Changes Afoot In Sneaker Biz: Fashion Rules Again

  • March 15, 2007
Bah, who needs to exercise? The NPD Group reports that "low-performance" footwear is now the second-biggest category in the $19.4 billion athletic shoe market, with $4.8 billion in sales in 2006--up from $4.5 billion in the prior year. That puts it this close to running shoes, which accounted for $4.9 billion in sales, down from more than $5 billion in the previous year.

"There is a clear shift by consumers from casual athletic shoes to fashion designs for casual," the market research company says. "Consumers are telling us that style and comfort, not performance, are the keys here."

For 2006, NPD says the best-selling brands were Nike, New Balance, Adidas, Reebok, and Brand Jordan.

--Sarah Mahoney

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