Soccer-Inspired Shoe Market Up Over Five-Times From a Year Ago, Thanks to the Adidas Samba

The market for soccer-inspired footwear is over five-times larger than it was just one year ago, according to Circana.

Indeed, the category is enjoying an increase in sales driven by the resurgence of the Adidas Samba, the retail analytics firm said on Wednesday. Soccer cleats also saw dollar sales up 9 percent in the quarter.

Circana noted that the soccer-inspired category, along with running and tennis shoes, drove growth in the performance footwear segment in the period.

Beth Goldstein, footwear and accessories analyst at Circana, said in a statement that “bright spots” in the footwear market continue to reflect consumer preferences for comfort and versatility, across both fashion and athletic footwear.

This can be seen with sales of running shoes growing 5 percent in Q1 despite a unit decline – a result of purchasing higher-priced product by runners and comfort seekers alike, the analyst noted.

The tennis market is also having a moment, with dollar sales for performance tennis shoes increasing 27 percent in Q1 and tennis-inspired footwear sales growing 29 percent, compared to last year.

Turning to kids’ footwear, the category outpaced the rest of the market, with both dollar sales and units sold up 6 percent in Q1. Average prices were flat to last year in this segment.

Seasonal categories remained challenged in Q1, however, with the exception of buzzy casual slides and winter boots that were bought closer to need. Winter and snow boots generated some heat in the first quarter, with both dollar and unit sales increased by 38 percent versus Q1 2023. Plus, comfort, sport and recovery slides were strong sellers in Q1, despite a decline in the sandal category overall.

These figures come as Circana reported that U.S. footwear industry sales revenue in the first quarter of 2024 remained on par with the Q1 2023 at $9.1 billion, with units sold increasing 1 percent in the period. This data covers wholesale footwear sales and does not include brands’ direct-to-consumer businesses.

By segment, leisure footwear sales in the first quarter of 2024 were up 1 percent to $4.4 billion, compared to the same time last year. Performance footwear sales were also up 1 percent in the period to $1.8 billion, while fashion footwear sales declined 2 percent in Q1 to $2.2 billion.

“The footwear market turned a corner in Q1,” Goldstein said. “After four consecutive quarters of dollar declines and eight quarters of unit declines, footwear sales flattened out. In Q2, we can expect these priorities to shape spring and summer trends along with the impact of key cultural and sports events including concerts, festivals, and the summer Olympics.”