The footwear market - United States

1.1 Definition and scope of the study

The footwear market is a segment of the clothing market, which includes all types of clothing items. These can be broken down by end user (type of consumer), by context of use and by type. Concerning the end user, the distinction is based on gender and age group. The distinction made by looking at uses includes several contexts such as sport, beach, mountain, work, etc. Finally, the type of footwear involves categories such as sport, leisure, formal, etc. In this study, all segments of the footwear market will be considered and analyzed.

 The global footwear market has grown at a moderate pace in recent years. Women's shoes account for almost half of the market's sales. The countries with the largest consumption of shoes in volume terms are (in decreasing order) China, India and the United States.[worldfootwear]

The global footwear market is relatively fragmented: Nike and Adidas are the market leaders, holding approximately 16.3% of the market share in 2019, while the other brands share the remainder. This is made possible by Nike's and Adidas' own product lines, complemented by aggressive acquisitions of other brands.

In the United States, the footwear market has grown steadily in recent years, with trainers being the sub-segment that fuels this growth. Indeed, sport shoes are the most popular footwear choice for American consumers. This trend reflects the growing importance placed on comfort.

Another important trend is the production and sale of durable footwear products. Allbirds is one example.

The market structure in terms of brands sold is relatively concentrated, with Nike being the market leader. In second and third place we find Adidas and Skechers respectively.