Let's talk about walking shoes
Published: 22nd Apr 2021
We all know about the running shoe boom. More people are running, trying to stay healthy while also remaining socially distant. Sales of running shoes are up compared to a year ago. I’m firmly convinced we’ll see running shoes return as street wear, something we have not seen in over 8 years.
But there is a related trend that no one is talking about that has incremental sales potential: walking for fitness.
Anecdotally the lanes and trails near my house have more people using them than ever before. But most of those on the trails are walking, not running.
A survey done by the CivicScience Trend Tracker indicates that 10% of the U.S. population intend to run more in 2021 than they did in 2020. But a whopping 48% said they would walk/hike more in 2021.
In Q4’20, sales of walking footwear grew in the low single digits while total athletic shoes sales declined in the low single digits*. During this period, sales of women’s walking shoes were nearly double men’s sales.
The industry’s approach to walking has been to sell a person who wants to walk for fitness a pair of running shoes. After all, the anatomical motion of both is similar. In fact, 12% of consumers who bought running shoes for exercise said they intended to use them for walking.
But what if a smart brand and some smart retailers got behind the idea to build and market a great walking shoe? To me this is an opportunity to grab some additional sales from a new consumer trend. Perhaps an entirely new category emerges.
Brands and retailers who claim to be committed to the women’s business could further cement those relationships with a credible walking shoe.
Sometimes, opportunities sneak up on us. Walking just might be one of them.
Tags: Sneakernomics
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