According to NPD Group, e-commerce sales of athletic footwear in mainland China declined 22 percent year-on-year through August 2022. Running footwear, however, increased 6 percent and increased its market share from 19 percent to 23 percent. Sales of running shoes, which have high double-digit growth in the $90+ price range, are expected to continue to grow through the end of the year, replacing sports lifestyle as consumers’ first choice for daily wear. Major international brands are being challenged by domestic manufacturers, with seven of the top 10 brands coming from China.
Sports lifestyle, running, casual athletic and basketball subcategories accounted for 96 percent of online sales in China. The casual athletic and basketball-inspired subcategories saw increases of 20 percent and 34 percent, respectively.
“Sports lifestyle is now heavily homogenized, leading young consumers to look for something new,” said Alex Yang, e-commerce commercial executive director at The NPD Group. “Though the total sports footwear market declined, running footwear will keep growing, with items in the mid-to-high-end price range becoming key for the continued success of international brands.”
