exceeding $170 billion.

Who is the CEO of Berkshire Hathaway?
Greg Abel serves as CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, having succeeded Warren Buffett on January 1, 2026. Abel had long been considered Buffett's successor and previously led Berkshire's non-insurance operations. Warren Buffett remains Executive Chairman and continues to be involved in major capital allocation decisions.

Founded: 1839
Headquarters: Omaha, Nebraska, USA
Company Type: Publicly Traded
Stock: NYSE: BRK.A
Revenue: $44.49 billion operating earnings (FY2025)
Employees: Approximately 380,000

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Where Is Brooks Running Made / Based?

Headquarters: Seattle, Washington, USA
Manufacturing / Operations: Vietnam, Indonesia, China

Brooks Running Categories & Tags

Running Shoes Athletic Footwear Sportswear Berkshire Hathaway Performance Running

Brooks Running Sustainability & Ethics

Brooks publishes a corporate responsibility program covering climate, materials, and labor, though it is not a certified B Corp. The company has committed to net-zero carbon emissions by 2040 and reports using recycled materials across its footwear line.

The Ghost 15 and subsequent models incorporate recycled content in uppers, and the brand's BlueLine lab explores lower-impact materials. Brooks runs a take-back program called ReStart in select markets for end-of-life shoe recycling.

Labor oversight follows Berkshire's decentralized model: Brooks maintains its own supplier code of conduct and audit program for its Asian contract factories. No independent cruelty-free or vegan certifications apply, as performance footwear is outside those frameworks.

Awards & Recognition

U.S. Specialty Retail Leadership: No. 1 brand share in performance running footwear at U.S. specialty retail in Q4 2025, per Circana data cited by the company.
Shanghai Marathon: Ranked as the No. 1 international brand among sub-three-hour finishers at the 2025 Shanghai Marathon.
Editorial Recognition: The Ghost and Glycerin lines have repeatedly earned Runner's World and Outside "shoe of the year" and editors' choice awards across successive generations.
Employer Recognition: Brooks has appeared on Seattle-area best workplace lists and has been cited by Berkshire leadership as an exemplar of subsidiary performance.

Brooks Running Recalls & Controversies

Brooks has maintained a relatively clean record, with no major product safety recalls in recent years. Like all footwear brands, it periodically removes specific items through standard CPSC coordination when defects surface.

The brand's most notable reputational episode came in 2017, when an internal memo leaked describing marketing direction that some read as dismissive of casual runners; the company addressed it directly and moved on without lasting damage.

On the trade front, Brooks was publicly vocal in 2025 about the impact of new U.S. tariffs on Southeast Asian-made footwear, with CEO Dan Sheridan warning that costs would reach consumers. The stance drew coverage as a rare public comment from a Berkshire subsidiary on policy, but it was a business position rather than a controversy.

Brooks Running Ownership: Pros & Cons

Advantages

+Berkshire's patient capital enables long product cycles without quarterly earnings pressure
+Autonomous operating model preserves brand focus on performance running
+Nine consecutive years of revenue growth through 2025
+No. 1 position at U.S. specialty retail locks in credibility with core runners
+Financial backing supports international expansion including the China entry

Considerations

-Revenue is not separately disclosed by Berkshire, limiting transparency
-Premium price tier exposes the brand to trade-down during weak consumer cycles
-Southeast Asian manufacturing concentration creates tariff and supply chain exposure
-Lifestyle sneaker competitors like On and Hoka are eroding the pure-performance category boundary
-Berkshire's decentralized oversight means no shared marketing synergies with other portfolio brands

Frequently Asked Questions About Brooks Running

Sources & Further Reading

Competitors to Brooks Running

These competing brands operate in the same categories and provide similar products or services. Compare key attributes to understand market positioning and competitive landscape.

Brand	Parent Company	Country	Founded	Market Position	Primary Market	Gender Target
ASICS	Asics Corporation	Japan	1949	Premium	Global	Unisex
Finish Line	Jd Sports Fashion Plc	USA	1976	Mass market	United states	Unisex
HOKA	Deckers Brands	USA	2009	Premium	Global	All Genders
JD Sports	Jd Sports Fashion Plc	England	1981	Mass market	Global	All-ages
Reebok	Authentic Brands Group	USA	1958	Mid market	Global	Unisex
Russell AthleticSister Brand	Berkshire Hathaway	USA (Fruit of the Loom)	1902	Mass market	United states	All-ages

Learn More About Competitors

Sports

ASICS

Owned by ASICS Corporation

Japanese sportswear company specializing in running shoes and athletic performance gear, founded in 1949 and publicly traded on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.

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Retail Ecommerce

Finish Line

Owned by JD Sports Fashion plc

Indianapolis-based athletic footwear retailer owned by British sportswear group JD Sports Fashion since a 2018 acquisition, operating hundreds of U.S. mall stores and Macy's shop-in-shops.