Athletic apparel mindshare reached record levels among teens in Piper Sandler’s Spring 2022 Taking Stock With Teens survey. 

Nike remained the dominant favorite apparel and footwear brand with teens. Among other active-lifestyle brands, Lululemon, Crocs, Hey Dude, and Champion all strengthened their appeal, while Vans stood out for losing ground with demographic.

Piper Sandler’s 43rd semi-annual Taking Stock With Teens report surveyed 7,100 teens across the U.S. to explore their discretionary spending habits and brand preferences. The survey was conducted between February 16 and March 22, 2022.

Athletic brands’ mindshare accounted for 44 percent of upper-income teens’ favorite apparel brands, up 600 basis points from its Spring 2021 survey and the most by 300 basis points. The mindshare high for athletics in the apparel space was 41 percent in fall 2017.

The apparel mindshare gains were mainly due to Nike taking a 29 percent share among upper-income teens, up from 25 percent last Spring and Fall.

Nike Reigns Most Popular Apparel Brand Among Teens
Nike remained the overall No. 1 apparel brand for teens, having held the top spot for 11 consecutive years. This Spring, it captured 30 percent of teen votes. Before taking the lead in Spring 2011, several action sports brands held the strongest appeal for teens from 2008 to 2010, Hollister was top from 2005 through 2008, and Abercrombie & Fitch was the most popular teen apparel brand at the start of this century.

In Piper Sandler’s Spring 2022 survey, American Eagle remains at the No. 2 spot with a 7 percent share, flat sequentially and year-over-year. 

Lululemon moved up to the No. 3 preferred apparel brand from No. 4 last year and ranked No. 3 among average-income teens and No. 2 for upper-income teens.

H&M jumped from No. 9 with a 2 percent apparel share last Spring to No. 4 in its latest survey with a 4 percent share. 

Adidas ranked No. 5 among favorite apparel brands for all teens with a 4 percent mindshare, bumped from No. 4 at a 5 percent mindshare in its Fall 2021 survey.

Among other brands that landed on the Top 10 list for apparel mindshare, those losing ground included PacSun, sliding to 6 with a 3 percent mindshare from No. 2 at a 5 percent mindshare in Fall 2021. Shein and Hollister also lost ground while Vans fell off the Top 10 list in apparel brand share.

Among male teens, Nike was ahead as the preferred apparel brand with a 45 percent mindshare, followed by Adidas, 6 percent; American Eagle, 6 percent; Champion, 3 percent; H&M, 3 percent; Under Armour, 3 percent; Hollister, 2 percent; Vans, 2 percent; Lululemon, 2 percent; and Ralph Lauren, 2 percent.

Among female teens, Nike also topped the list of favorite apparel brands, at 14 percent; followed in the Top 10 by American Eagle, 11 percent; Lululemon, 9 percent; Shein, 6 percent; PacSun, 6 percent; H&M, 5 percent; Urban Outfitters, 3 percent; Forever 21, 3 percent; Zara, 2 percent; and Hollister, 2 percent.

Among upper-income teens, preferences for favorite apparel among males were similar to all males. This year, Lululemon pulled away as the No. 1 brand for upper-income female teens with 14 percent share, up 400 basis points year-over-year. Lululemon was tied for the top spot last year with PacSun. Nike was third behind American Eagle and Lululemon in appeal among upper-income female teens in this year’s survey.

The survey also found apparel spending by teens was $560 on average per year, up 5 percent sequentially and 10 percent year-over-year. Females outspent males by $228 versus $186 last Fall. Female spending was up 15 percent year-over-year, and male spending was ahead 8 percent year-over-year.

Athletic Footwear Mindshare Driven By Continued Win With Female Teens
The story continues to be significant mindshare gains with female teens over the last decade in athletic footwear. 

Eighty-five percent of upper-income female teens preferred an athletic brand of footwear in the latest survey, up 300 basis points year-over-year and 700 basis points over the last two years. The 85 percent mindshare for athletic footwear among female teens was second highest only to Piper’s Fall 2021 survey at 86 percent.

Athletic footwear’s mindshare among upper-income females was about 25 percent a decade ago in Spring 2002.

Teen males have shown a greater preference for athletic footwear as the demographic gravitated toward sneakers when they became popular in the seventies and eighties. In Piper’s latest survey, 88 percent of males prefer an athletic brand of footwear, flat year-over-year and up 100 basis points versus Spring.

Among brands, Nike’s leading margin as a preferred footwear brand widened, gaining 400 basis points year-over-year and capturing 60 percent. Nike also increased mindshare among teen males for their preferred footwear brand and increased share to 63 percent from 59 percent year-over-year. Nike/Jordan were also the No. 1 fashion trend among teen males.

Converse, owned by Nike, Inc, moved past Vans and Adidas to take the second spot as the preferred footwear brand, with 8 percent mindshare, up from No. 4 at a 7 percent share in fall 2021.

Adidas continued to rank at No. 3, although its mindshare decreased to 8 percent from 9 percent in Fall 2021 and Spring 2021 and 11 percent in Fall 2020. Vans, which VF Corp. owns, fell to No. 4, losing 400 basis points of mindshare as a favorite footwear brand across all teens and 600 basis points among upper-income teens.

Crocs was the No. 6 preferred footwear brand this Spring, up from No. 8 last year and compared to No. 6 last Fall; this is noteworthy given that Nike gained 400 basis points year-over-year in footwear. Crocs ranked No. 7 for upper-income teens. Among all females, Crocs ranked No. 5 for a preferred footwear brand.

Hey Dude, a casual brand recently acquired by Crocs, Inc., was the No. 9 preferred footwear brand, including No. 7 among all teen females. 

New Balance ranked No. 5 with a 1 percent share, improving from No. 7 in Fall 2021, while Dr. Martens improved slightly to land at No. 8, while Birkenstock fell off the Top 10 list in footwear preference.

Under Armour returned to the Top 10 list of favorite footwear brands among teens after falling off last Fall. The Spring 2021 ranking in the Top 10 was the first time Under Armour ranked inside the Top 10 in footwear since Fall 2019.

The study found teen spending on footwear was $300 on average per year versus $270 per year last Spring, up 11 percent year-over-year, led by women’s, up 16 percent; and men’s, ahead 7 percent. Despite a female-led spending recovery, males still outspend females on footwear by $51 per year.

Other findings from the study:

  • Top-Ten Fashion Trends Right Now (Upper-Income Teens, Female): Leggings/Lululemon is still the No. 1 trend at 35 percent, up 1,200 basis points year over with many answers from survey respondents ranging from flared leggings to ripped leggings. Nike/Jordans gained 100 basis points from No. 4 to No. 3 year over year while athletic wear ceded 100 basis points from No. 7 to No. 8. The top-ten fashion trends right now: Leggings/Lululemon, 35 percent; Jeans, 8 percent; Nike/Jordans, 8 percent; Baggy/Saggy Pants, 6 percent; Crop Tops, 5 percent; Mom Jeans, 3 percent; Hair Trends, 3 percent; Athletic Wear, 2 percent; Hoodies, 2 percent; Comfort/Sweat Shirts (tied for ten), 1 percent.
  • Top-Ten Fashion Trends Right Now (Upper-Income Teens, Male): Mentions of Nike/Jordan take the No. 1 spot again and gains 800 basis points of mindshare year over year to 23 percent. Athletic Wear, while still No. 2, moved to 12 percent, down 100 basis points year over year but up 300 basis points sequentially. Mentions of Lululemon appeared on the top 10 list for the first time with upper-income males. The top-ten fashion trends: Nike/Jordans, 23 percent; Athletic Wear, 12 percent; Flannels, 10 percent; Hoodies, 7 percent; Sweat Shirts, 4 percent; Hair Trends, 3 percent; Hats, 3 percent (tied at six); Jogger Pants, 3 percent; Baggy/Saggy Pants, 2 percent; Leggings/Lululemon, 2 percent.
  • Top-Five Favorite Athletic Clothing Brands (Upper-Income Teens, Both Genders): Nike, 55 percent; Lululemon, 19 percent; Adidas, 6 percent; Under Armour, 5 percent; GymShark, 3 percent.
  • Top-Five Favorite Athletic Clothing Brands (Upper-Income Male): Nike, 66 percent; Adidas, 9 percent; Under Armour, 7 percent; Lululemon, 4 percent; GymShark, 3 percent.
  • Top-Five Favorite Athletic Clothing Brands (Upper-Income Female): Nike, 42 percent; Lululemon, 39 percent; GymShark, 3 percent; Adidas, 3 percent; American Eagle, 3 percent.
  • Top-Five Favorite Athletic Footwear Brands (Upper-Income Teens, Both Genders): Nike, 74 percent; Adidas, 12 percent; New Balance, 2 percent; Brooks, 2 percent; Asics, 1 percent.
  • Top-Five Favorite Athletic Footwear Brands (Upper-Income Male): Nike, 69 percent; Adidas, 17 percent; New Balance, 3 percent; Under Armour, 2 percent; Asics, 1 percent; Brooks, 1 percent (tied for five).
  • Top-Five Favorite Athletic Footwear Brands (Upper-Income Female): Nike, 80 percent; Adidas, 6 percent; Brooks, 3 percent; New Balance, 2 percent; Hoka One One, 2 percent.
  • Top-Ten Favorite Athletic Footwear Brands (All Teens): Nike, Adidas, New Balance, Under Armour, Brooks, Asics, Hoka One One, Puma, On Running, Converse.
  • Top Brands Starting To Be Worn (Upper-Income Male Teens): Nike, 10 percent; Champion, 10 percent; Adidas, 10 percent; Lululemon, 4 percent; American Eagle, 4 percent; Under Armour, 3 percent; Hollister, 3 percent; Vans, 3 percent; New Balance, 3 percent; The North Face, 2 percent
  • Top Brands Starting To Be Worn (Upper-Income Female Teens): Lululemon, 10 percent; Nike, 6 percent; PacSun, 5 percent; American Eagle, 5 percent; Zara, 5 percent; Aritzia, 4 percent; Urban Outfitters, 4 percent; SHEIN, 3 percent; Garage, 3 percent; Converse, 3 percent.
  • Top Brands No Longer Worn (Upper-Income Male Teens): Under Armour, 23 percent; Adidas, 15 percent; Nike, 8 percent; Gap, 7 percent; Puma, 5 percent; Reebok, 4 percent; Champion, 4 percent; Skechers, 4 percent; Hollister, 3 percent; American Eagle, 3 percent
  • Top Brands No Longer Worn (Upper-Income Female Teens): Justice, 22 percent; Hollister, 11 percent; American Eagle, 9 percent; Forever 21, 5 percent; Adidas, 5 percent; Gap, 4 percent; Under Armour, 4 percent; Old Navy, 4 percent; Brandy Melville, 3 percent; Abercrombie & Fitch, 3 percent (tied for ten).

Photo courtesy Nike/Nike Streakfly Road Racing Shoe