Geox, the Italian shoemaker, has announced plans to enter the running-shoe market, an expansion from its core business which will see it pit its products against the giants of the global sportswear industry such as Nike, Adidas and Puma.

The launch of a running shoe is the first move for Geox away from the relatively fragmented conventional or so-called brown shoe market, where it has become one of the largest global companies, with a4 per cent market share. Geox opens its flagship US store on Madison Avenue in New York tomorrow.