The sneaker / active world comes undone
Report by The Retail Tracker
As Nike finally takes steps forward it seems as though its neighbours are falling apart. Adidas has had a hit shoe (Samba) for a few years, yet it has not changed the momentum for the brand. Allbirds, should never have gone public, is retrenching. Kevin Plank is back at Under Armour and the CEO of Brooks is stepping down. Retail Tracker’s thesis: 1) New competition from ON / Hoka has hit several brands hard, while Alo, Gymshark and Vuori have appealed to younger men (and women) as an alternative to UA and ADS apparel. 2) Fashion has changed and with this change comes a change in footwear - for women this means a shift to loafers and ballet flats vs. sneakers. 3) We have not had a new trend in active / sport with white shoes trending for too many years. Bring back some colour and fashion!