The majority of growth in the U.S. footwear industry is being driven by steady demand for comfort-oriented silhouettes and an increase in online shopping, according to a report released by NPD.
As athleisure and other comfort-based trends continue to cement themselves as fashion staples, the footwear industry in the United States grew 7 percent in the first half of 2018 on the back of casual footwear sales.
“‘Comfort’ is no longer a bad word. In fact, consumers today are reluctant to compromise on comfort and the definition is evolving,” Beth Goldstein, fashion footwear and accessories analyst for The NPD Group, said.
NPD data revealed that the most popular silhouettes for men were sneakers, sport slides and mules/clogs, while women are buying more fashion slides and strappy sandals. The footwear market for children closely mirror the adult trends, with sport slides and strappy sandals rounding out the top options for kids.
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Additionally, NPD researchers polled consumers regarding the footwear qualities they found most important. Forty-four percent of those polled wanted lightweight footwear, 43 percent prioritized breathable footwear and 40 percent expressed a desire for footwear that’s odor resistant. These values align closely with recent trends and NPD researchers say they can see the writing on the wall.
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“With comfort in season year-round and the ‘athletic as fashion’ movement continuing to progress, comfort is here to stay,” Goldstein continued. “Brands and retailers must find ways to innovate and embrace this new norm.”
Consumers are also buying their footwear online more often, according to NPD. Thirty-six percent of internet shoppers in the U.S. reported an online footwear purchase in the last year, a 2 percent increase from the year prior, and the average spend per buyer is up 5 percent year-over-year.
In 2018, 90 percent of the gains in the footwear industry came from e-commerce—thanks to demand for men’s and women’s sport leisure footwear along with more typical women’s fashion footwear.
Along with these insights, NPD also suggests that a larger share of consumers are making purchases based on a company’s perceived social impact. Twenty-seven percent of the adults polled made a purchase “specifically because of supporting a brand’s social position.” Among adults aged 18-34 years, that number grows to 36 percent, reinforcing the millennial reputation for preferring ethical, sustainable brands, even if they don’t always shop accordingly.