Athletic and athleisure footwear under pressure, U.S. survey finds

When consumers and industry executives agree, it is worth paying attention. The Spring 2026 U.S. Consumer & Executive Footwear Survey from AlixPartners and FDRA (Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America) - combining a 1,006-person U.S. consumer panel with approximately 100 footwear brand, retail, and manufacturing executive respondents -  finds both sides of the market aligned on a deteriorating outlook, with athletic and athleisure footwear among the categories feeling the squeeze.

Net purchase intent declined 5 percent for athletic shoes and 8 percent for athleisure and multi-activity footwear relative to 2025. The numbers place both categories mid-table in a broadly weakening market - outperforming work footwear (down 16 percent) and fashion/dress (down 8 percent), but trailing only casual, the single category approaching flat at minus 1 percent.

A note on scope: The survey reflects U.S. consumer and executive sentiment only. Conditions in Europe and other regions differ, shaped by other tariff regimes, retail structures, and participation trends. While the themes flagged here, from rising price sensitivity to a greater emphasis on durability and the limitations of AI-enabled fit tools,  are instructive for global brand and retail strategy, the spending figures should not be treated as a proxy for performance outside the U.S.

Consumers ditch personalization and pay for durability

The biggest shift in athletic footwear is a reversal in what shoppers say they will pay extra for. In 2025, custom fit and personalization topped the list of premium drivers, cited by 51 percent of consumers. By 2026, that figure had fallen to 21 percent. Durable construction climbed to 43 percent, while comfort-focused innovation rose to 38 percent.

The message is blunt: consumers are no longer rewarding tech-forward differentiation on its own. They want shoes that last: fewer purchases, longer wear, and clearer value per pair. Brands that invested heavily in fit platforms and personalization now face a communications problem as much as a product one: the story has shifted, and merchandising has to follow.

 Performance spending holds, but buyers get pickier

Among consumers planning to spend more on athletic footwear, the top driver is activity-specific need. Forty-seven percent cite shoes for different activities or improved performance. Another 46 percent point to motivation - footwear that supports their training - as the trigger.

Participation data supports the idea that performance demand has not disappeared. U.S. marathon participation in 2025 sat just below its all-time high, according to RunRepeat data cited in the report. Demand remains, but it is increasingly tied to narrow, functional use cases that are tougher and costlier to serve.

Among those spending less, the signals are more troubling. Forty-five percent cite a reduction in overall purchasing. Thirty-five percent say their current shoes are lasting longer than expected. Thirty-two percent say they cannot afford the brands they want. In other words, demand persists, but price is shutting it down.

Retailers’ cautious inventory posture through 2025 has created a new kind of friction.

Finally, another relevant takeaway for athletic and athleisure shoes has to do with the friction between stock optimisation and the risk of losing customers who cannot find their size. Sixty-five percent of consumers say they abandoned a footwear purchase because their size was out of stock: a 31 percentage point increase year over year. In athletic footwear, where fit is non-negotiable, that number reads as a revenue leak, not a service issue.