US wholesale reaches $130bn on participation-driven growth

The US sporting goods market closed 2025 with $130 billion (approximately €119 billion) in wholesale sales, marking a 3.7 percent year-over-year increase, according to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) 2026 Manufacturers’ Sales by Category Report, published March 31.

The headline figure is notable not for its size alone but for what is driving it: sustained participation, not pandemic-era pent-up demand. Since 2020, the industry has added roughly $34 billion in wholesale volume — a 34.7 percent expansion over five years that positions the sector well ahead of broader consumer spending trends.

The bigger takeaway is where growth is concentrated, and how quickly the gap is widening between categories that are gaining ground and those that are slipping.

Athletic footwear is outrunning the industry it anchors

At $24.1 billion, athletic footwear grew 7.4 percent year-over-year in 2025 — nearly double the industry’s average rate. Running footwear, the single largest revenue driver in the entire sporting goods complex, reached $7.1 billion, up 7.3 percent on the year and 61.3 percent since 2020. Fitness and workout shoes tracked even faster, adding 8.6 percent to reach $2.5 billion.

Outdoor and adventure footwear grew 9.2 percent to $1.21 billion; casual and fashion-athletic edged up 7.9 percent to $1.54 billion. For European brands active in the US wholesale channel, the implication is clear: the footwear consumer is spending on function, not just fashion, and the running category is the most durable demand signal in the report.

Pickleball draws the spotlight, but team sports drive larger gains

Pickleball continued to attract outsize attention as the fastest-growing tracked category, with wholesale sales rising 22 percent year-over-year to $409.7 million — paddle sales alone reached $292.8 million. In dollar terms, however, it remains a relatively small contributor to overall industry growth.

A more consequential signal comes from baseball and softball: wholesale sales increased 7.9 percent to $891.4 million, extending a five-year expansion of 65.7 percent since 2020. Bats, gloves and mitts, and protective gear all posted gains, indicating sustained demand driven by youth and recreational participation. Basketball and football equipment also recorded increases above 4 percent.

Team uniforms reinforce the participation-led trend. Sales rose 5.4 percent year-over-year to $1.83 billion — and 75.9 percent since 2020 — with growth across every major sport, positioning uniforms as a leading indicator of organized play. Licensed merchandise advanced to $13.6 billion, up 4.3 percent on the year.

The fitness market is splitting in two

The SFIA report’s fitness category data contains the clearest structural signal for product manufacturers and gym-channel suppliers. Total exercise equipment grew 4.6 percent to $8.91 billion, but that composite figure masks a sharp divergence within the category.

Institutional fitness — equipment sold to gyms, health clubs and commercial facilities — saw broad-based growth. Institutional treadmills climbed 12.1 percent; free weights surged 7.4 percent and are up 58.2 percent since 2020. At the same time, home machine categories contracted: ellipticals declined 4 percent, ab machines fell 2.6 percent and ski machines gave back 1.9 percent.

The pattern points to a post-pandemic reset: consumers who built home gyms in 2020–2022 are largely returning to commercial facilities. For brands that scaled up direct-to-consumer home fitness during the boom, the numbers suggest the pullback is structural, not a short-term dip.

Tariffs and trade add pressure

The SFIA press release cited trade and tariff policy as a headwind, even as the industry grew. For European brands and suppliers selling into the US, the 3.7 percent wholesale rise came with a risk: higher landed costs and tighter sourcing margins heading into 2026.