L.E.K. Consulting Group released its fifth annual 2026 U.S. Footwear, Apparel, and Accessories Brand Heat Index, identifying the brands that have gained popularity, or increasing brand “heat,” across major product categories across the generations in women’s and men’s footwear, apparel, as well as outdoor equipment and sporting goods.
Among the brands identified in the report that have experienced an upswing with consumers are Arc’teryx, Alo Yoga, Aritzia, Bearpaw, Carhartt, Cotopaxi, Hoka, Moncler, New Balance, On Running, Timberland, Salomon, and Yeti.
Key findings outlined in the 2026 Brand Heat Index include:
- Of 16 apparel and footwear categories, seven have their Top 3 brands within 10 points of one another, up from four last year, signaling “heightened rivalry and faster shifts in consumer sentiment, with brands like Hoka and On challenging Nike’s dominance in athletic footwear.”
- The categories with the highest overall heat scores were driven by brands that straddle performance and lifestyle, such as Nike, Ugg, Carhartt, The North Face, and Lululemon.
- Social media is a core driver of brand heat, especially with the GenZ demographic, with social-native emerging brands like Halara, House of CB and Edikted making the Top 10 list in several categories.
- Outside of the casual footwear and apparel categories, where accessibly priced brands and fast fashion top the list, premium brands such as Canada Goose, Coach and Arc’teryx are giving consumers a reason to spend.
- Women and younger demographics are more open to new brands, while men rank heritage, workwear and technical brands higher, “underscoring the need for segmented brand strategies.” Increasingly, brands are leveraging their strength with female consumers to develop their men’s business.
“The brands rising fastest and cutting through the noise are those speaking directly to core sets of consumers rather than trying to be everything to everyone,” said Laura Brookhiser, L.E.K. managing director and report lead author. “But success here isn’t just a marketing challenge — it’s about how brands configure their entire business, from product development to pricing, all to reinforce differentiation and resonance with their target consumer.”
The following is a breakdown of the report’s findings for athletic, casual, and outdoor footwear and apparel, as well as the outdoor equipment and sporting goods category.
Women’s Athletic Footwear
Nike retained the overall top spot in women’s athletic footwear. Hoka narrowly edged out On Running for second place. Nike leads among Millennial women. On Running ties for the top spot among Gen Z. Hoka emerged as the top brand among Gen X. Adidas maintained its performance year-over-year, tying for No. 4 overall, driven by continued growth among Gen Z, though more stable performance with Millennials and Gen X. New Balance and Brooks continued a positive trajectory with scores “increasing materially” across generations. Asics entered the Top 10, driven by a strong performance among Gen Z consumers.
Women’s Athletic Footwear | Top 10 by Generation
Men’s Athletic Footwear
Legacy brands maintained the Top 3 spots among men in athletic footwear, with Nike, Jordan Brand and Adidas topping the charts. However, Hoka, New Balance and On Running are “finally closing the gap among men, tightly clustered behind the industry behemoths.” New Balance performed well with Gen Z and Millennials. Hoka took the No. 2 spot among Gen X men. Under Armour fell from fourth to seventh as the running-focused brands climb higher.
Men’s Athletic Footwear | Top 10, by Generation
Women’s Casual Footwear
Ugg holds the overall top spot in women’s casual footwear. HeyDude and Crocs are close behind, “keeping the top of the list firmly comfort-led and driven by distinctive silhouettes,” according to L.E.K. Consulting. HeyDude leads among Millennial and Gen X women. Ugg and Crocs outperform with Gen Z. Frye’s recent strength with Gen Z was short-lived, as it fell out of the Top 10. Tory Burch enters, “driven by the generation’s interest in nostalgic styles and several products that have gone viral on social media.” Gen X “continues to show its differential interest in comfort and versatility.” Skechers came in at No. 2 in the cohort. Oofos, Kizik and Vionic all made the Top 10.
Women’s casual footwear | Top 10 by Generation
Men’s Casual Footwear
Timberland jumped to the overall top spot in men’s casual footwear (up from No. 3 last year), showing popularity with Gen Z and Millennials. HeyDude and Crocs took the No. 2 and No. 3 positions overall. Crocs leads Gen Z. HeyDude tops the list for Gen X but drops down among younger consumers. Gen X men are more interested in emerging premium brands. Axel Arigato, Golden Goose and Greats made the Top 10.
Men’s Casual Footwear | Top 10 by Generation
Women’s Outdoor Footwear
Ugg remains No. 1 overall in women’s outdoor footwear, followed by The North Face, whose scores softened. Carhartt, which showed increased strength, ranked No. 2 with Gen Z and No. 1 among Gen X. Bearpaw was a top gainer, driven by Millennials and Gen X. Merrell fell out of the Top 10, although the brand still appears on Millennial and Gen X lists. Hunter Boots had a resurgence, re-entering the Top 10 at No. 8 overall, with solid performance across generations.
Women’s Outdoor/Rugged Footwear — Top 10, by Generation
Men’s Outdoor Footwear
Carhartt moved to No. 1 overall in men’s outdoor footwear, surpassing Timberland across all rankings, except with Gen Z. Columbia remained firmly in third. Arc’teryx and Salomon were the top gainers, with Arc’teryx surging to No. 4 overall and No. 1 among Millennials and Gen X, and Salomon came in at No. 6, with strength among Millennials. CAT Footwear fell out of the Top 10 overall. Ugg dropped down the list to No. 10.
Men’s Outdoor/Rugged Footwear | Top 10 by Generation
Women’s Athletic Clothing
Nike held the top spot overall in women’s athletic clothing; however, competition tightened, with Alo Yoga and Lululemon nearly tying Nike’s overall score and surpassing the company among Gen Z. TikTok-viral brand Halara debuts at No. 4 overall, with strong performance across generations. Fabletics is another rising brand, coming in at No. 7 overall, with higher heat scores among Gen Z and Millennials than last year. Vuori dropped down the list, although it maintained differential strength among Gen X. Girlfriend Collective and Champion fell out of the Top 10.
Women’s Athletic Clothing | Top 10 by Generation
Men’s Athletic Clothing
Nike, Adidas, and Under Armour again took the Top 3 spots in men’s athletic clothing; however, Lululemon was just behind Under Armour at No. 4. Several emerging brands gained traction, including Alo Yoga with the female demographic, and jumped into the overall Top 10 in men’s athletic clothing as the No. 2 brand for Gen Z men. Gymshark and Vuori came in at No. 5 and No. 7 overall with strong performance across generations. YoungLA, a Gymshark competitor with a streetwear-style drop model, entered the Top 10 for Gen Z. Running brand Tracksmith entered the Top 10 for Gen X.
Men’s Athletic Clothing | Top 10 by Generation
Women’s Casual Clothing
Shein, Carhartt and Skims remain the Top 3 women’s casual clothing brands overall, although Shein is “starting to lose its luster” with Gen Z, slipping to No. 7 on the list. Edikted and Aritzia came in at No. 4 and No. 5 overall, with differential strength among Gen Z. Quince debuted in the Top 10 this year, driven by high ratings from Gen X. Uniqlo and Zara fell to just outside of the Top 10.
Women’s Casual Clothing | Top 10 by Generation
Men’s Casual Clothing
The men’s list in the casual clothing segment is dominated by workwear and denim brands, with Carhartt at No. 1 and Levi’s, Dickies, Brunt, and Wrangler all in the Top 10. Polo Ralph Lauren strengthened its position in the Top 3 overall, growing with Gen Z. Select notable differences appear across generations, with True Religion trending among Gen Z, Brunt outperforming among Millennials and Quince moving into the Top 10 for Gen X men.
Men’s Casual Clothing | Top 10 by Generation
Women’s Outdoor Clothing
The North Face maintained its No. 1 position overall and across generations in women’s outdoor clothing, but the real story is around luxury/premium outerwear, with Moncler, Mackage, Canada Goose, and Moose Knuckles all making the women’s Top 10 list. Arc’teryx was another notable gainer; however, it still performed more strongly with men than women, coming in at No. 9 overall and showing differential strength with Gen Z and Millennials. Cotopaxi rounds out the Top 10, bolstered by the No. 2 position among Gen X women. Performance-layering brands Icebreaker and Smartwool fell out of the Top 10.
Women’s Outdoor Clothing | Top 10 by Generation
Men’s Outdoor Clothing
The North Face remains No. 1 overall in men’s outdoor clothing, but Moncler follows relatively closely behind, driven by its No. 1 performance among Gen Z men. Arc’teryx strengthened its position into the Top 5 overall, while last year’s performance was driven differentially by Gen Z. The brand’s heat has increased with Millennial and Gen X consumers this year. Similar to the women’s side, Cotopaxi comes in at No. 10 overall, with its strongest performance among Gen X. L.L.Bean fell out of the Top 10 across generations.
Men’s Outdoor Clothing — Top 10 by Generation
Outdoor Equipment & Sporting Goods
Brand leadership varied by generation in outdoor equipment and sporting goods categories, with Stanley ranking No. 1 overall and leading Gen Z. Yeti led both Millennials and Gen X. Outdoor recreation and hydration brands showed broad relevance across cohorts, with Yeti, Stanley, Hydro Flask, and Coleman consistently across generational Top 10 lists — in particular, brands from this category dominate for Gen Z. However, older generations show more interest in activity-specific equipment brands, with Millennials favoring leading brands across golf (e.g., Titleist, Callaway), snow sports (e.g., Oakley, Burton) and cycling (e.g., Shimano, DT Swiss)
Outdoor Equipment & Sporting goods — Top 10 by Generation
Methodology: L.E.K. surveyed roughly 6,000 U.S. consumers aged 14 to 55 who purchased footwear, apparel, bags, and luggage or outdoor equipment and sporting goods for themselves in the past 12 months. Within product categories and generationals, each brand earned a heat score on a scale of 0-100 – the higher the score, the hotter the brand. About 650 brands were tested to understand their popularity and the key factors behind it. The survey gathered feedback on brands across four product categories in footwear and apparel: athletic, casual, outdoor/rugged, and dress. To read the full report, download here.
Image courtesy Alo Yoga
