Market Share of Athletic Footwear in the World-2021

Owing to the amazing benefits of running, many in the world run daily. Accordingly, running shoes, best brands of running shoes, running shoes for beginners, long-distance running shoes, cushioned running shoes, hiking shoes, etc. have become a set of trending topics in the world today. This, certainly proves that the world has a high attention to the athletic footwear market. Hold on! Next comes the serious question! What is this ‘Athletic Footwear Market’, and why is that important? Are you too having these doubts in your mind? If so, let us assure you that you have reached the perfect place to clear out your doubts. Take it easy, because we are ready to share with you everything that you need to know about this ‘Athletic Footwear Market’. So, ready to explore this topic? Here we go!

What is Athletic Footwear?

Athletic footwear is the specialized shoes designed to wear on sports, exercises, and in recreational activities. The history of these modernized athletic shoes runs back to the 1960s, and it is also believed that the University of Oregon, played a significant role in introducing many new improvements in the modern athletic shoe. Thenceforth, the athletic footwear market kept growing fast day by day. This article provides an insight into the athletic footwear market share in the world in 2020.

General Outlook of Athletic Footwear Market

Let’s get a brief understanding of the basic outlook of the athletic footwear industry. The athletic footwear market contains three distinctive components. They are as follows.

• User  
• Type(category)   
• Region(geography)

The user component subdivides further into men’s, women’s, and kids’ athletic footwear. The type component subdivides into sports, gym, aerobic, hiking shoes, etc. Sportswear contains many categories. Indeed there are specific shoes for running, jogging and walking, exercising, hiking, for specific games such as soccer, baseball, golf shoes, etc The features of shoes slightly differ according to the geography of the specific region. This category contains sub secretions as North-America, Asia Pacific, LAMEA(Latin America, Middle East, and Africa), and Europe. The physique of humans slightly varies from region to region thus shoes too have to change accordingly.

What Accelerates the Global Athletic Footwear Market Growth?

Despite busy lifestyles, people are getting more into sports and physical fitness activities. Especially teenagers are keen on adopting a healthy lifestyle. Hence, they are joining actively in sports. In addition, obesity has become a critical issue in the modern world. As a result, people understand the importance of sports and how it helps to ensure good health. So they are likely to engage in yoga, gym, running, jogging, and other sports activities.

Indeed engaging in sports can reduce the risk of chronic disorders such as depression, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. The availability and easy access to resources such as youtube, the internet has empowered the knowledge of people. So they know the correct technique of doing a specific exercise or sport. So people buy the relevant pair of shoes for their exercise or sport. Thus, the athletic footwear market continues to expand with these massive stakeholder bases.

More Facts on Market Growth

Indeed people are understanding the importance of using a suitable type of shoes for sports to prevent muscle injuries, knee pain, leg injuries, back pain, and hip pain. Hence, the demand for athletic shoes is likely to record a sharp rise over the coming years. Thus the increase of public awareness of the value of sports is changing the market share statistics of the footwear industry on a global scale.

Let’s consider statistics and the figures to understand the global market of athletic footwear. In 2017, according to market researchers, the market size of the global athletic footwear was USD 64.30 billion. The expectation is to expand that at a CAGR(Compound Annual Growth Rate) of a little over 5.0 percent from 2018 to 2025. Growing interest and awareness concerning the health benefits of sports & fitness activities contribute to indirectly expanding the market share of athletic footwear as the customer base for athletic shoe increases. Increasing levels of reusable income of clients by providing quality products, and the retail e-commerce sector worldwide, thrives day by day. These key trends boost the growth of the athletic footwear market.

World Wide Players in the Athletic Footwear Market

There are many popular companies in the world that make a profit from athletic footwear. Some of the leading players in the market are:

1. Nike

An American multinational corporation that has excelled in marketing and sales of footwear, apparel, equipment, and related accessories.

2. Skechers USA

A popular brand featuring athletic & casual shoes.

3. Adidas AG

A German multinational company, which is the largest sportswear manufacturer in Europe.

4. New Balance Athletics

An American sports footwear and apparel brand.

5. Asics

A Japanese multinational corporation that produces sports equipment for a wide range of sports.

Technologies Used by Popular Athletic Footwear Brands

These companies are directing on developing advanced technologies to improve the solidity and comfortability of sports shoes. For example, Adidas AG has invented a Forged Mesh. It is a single layer shoe upper with a grooved pattern shaped using ARAMIS motion capture technology for shaping the draining exerted on the foot. The technology helps afford extreme flexibility and tolerable backing along the ankle to guarantee free foot movement. Other technologies patented by Adidas AG include Adaptive Traxion, which is a technology to provide stability on any surface with a tight grip in the outsole of the shoe. Adidas Bounce is a technology to provide a cushioned and bouncy feel to the feet with a touch of comfort.

Boost is another technology of Adidas shoes to provide better energy return to the feet from impact from running. There are small energy capsules in the midsole of the shoe to provide a smoother energy return. The Boost technology provides stability in running on different surfaces. The Primeknit of Adidas is another technology to provide sound ventilation to the feet in the ride. adidas Climachill is a special type of fabric. It provides a comfortable and yet cool feeling to athletes. In the Climachill fabric, the fibers of the material are woven with small, aluminum silver dots. These dots help to transfer heat away from the body of the athlete wearing the Climachill thus providing a cool and refreshing touch to the skin.

Continuing on Technologies

Other than these technologies Adidas has another technological advancement known as stableFrame. In this method, the midsole of the shoe is filled with thousands of pebbles of TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) in the midsole of the shoes. This provides comfort in ride and better transition in running.

Not just Adidas, Nike too, uses many advanced technologies to support its users. Nike has cushioning technology known as Max Air Technology which provides better protection to the feet from impact in running. Nike Air is another durable cushioning technology of very lightweight. New Balance has a lightweight, springy foam from which the midsole of the shoe is manufactured. This cushioning technology is known as Revlite. This technology produces fresh foam. Asics is another famous brand that has technologies of its own to provide the best to its customers.

These technologies provide comfort and strength to the user. GEL technology focuses on reducing shocks in running. In Asics shoes, there are multiple layers of cushioning to provide maximum support to the runner in the ride. DUOMAX is another technology to aid in running in a comfortable way. Asics GEL is a system that combines fashion and stability into one. This technology helps to reduce the impact on feet. It provides an optimal fit for every foot size and has higher durability. So the new technologies and new features can change the general outlook of the market share of athletic shoes. The worst features can drop down the sales whereas the best features can make sales go skyrocketing.

Category(Type) Insights

We can categorize shoes in the market as

• Aerobic Shoes
• Walking Shoes
• Running Shoes
• Sports Shoes
• Trekking & Hiking Shoes

Aerobic Shoes

Aerobic exercises are the exercises that give extra work rate for the heart and lungs. So people use aerobic shoes to engage in those exercises.

Running Shoes

Running shoes are the shoes for runners to use when they are on the ride. Trekking shoes and hiking shoes are the shoes that are used by mountain climbers and hikers. They are made with technologies to deal with various terrains such as roads, mountain tops, rocks, forestry paths, etc. Some popular hiking shoe brands in the global market are

• Footjoy pro SL Carbon
• Under Armour Spieth 4
• Skechers Go Golf Elite Version 4
• Adidas Codechaos
• Skechers Go Golf Pro Version 4

Some More Facts on Sports Shoes

Soccer shoes fall into the sports shoe category and they are known as soccer cleats. They were originally made out of kangaroo skin but now there are sundry alternatives to produce the best soccer shoes.

One of the most prominent sectors in the global athletic footwear market is running shoes. Running shoes include footwear required for road running, training, advanced running, trail running, racing, and track running. It can be seen that the running shoe segment dominated the market in 2017. It is due to the vast availability of running shoes and the ability to daily use running shoes as everyday trainers. In fact, they are available in the market with a wide range of prices. The prices range from common running shoes to highly expensive designer wear athletic shoes. So you can pick the best one out there which tallies with your budget. The key players in the running shoe market in 2020 are

• Vans
• Adidas AG
• Fila Inc
• Lotto Sport Italia S.p.A.
• ASICS
• Under Armour
• New Balance
• Nike
• Reebok
• Puma
• Saucony
• Woodland Worldwide
• Skechers USA

These companies conduct their research and development of new products to keep in step with customer requirements and enter the market.

Hiking Shoes

The specialty of hiking shoes is they let your feet feel better and keep them in good shape even after a long hike. The trekking and hiking shoe segment shows technological improvements and they have been guaranteed more flexibility and comfort for the hikers. The best hiking shoe brands in the present-day market are

• Salomon X Raise GTX
• Danner Trail 2650
• Keen Targhee Low Vent
• The North Face Ultra 111 WP
• Arc’teryx Aerios FL GTX
• Oboz Sawtooth II Low

Hiking shoes contain technologies to provide breathability, comfort, support, and stability. Durability is also a determining factor for trekking shoes for getting better customer reviews and gaining popularity. In addition, surround technology introduced by W.L. Gore & Associates, Inc., and Salewa. In this technology, a GORE-TEX laminate is integrated into the shoe upper of trekking & hiking shoes. So, the foot is surrounded entirely from all sides and ejects the sweat and heat from shoes over side ventilation. The topmost brands affect the statistics on the market share of athletic footwear in the whole world.

Gender Insights

Nowadays both men and women are into sports and fitness schedules. Despite their busy everyday work, they make time to engage in physical activities to maintain better health. There are two components in this sector as men’s shoes and women’s shoes. However, there can be upheavals and rises in certain aspects of athletic footwear market share when we compare it with concerning gender as the decisive factor. In some instances, it is obvious that the pre decisive gender norms too can have a weight to the cause of a certain sport being very popular among men but not as equally fascinated women.

Men’s footwear demanded more than sixty percent of the market according to profits and revenue in 2017. The forecast shows that this segment will last to lead the athletic footwear market until 2025. Golf seems to be a male-dominated sport. Therefore who mostly drives the market share of golf shoes is men. Usually, men’s shoes weigh higher than women’s shoes.
As the admiration of sports continues to grow among women, women’s footwear is going up gradually, mostly in markets formerly unknown.

The proportion of women athletes in most of the developed countries represent their respective nations at major sporting events is higher than in developing and underdeveloped countries. Furthermore, the total level of awareness about fitness among women is significantly higher in developed countries than the developing countries. Women’s athletic footwear shares a market of around twenty-five percent out of the total market share. The rest of the market is occupied by kids’ athletic footwear and they are paving the way for rapid growth in generating income over the past few years.

What are the Differences in Men’s and Women’s Athletic Shoes?

There are slight differences in men’s running shoes and women’s running shoes. The general aspect is that women’s shoes contain more appealing, brighter colors than that of men. Yet it is correct in some cases but there are some differences in both shoe types than the colors. Usually, women’s running shoes have a wider forefoot region and narrow heel area. Whereas men’s running shoes are in comparatively large size to support the relatively large weight and height of men. This indicates how gender differences affect the overall shape of the human foot. Sometimes the midsole materials of the same shoe brand are different in men’s shoes and women’s shoes. This ensures the comfort, fit, support, and weight of the shoe with concern over the gender differences.

There is another difference in the Q-angle of the shoes gender-wise. Q-angle is the angle of incidence of the quad muscle relative to the kneecap. The Q-angle of women’s shoes is greater than that of men’s shoes as women have usually wider hips than men. This allows women to pronate more and gain extra support to the feet from the shoe. In general, pronation refers to the motion of the inner ball and outer ball of the foot with the heel bone. In overpronation, the foot fails to spread out the shock evenly. Under pronation is where the foot has to bear most of the force. So both of these are injurious and the shoes should have concern over these facets when manufacturing shoes. In addition, the pronation factors have much consideration when designing women’s shoes.

Few More Facts on Differences in Men’s and Women’s shoes

Women have fifteen percent less muscle weight than that of men. Therefore they weigh less than a man of the relevant foot size and height. Thus the midsole of a woman’s shoe can sustain fifteen percent less impact than that of a man’s shoe when the foot strikes the ground.
Sometimes a woman athlete may find a men’s shoe as her best fitting shoe, but not the one designed for women. So it’s solely up to you to pick on what is best for you.

However, situations are changing progressively in developing countries. The governments contribute to inspire women to engage more in sports-related activities. This would raise the sales of women’s athletic footwear drastically, in the markets. So it would cause to alter the statistics on the market share of athletic footwear in the world.

Retail Channel Insights

Retail channels can be divided into two categories as

1. Brick and Mortar

This refers to the physical stores, shops, and outlets where the products are available for people to purchase. According to the estimations in 2017, brick & mortar stores sold more than 700 million footwear items online. Brick & mortar channel represents maximum athletic footwear sales.

2. E-Commerce sites

E-commerce sites are contributing to rapid progress in the economic advancement of the world. As these sites make it a convenient experience and save you from rushing to the stores to buy goods, most customers are tending towards online trading. The present e-commerce channel is expanding day by day and possesses substantial power worldwide. In 2017, E-commerce accounted for over 23.0% of the China market. This is the largest share in the world. Countries such as the United States of America, Germany, and the United Kingdom use this E-commerce for purchasing consumer durable goods. This has led to a stable income generating source for athletic footwear manufacturers during the forecast period.

What is significant and convenient to consumers on online shopping is that with a single mouse click you can do a bunch of tasks. They are such as comparing shoe types, features, and discounts. Finally, they ship the product to your home. So the customers are tending towards buying stuff online. The hopeful improvement shown by e-commerce platforms in developing countries, including China and India, is compelling manufacturers to reorient their distribution policies for these countries. In near future, online sales will surpass the brick and mortar sales due to this drastic technological rival in the world. So the market share of athletic footwear would change accordingly.

Regional Insights

The regional outlook of the athletic footwear industry is a collection of statistics and data of different geographical regions of the world. They are namely

• North America
• Europe
• Asia-Pacific
• LAMEA(Latin America., Middle East and Africa)

Let’s have a brief understanding of how regional aspects affect the market share of athletic footwear in the world. In 2017, North America conquered the market with an income share of around 30.0 percent. The North American region expects to continue to lead the market over the prediction period. The U.S. is the key income supplier to the regional market, and it credits to boost higher interests among the citizens for fitness, sports, and adventure activities, such as hiking, trail running, aerobics, and training.

In 2017, the Asia Pacific region had the highest shipments at around 260 million units. It expects to continue its dominance from 2018 to 2025. This is because there is a large population in the region and the average selling price is lower than the developed countries. The APAC region (Asia Pacific) is expecting the highest growth rate over an estimated period of time, followed by Latin America. Rising levels of income and growing penetration of e-commerce play a major role in, improving the demand for athletic shoes in the Asia Pacific. The growing interest in partaking in various sports events like ICC Cricket World Cup, the Asian Games, and the Asia Cup(ACC) is enhancing the development of the region. So the market shares from these regions may increase along with time.

Future of Athletic Footwear Market

This article provided a brief insight into the market share of athletic footwear and its segments. With the economic and societal trends, the athletic footwear market keeps on growing. The athletic footwear companies are designing shoes to provide the best products to their customers. Therefore new technologies are being introduced to the world. For example, there is a specific type of shoe known as smart shoes. Those shoes contain midsoles that are digitally connected and they monitor the performance of the user. Smart shoes aid him to gain his full capacity when doing sports. The size of the global smart shoe market valued at $115.3 million in 2018. It would reach $223.4 million by 2026 while gaining a CAGR of 9.1% from 2019 to 2026.

So let’s wait and see what the future brings to the athletic footwear market. It is certain that the new technologies would impact to increase revenues while letting people lead more healthy lives. Because sports heal us inside as well as outside.