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As the weather warms and people head outdoors, spring traditionally marks a seasonal reset – and for many, that includes buying a new pair of shoes. New consumer-declared data from CivicScience shows that nearly 70% of U.S. adults (18+) plan to buy new shoes within the next three months – up slightly from this time last year. Among those in the market for new shoes, athletic shoes lead at 46%, outpacing all other types of shoes by at least 10 percentage points. In particular, men (51%) and Gen X aged 45-64 (56%) are the most likely to over-index the Gen Pop in athletic shoe purchase intent.
This strong interest in buying athletic shoes aligns with longer-term trends. The percentage who buy athletic shoes frequently – defined as those who buy a new pair of athletic shoes at least two to three times a year – is now at its highest point in CivicScience tracking. Twenty-seven percent of respondents say they buy athletic shoes this often, surpassing the percentage who buy one new pair a year (23%) and continuing to widen the gap between the two groups. While most still buy a new pair of athletic shoes when their old ones wear out, this figure continues to decline.
Furthermore, purchase intent for all running shoe brands tracked by CivicScience is at a yearly high. Nike continues to lead in the share of consumers who are ‘very’ or ‘somewhat’ likely to purchase, while HOKA is seeing the largest year-over-year gains — up three percentage points — and is now on par with Brooks in purchase intent.
Given the high intent among consumers, understanding how to reach athletic shoe shoppers, specifically those who buy most frequently, is key:
- Top Retailers for Buying Sporting Goods: Those who buy athletic shoes most often are most likely to purchase both athletic apparel and footwear from big box retailers and specialty chain stores. Once-a-year buyers over-index in shopping at local retailers, while those who only replace shoes when they wear out are slightly more likely to purchase online and from specialty sporting goods stores.
- Streaming: Frequent athletic shoe buyers are avid sports streamers, but their preferences differ slightly from the general population. While football remains the most-streamed sport, frequent shoe shoppers are five percentage points less likely than the average American to tune in specifically to football; instead, these shoppers outpace the Gen Pop in a preference for streaming baseball, hockey, and soccer by roughly five points.
- Media Habits: While music remains the top media choice during workouts overall, frequent buyers are less likely than the general population to listen to music while exercising. Instead, they are eight percentage points more likely to read books and five percentage points more likely to listen to podcasts.
- Spending Changes: Frequent athletic shoe buyers are also more likely than the general population to say they plan to increase spending in at least one of the categories CivicScience studied. The top areas for increased spending include travel, clothing and apparel, and home improvement and furnishings. Notably, they show the largest lifts compared to the Gen Pop in beauty (+8 points) and entertainment (+5 points).
The rise in frequent athletic shoe purchases signals more than just seasonal demand; it points to sustained momentum in the category, building upon the overall emphasis on health and wellness spending this year. As these consumers become more engaged and intentional in both their shopping and media habits, brands that anticipate their needs and show up across the right channels will be best positioned to win in an increasingly competitive market.
