Abstract
During 2002-2007, the U.S. athletic footwear market experienced slow growth of less than 3% per year at current prices. Advances in technology have always driven the athletic shoe market, yet a fusion of performance with fashion is becoming the predominant inspiration for new sales - most notably with young purchasers. Sports participation, and therefore shoes required to participate, are never static - men are exploring cross training more and more, and women are going to the gyms and studios.
This report offers discussion of the following topics:
- How athletic shoe brands have established distinct personalities, though some are trying to go through therapy for adjustments
- How women are helping to drive sales as they demand more fashionable options
- How a marketplace dominated by large companies such as Nike and Adidas can still have room for niche players that cater to specific needs
- How age and race/ethnicity figure prominently in purchase behavior and attitudes about athletic shoes
- How creativity and technological innovations can open up whole new worlds for manufacturers and consumers alike
Table of Contents
- Scope and Themes
- What you need to know
- Definition
- Data sources
- Sales data
- Consumer survey data
- Abbreviations and terms
- Abbreviations
- Terms
- Executive Summary
- Overall sales growth steady, segment popularity shifts
- New entrants, counterfeiting pose significant challenges to market
- Largest segment experiences slowest growth
- Men' s
- Women' s
- Children and teens
- Retail channels
- Age, activity level impact athletic footwear sales
- Leading companies
- Innovation and innovators
- Athletes, races provide sponsorship opportunities
- The people
- Athletic shoe purchase
- Brand commitment
- Attitudes and purchase motivations
- Teens and athletic shoes
- The kiddie connection
- Race and ethnicity
- Market Size and Forecast
- Key points
- Basketball clangs the rim, fashion jumps ahead
- Winners and losers
- LFAs likely to have even greater appeal
- Sales and forecast of athletic shoes
- Figure 1: Total U.S. sales and forecast of athletic and rugged shoes, at current prices, 2002-12
- Figure 2: Total U.S. sales and forecast of athletic and rugged shoes, at inflation adjusted prices, 2002-12
- Competitive Context
- Unconventional competitors seek market share
- Shunning shoes altogether
- Counterfeiting reaches a critical mass
- Segment Performance
- Key points
- Sales and forecast of athletic shoes, by segment
- Figure 3: U.S. sales and forecast of athletic and rugged shoes, by segment, 2002-12
- Figure 4: U.S. sales and forecast of athletic and rugged shoes, by segment, 2005 and 2007
- Segment Performance--Men' s
- Key points
- Narrow focus flattens sales
- Versatile shoes also dampen sales
- Sales and forecast of men' s athletic shoes
- Figure 5: U.S. sales and forecast of men' s athletic and rugged shoes 2002-12
- Segment Performance--Women' s
- Key points
- Yoga might bend the space out of shape
- Fashion and sophistication look to be key
- Sales and forecast of women' s athletic shoes
- Figure 6: U.S. sales and forecast of women' s athletic and rugged shoes, 2002-12
- Segment Performance--Children and Teens
- Key points
- Teens buy them, but won' t have much money
- Figure 7: Athletic shoes/sneakers purchased in past 12 months, Spring 2007
- But baby needs a new pair of shoes
- Sales and forecast of children' s athletic shoes
- Figure 8: U.S. sales and forecast of children' s athletic and rugged shoes, 2002-12
- Athletic Shoe Categories
- Figure 9: Manufacturer wholesale sales of athletic shoes by category, 2006-07
- Retail Channels
- Key points
- Job cuts, challenging economy bolster sales at discount stores
- Sales of athletic shoes by retail channel
- Figure 10: U.S. sales of athletic and rugged shoes, by retail channel, 2005 and 2007
- Retail Channels--Shoe Stores
- Key points
- Retail shoe stores will gain market share
- Finish Line and Foot Locker battle it out
- Branded athletic shoe stores hold their own
- Sales of athletic shoes at shoe stores
- Figure 11: U.S. sales of athletic and rugged shoes at shoe stores, 2002-07
- Figure 12: U.S. sales of athletic and rugged shoes at shoe stores, by shoe store segment, 2005 and 2007
- Retail Channels--Sporting Goods Stores
- Key points
- Green initiatives create cachet
- Market share
- Sales of athletic shoes at sporting good stores
- Figure 13: U.S. sales of athletic and rugged shoes at sporting goods stores, 2002-07
- Retail Channels--Discount Stores
- Key points
- A large selection and cheaper price tag allows discount stores to thrive
- Sales of athletic shoes at discount stores
- Figure 14: U.S. sales of athletic and rugged shoes at discount stores, 2002-07
- Retail Channels--Clothing Stores
- Key point
- Slow and steady
- Sales of athletic shoes at clothing stores
- Figure 15: U.S. sales of athletic and rugged shoes at clothing stores, 2002-07
- Retail Channels--Department Stores
- Key point
- Lack of expertise and competition from discount stores force sales down
- Sales of athletic shoes at department stores
- Figure 16: U.S. sales of athletic and rugged shoes at department stores, 2002-07
- Retail Channels--Internet and Other
- Key point
- Online stores gain traction
- Sales of athletic shoes at "other" outlets
- Figure 17: U.S. sales of athletic and rugged shoes at other retail outlets, 2002-07
- Market Drivers
- Teen spending is important... but will decline
- Figure 18: Total U.S. teen spending at current prices, 2002-12
- An aging population could further slow sales
- Figure 19: Participation in activities at least once per week, by age, March 2008
- Obesity further threatens sales, yet presents new opportunities
- Figure 20: Prevalence of overweight and obesity among Americans, 1988-2002
- Sports participation
- Figure 21: Top 15 most popular U.S. sports among those aged 7+, by participation, 2000-06
- Hispanics will be an increasingly important customer
- Figure 22: Population, by race and Hispanic origin, 2002-12
- Figure 23: Buying power by ethnicity, 1990-2011
- Leading Companies
- Key points
- Puma and Skechers benefit from changing tastes
- Acquisitions change the face of the market, create opportunities
- Nike finishes strong
- Converse gets its game back
- Worldwide revenues of select athletic shoe manufacturers
- Figure 24: Select athletic shoe manufacturers' worldwide revenues, 2005 & 2007
- Brand Qualities
- Introduction
- Nike appeals to younger Americans
- New Balance is about balance
- Reebok and the everyday exerciser
- Innovation and Innovators
- Nike+ iPod
- Toe then heel, instead of heel then toe
- adidas is cooking
- Advertising and Promotion
- Overview
- adidas "It Takes 5ive"
- Nike looks beyond TV
- New Balance
- Reebok blurs lines between advertising and entertainment
- K-Swiss stumbles
- Television commercials
- Style
- Figure 25: Ecko television ad, 2007
- Figure 26: K-Swiss television ad, 2007
- Personal achievement
- Figure 27: adidas television ad, 2007
- Figure 28: New Balance television ad, 2007
- Iconoclast
- Figure 29: Nike 6.0 television ad, 2007
- Figure 30: K-Swiss sports television ad, 2007
- Street "cred"
- Figure 31: Under Armour television ad, 2007
- Figure 32: Vans television ad, 2007
- Athletic Shoe Purchase
- Key points
- The impact of age on purchase incidence
- Figure 33: Athletic shoes purchase incidence, by age, April 2008
- Presence of children
- Figure 34: Athletic shoes purchase incidence, by presence of children in HH, April 2008
- Types of Shoes Purchased
- Key point
- Reasons for purchasing athletic shoes
- Figure 35: Reason for athletic shoes purchase incidence, by age, April 2008
- Types of shoes determine where to get them...
- Figure 36: Types of sneakers/athletic shoes purchased in past 12 months, by age, spring 2007
- Brand Commitment
- Key points
- How frequently brands are purchased
- Figure 37: Athletic shoe brand purchasing behavior, to pline, April 2008
- Brand popularity
- Figure 38: Brands of sneakers/athletic shoes purchased in past 12 months, by age, April 2008
- Attitudes and Motivations
- Key points
- Comfort and price key to purchases
- Figure 39: Factors that influence athletic shoe purchase, April 2008
- Attitudes towards athletic shoes
- Figure 40: Attitudes towards athletic shoe purchase, by age, April 2008
- Fashion versus leisure
- Figure 41: Reasons for athletic shoe purchase, by age, April 2008
- Teens
- Key points
- Athletic shoes purchased among teens
- Figure 42: Type of athletic shoes/sneakers purchased in past 12 months, by gender and age, April 2008
- Teens and brands
- Figure 43: Teen athletic shoe brand purchasing behavior, April 2008
- Figure 44: Brand of athletic shoes/sneakers purchased in past 12 months, by gender and age, April 2008
- Attitudes towards athletic shoes
- Figure 45: Teens' attitudes towards athletic shoe purchase, to pline, April 2008
- Kids
- Key points
- Shoe selection
- Figure 46: Incidence of children choosing shoes, age, April 2008
- Kids brands
- Figure 47: Brand of athletic shoes/sneakers owned by kids, by gender and age, April 2008
- Race and Ethnicity
- Key points
- For whom are you purchasing?
- Figure 48: Athletic shoes purchase incidence, by race/ethnicity, April 2008
- Race and ethnicity play a part in where people shop
- Figure 49: Retail locations of athletic shoe purchase, by race/ethnicity, April 2008
- Reasons for purchasing
- Figure 50: Reasons for athletic shoe purchase, by race/ethnicity, April 2008
- Simmons Cohort Analysis
- Incidence of purchase
- Figure 64: Athletic shoes purchase in past 12 months, by cohort, April 2008
- Types of shoes purchased
- Figure 65: Cohorts most likely to purchase jogging/running or cross training sneakers/athletic shoes, spring 2007
- Brands
- Figure 66: Cohorts most likely to purchase Nike, spring 2007
- Appendix: Other Useful Consumer Tables
- Athletic shoe purchase incidence
- Figure 67: Athletic shoes purchase in past 12 months, by age, April 2008
- Figure 68: Athletic shoes purchase in past 12 months, by presence of children in HH, April 2008
- Types of athletic shoes purchased
- Women' s share
- But men more likely...
- Figure 69: Reason for athletic shoes purchase incidence, by gender, April 2008
- The factors for teens
- Figure 70: Factors that influence teen athletic shoe purchase, to pline, April 2008
- The role of race/ethnicity on type of athletic shoes teen purchase
- Figure 71: Type of athletic shoes/sneakers purchased in past 12 months, by race/ethnicity, Spring 2007
- Teens brand purchase
- Figure 72: Brand of athletic shoes/sneakers purchased in past 12 months, by race/ethnicity, Spring 2007
- Racial/ethnic impact on kids brand ownership
- Figure 73: Brand of athletic shoes/sneakers owned by kids, by race/ethnicity, Spring 2007
- Kids' choice
- Figure 74: Incidence of children choosing shoes, by race/ethnicity, Spring 2007
- Appendix: Trade Associations
