Shoe Sales Trip

Domestic sales of athletic footwear fell 6% during 1998, marking the first year-to-year drop in the industry since 1994, according to NPD Group, a Port Washington, N.Y.-based market research firm. The stall was most noticeable during the third quarter, when back-to-school sales plummeted by 20%.

“After a disappointing third quarter, flat holiday sales helped to minimize industry losses,” said Dianne Miller, who tracks shoe sales for NPD. “Improvement can be expected in 1999 as discounted inventory from 1998 should be lessened.”

Running shoes were the most popular athletic shoe category in the overall $2.4-billion athletic shoe industry during 1998, accounting for 17.1% of retail sales. Basketball shoes captured 16.9% of the market, and cross-training footwear had a 16.8% share.

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Athletic Shoe Giants

Top five athletic shoe brands based on percentage of retail dollar sales in 1998:

Nike: 34%

Reebok: 13

Adidas: 6

New Balance: 5

Easy Spirit: 2