Circana’s H1 2026 data shows the broader US footwear market barely moving while running posts double-digit growth. European data point to a similar pattern, with France’s running footwear market up 11 percent and the global running category reaching $43 billion in 2025.
The US footwear industry barely grew in the first half of 2026, but one segment accounted for most of that growth. Running shoes posted double-digit gains in both dollars and units, while the wider market inched forward on price increases alone, according to Circana’s Retail Tracking Service. European data point to a similar pattern.
The US market: one segment doing most of the work
Total US footwear sales rose 1 percent year over year in the first half of 2026 (H1), Circana reported. Within that flat headline, performance is uneven:
| US Footwear — Category Performance | ||
| H1 2026 (year-over-year change) | ||
| Dollar sales | Unit sales | |
| Total footwear | 1.0% | – |
| Performance footwear | 6.0% | – |
| Running footwear | 13.0% | 13.0% |
Source: Circana, Retail Tracking Service, H1 2026 (released Aug. 17, 2026). – indicates a directional figure only (Total and Performance footwear unit sales moved in the stated direction, but no percentage was disclosed).
Cross-training, golf and volleyball shoes also posted gains, so running is not the market’s only growth pocket, but it remains, by a wide margin, the largest and most consistent one.
The H1 pattern extends a trend already visible in the first quarter, when total footwear sales also rose 1 percent while running delivered double-digit growth. Circana expects the full year to close out close to flat, as price increases continue to offset weaker unit demand. Nearly half of consumers say they have delayed a footwear purchase or switched to a lower-priced alternative in response to rising prices, the firm found.
Europe: an early but consistent signal
According to Circana’s Global Sport Market Estimate, the global running category grew 10 percent year over year in 2025, with growth recorded across every region it tracks. In France, the performance running footwear market grew 11 percent in the second quarter of 2026, according to Circana’s SCS and GmbH retail-tracking units.
Asics gains ground as competition intensifies
Brand-level data adds a distribution angle to the category story. According to Circana figures cited by Asics, the Japanese brand held the leading position in performance running footwear across France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK for the 12 months ending June 2026. Asics also reported a 32.9 percent revenue increase for its Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) business in the second quarter of 2026, alongside 44.1 percent year-over-year growth in its wholesale channel.
Running continues to separate itself from the broader footwear market. With roughly half of US shoppers trading down or postponing purchases elsewhere, it remains the strongest and most consistent growth category on both sides of the Atlantic.
