Circana reports that U.S. footwear industry sales totaled $89.2 billion in 2024, a flat performance year-over-year, with the sport lifestyle category generating $31 billion in sales to lead all categories for the year.
Sport lifestyle was the No. 1 footwear segment in terms of both dollar sales and incremental dollar volume growth, up 3 percent versus 2023, driven by the popularity of running, soccer and training-inspired sneakers.
Performance running sales grew 6 percent year-over-year to $7.4 billion, driven by a mix shift to more premium, higher-priced product.
The fashion category declined 3 percent for the year, but bright spots included women’s seasonless shoe silhouettes (flats, ballerinas and pumps) and slippers, which performed exceptionally well during the back-to-school and holiday months.
Footwear sales in the fourth quarter (Q4) were similar to the full-year trend; however, according to Circana’s Retail Tracking service, during the core holiday period of Black Friday week through the end of 2024, the footwear market grew 3 percent, versus holiday 2023, driven by strong demand for the most popular footwear brands and items, and the consumers’ willingness to pay close to full price.
“Value and versatility will again be the name of the game in the year ahead,” said Beth Goldstein, footwear and accessories analyst at Circana. “Economic uncertainties will continue to weigh on consumers and impact their spending behaviors, making it likely that footwear industry sales will remain soft overall in 2025. However, we have seen several growth areas, from higher-priced performance footwear to retro product, so brands and manufacturers will need to manage their supply and demand here and focus on innovation in these hot areas of the market.”
Image courtesy Adidas
