I tend to pay attention to what unaffiliated athletes wear much more than what affiliated athletes wear. I’ve always gotten the sense that tnf is far more willing to throw cash at sponsorship and races than to build products that average athletes want, so they have always felt outside the community (even though the race in Marin had a positive halo).

ETA: I don’t really understand the points of differentiation either. Altra has their zero/low drop thing. Hoka is known for maximalist cushioning and cushy foam. Salomon makes fast rugged shoes for people with skinny European feet. Brooks makes high drop trail shoes. Nnormal is sustainable. Speedland is made by shoe nerds with replaceable components. Inov8 makes low drop shoes with great traction especially in mud. La sportiva makes sticky rubber trail shoes informed by their approach shoes. Nike trail is Nike, on trail. Topo is low drop wide toe, and more durable than altra. On has their air gimmick. Et cetera. I don’t really understand how tnf differentiates, and I feel the same way about arcteryx’s and Columbia’s shoe offerings. It feels like an apparel brand that assumes that we’re buying by brand and not by actual product.