Athleisure Trend Shapes the Future of Athletic Shoes in the United States

Trend shift from performance to retro collection has enabled the classics to emerge as the top – performing segment in the athletic footwear market. Athletic footwear sector in the United States grew over 7.5% in 2015, generating close $17 billion. Moreover, the unit sales in the country grew over 2.5%. A tremendous volatility in the category became visible in 2015, say subject matter experts at Allied Market Research. Industry experts analyzing the size, share, and growth opportunities in the sector reveal that performance footwear, specifically those used by basketball players and for running, surprisingly cooled off by the end of 2015. In the year 2016, the demand for more casual and retro collection is grabbing the attention of brands such as Nike, Adidas, and others. This will be one of the most popular trend to watch this year. Besides this, the makers of, basketball and gym shoes will remain strong this year.

The world athletic footwear market is projected to be valued at $114.8 billion by 2022. Industry experts outline that the sector will register a CAGR of 2.1% from 2015 to 2022. While the men’s segment occupies a market share of about 52.5%, the kids segment is expected to occupy about 2.4% of the total share for the period discussed above.

Running shoes are here to stay!

For those of you who though the max-cushioning trend was out may be wrong. Not only will the trend reappear in 2016, but there will be a sudden rise in the brands introducing cushioned shoes. Moreover, small shoes makers specializing in the running shoes category will make a big headway. These manufacturers will be launching some new design coming this year such as Zoot Sports. The big brands will gain more traction this year. Boost midsole foam from Adidas is grabbing several attention and has brought the company back into action. ASICS was rated as the number one brand at many specialty stores. After few years of rough road several specialty stores are reporting a significant growth. Athletic shoes with modern designs finally have several big brands back into business. Advanced manufacturing techniques and new materials are playing a vital role in the performance aspects of the athletic footwear market.

Luxury in fashion, who knows it better than hikers!

This year brands including AGL, Virgil Abloh, Laurence Dacade, and Sergio Rossi have all introduced their new versions of hiking boot. These shoe makers are more realistic and practical and that’s what makes their shoes worth an investment. Hiking shoes are now lucrative and further perpetuates the point where luxury meets comfort. The cold weather is getting rough, so grabbing onto a pair of efficient hiking shoes will definitely make the consumers feel good about it. Trend setters can pair them up with their favorite jeans, short skirts, or even tights.

Speed dominates the athletic footwear market

With more runners participating in races, the demand for lightweight shoes are on the rise. Furthermore, manufacturers of sports shoes, basketball shoes, and gym shoes outlined that the lightweight shoes can conveniently double as running flats.

Innovative approach towards shoe making

Brands active in the athletic footwear market are now thinking out of the box. It won’t be wrong to say that they want to lead the change. In a recent incident, Nike launched its LunarEpic Flyknit, that demonstrates the future of running. Trademark to the new design is a highly integrated ankle cuff a design that was mimicked from the Magista soccer boots. Besides the highly breathable fabric that offers a snug fit around the arch it is the sole that sets the design apart. Another company named Arc'teryx recently introduced its new running shoes collection. Echoing his sentiments Greg Grenzke, the ascent and footwear design manager at Arc'teryx said, “We wanted the Norvan to be an extremely high-performance trail runner that had no compromises while running with the added benefits of approach footwear when steep and technical terrain came into play.” He further explained “Footwear design manager who believes '“Runners, climbers and athletes are continuously pushing themselves further and higher.”

Athleisure trends is accelerating growth in the sports shoe industry. As social fitness sector matures both brands and retailers will be seen integrating new business strategies into their plan.

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