ChengduMay 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — On May 28, Decathlon hosted the “Mountain Lab” concept launch and the debut of its first MH900 hiking shoe at its first outdoor concept store in Asia, located at Chengdu Raffles City. The event centered on discussions about “how product development responds to the real needs of outdoor enthusiasts, from lab parameters to real mountain environments,” and shared the MH900 hiking shoe’s performance in high-altitude heavy-load hiking and complex terrains. The event also organized outdoor enthusiasts to venture into the mountains to personally verify the stability and grip of the MH900 hiking shoe on slippery slopes and rocky paths.
As outdoor sports evolve from “entry-level experiences” to “deep exploration,” more consumers are choosing to head into the mountains to engage with nature and seek inner relaxation and strength through each journey. Faced with unpredictable weather, complex and slippery terrains, and longer distances, the importance of professional gear becomes increasingly evident. As a key gathering point for outdoor enthusiasts nationwide, Decathlon’s first outdoor concept store in Asia in Chengdu continues the DNA and legacy of Decathlon’s global mountain design center at the foot of Mont Blanc. At the event, Decathlon’s Public Relations and Media Communications Director Zhao Jie, Decathlon Outdoor Brand Business Director Ai Yun, Decathlon Product Development Engineer Huang Guojian, Decathlon Chengdu Raffles City Store Manager Zhao Shengyu, Decathlon China Community Leader Lin Mengyuan, and Yuelushan Principal Ma Zi gathered to share how Decathlon, rooted in real mountain environments, refines a hiking shoe truly suited for outdoor enthusiasts, covering brand philosophy, R&D logic, and real-world experiences.
Exchange at the launch event of the ‘Mountain Lab’ concept and the first MH900 hiking shoe
Identifying Problems in the Mountains, Finding Answers in the Mountains
Decathlon Outdoor Brand Business Director Ai Yun stated: “The ‘Mountain Lab’ concept encompasses three levels. First, the brand logo features the mountain as a core element, embodying the R&D team’s genuine love and respect for the mountains. Second, the ‘Mountain Lab’ design and R&D center is located at the foot of the mountains, leveraging real natural outdoor scenes for long-term product testing and continuous observation. Third, Decathlon continuously collects real user feedback and, based on outdoor scenarios and consumer needs, persistently develops and iterates products. The ‘Mountain Lab’ concept fully demonstrates Decathlon’s professional and rigorous approach in product R&D and testing. This year marks Decathlon’s 50th anniversary, and we have always aimed to enable more consumers to use Decathlon’s professional sports gear to venture into the mountains and enjoy the fun of outdoor sports.”
Rooted in the outdoor field for 50 years, Decathlon has always believed that good products are not born solely from spec sheets and meeting rooms but grow in real-world scenarios. Located at the foot of Mont Blanc, Decathlon’s outdoor sports R&D and design center boasts the Alps as a natural open-air laboratory. Leveraging this unique environment, Decathlon continuously refines its products on gravel, streams, steep slopes, slippery surfaces, and in complex weather conditions. These variables from real mountain environments form the crucial foundation for Decathlon’s ongoing product evolution. For this reason, Decathlon views mountains worldwide with different terrains, climates, and environments as open natural laboratories, transforming trials in real scenarios into more solid product performance, safeguarding every outdoor enthusiast’s journey of encountering nature and themselves.
As outdoor sports continue to heat up in China, consumer demand for professional outdoor gear has evolved from “good enough” to “better suited to my scenarios.” The “Mountain Lab” is also becoming a local practice for Decathlon in the Chinese market. According to Yuelushan Principal Ma Zi, when purchasing gear, one should consider their own frequency of sports trips, routes, altitude, and actual hiking environment, matching equipment based on real needs. On one hand, Decathlon brings the “Mountain Lab” into the city center. At Decathlon’s Chengdu Raffles City store, also its first outdoor concept store in Asia, it uses simulated outdoor environments and interactive experience installations to let consumers intuitively feel product performance, such as the lotus leaf effect of jackets and the comfort of backpack straps, helping users make more confident purchases before heading out. On the other hand, Decathlon continuously ventures into China’s real mountains, conducting localized tests on complex routes in western Sichuan featuring high altitudes, many rocks, and water crossings, and gathering real user feedback to continuously absorb insights and optimize products.
Bringing Professionalism Back to the Mountains: The MH900 Hiking Shoe Puts the Concept into Practice
As the star of this launch event, the MH900 hiking shoe is a tangible outcome of Decathlon’s “Mountain Lab” concept. The MH900 hiking shoe focuses on long-duration hikes and complex mountain environments, aiming to support outdoor enthusiasts in completing up to 10 hours of long-distance mountain trekking. Its product positioning balances technical performance with everyday wearability, making it suitable not only for complex mountain terrains but also more aligned with contemporary outdoor lifestyles.
To ensure professional performance translates into every step, the MH900 hiking shoe underwent rigorous testing and repeated iterations in core capabilities such as waterproofing, grip, cushioning, and support. Decathlon Product Development Engineer Huang Guojian noted that during the R&D phase, the MH900 underwent immersion tests lasting over 8 hours and withstood up to 50,000 bends, bending approximately 3,600 times per hour. In field tests, testers walked a cumulative distance of over 1,000 kilometers in sample shoes over two to three months. Decathlon conducted week-long follow-up wear tests, then moved to real mountain road condition tests after passing, and finally long-term wear in daily hiking scenarios with regular feedback. After testing, the shoes were collected for comprehensive inspection of wear levels and performance metrics.
The MH900 hiking shoe has accumulated thousands of kilometers of hiking tests in real mountain environments such as the Alps and western Sichuan, passing multiple lab and field validations. It has been continuously tuned for frequent hiking scenarios like rocky paths, muddy ground, wet slopes, and stream crossings, aiming to bring product performance closer to the needs of real mountain environments.
Exploded view of the MH900 hiking shoe
From Western Sichuan to the Suburbs of Chengdu: The MH900 Hiking Shoe Delivers Professionalism in Feel
The event also invited Ma Zi, Principal of Yuelushan, who participated in the heavy-load testing in western Sichuan, to share the actual performance of the MH900 hiking shoe in complex mountain scenarios. In his view, what matters most when choosing shoes is not how professional the specs sound, but whether the shoe suits oneself and the intended route. He said: “We often travel in high-altitude mountain areas like Sichuan and Tibet. We used to wear mountaineering boots, which are generally quite heavy. The MH900 hiking shoe is significantly lighter than traditional models while still offering waterproofing and protective features suitable for high-altitude complex routes. The on-foot experience is very good.”
On the day of the launch, Decathlon also organized media and store community members to wear the MH900 hiking shoes and head to the mountains on the outskirts of Chengdu for a hands-on experience. By closely engaging with real terrain and natural environments, participants gained a more intuitive feel for the comfort, wrap, grip, and overall stability of the MH900 hiking shoe. Many participants noted that the lightweight feel and stable performance of the MH900 during actual walking gave them a more concrete understanding of Decathlon’s “Mountain Lab” concept.
Decathlon MH900 hiking shoe
This year marks the 50th anniversary of Decathlon’s founding. From the launch of its first hiking shoe, the MAYA, in 1988 to the release of the MH900 hiking shoe in China today, Decathlon aims to convey a simpler yet more steadfast understanding of “professionalism.” As Zhao Jie said at the event: “We only promise one thing: every new Decathlon product will first go to the mountains, get caught in a few rains with users, spend a few nights in the wind, and tackle a few leg-breaking slopes. Then, we’ll bring it back to you.” In the future, Decathlon will also use the Chengdu Raffles City store as a starting point to continue expanding scenarios that integrate product experiences, outdoor exchanges, and community co-creation, enabling more Chinese consumers to venture into the mountains more easily and safely, enjoying the joy of sports.