1.1 Presentation and definition of the footwear market

The primary function of shoes is to protect the foot. However, footwear is also a fashion accessory, responding to a logic of renewal other than the simple functional use until the shoe wears out. The footwear market covers all types of footwear, those worn daily and those used for a specific activity.

There are several categories of footwear, according to the French Footwear Federation:

City and leisure shoes
Sports shoes
Indoor shoes
Work and safety shoes

However, the lines are becoming increasingly blurred, especially between athletic and casual footwear, due to the advent of sneakers as everyday footwear.

Competition is very strong in this sector, with major brands benefiting from a brand image with the public, but also exclusive distributors of foreign brands and internet pure players benefiting from a very large online stock.

The sector has to adapt to the digitalization of the market, which has pushed the main players to invest massively in online tools. Currently, the existing brands have to face pure-players to impose themselves on this growing segment.

1.2 The global market is growing strongly

Footwear Sales Trends and Forecasts Europe, ****-****, $ billion Source: ****

The chart above shows the trend and forecast for footwear sales by value (***) over the period ****-****. The market is growing fairly steadily over the period.

The forecast shows a steady growth trend in footwear sales through ****, with a market value of ...

1.3 The French market

Footwear sales trends and forecasts France, ****-****, billion euros Source: ****

The graph above shows the evolution of footwear production in France in terms of value (***), we arrive at aFrench market value of just under * billion euros.

The market declined relatively significantly between **** and ****, from €***.* million to €***.* million, a loss of just ...

1.4 French foreign trade

Overview:

Value of production, imports and exports France, ****, billion euros Source: ****

Exports:

Main countries of destination for footwear exports France, ****, in millions of euros Source: ****

Total French footwear exports in **** amounted to €*.* billion. They are heavily concentrated towards * European countries, namely Italy, Germany and the United Kingdom, with respective export values ...

1.5 The impact of Covid-19 on textile markets: clothing and footwear in difficulty

The Covid-** crisis has had a strong impact on the ready-to-wear market in general (***). Due to the containment and decline in store traffic, the turnover of specialty retailers was divided by * between April **** and April ****.

Index of sales for specialty retailers in ready-to-wear France, ****-****, base *** in **** Source: ****

The Covid-** crisis ...

2.1 A clientele still predominantly female

According to a **** survey conducted by YouGov, women make up the majority of customers in the French footwear industry. Indeed, it is estimated that a woman buys about * pairs of shoes per year, while a man buys three and a half. [***]

Sales are largely dominated by women's shoes, accounting for **% of ...

2.2 Consumer profile

Average shoe budget of French women France, ****, total Source: ****

The histogram above illustrates the average annual budget French women allocated to shoe purchases in ****, by age. On average, French women spend around €*** per year on shoes, compared to a higher budget of almost €*** for women aged **-**.

Average number of pairs ...

2.3 The evolution of purchasing criteria

Women's purchasing criteria when buying shoes France, ****, in %

This histogram shows the top purchasing criteria of French women when buying shoes in ****, by age group. French women aged **-** were about **% more likely to prioritize comfort over aesthetics or price, while most women aged **+ cited comfort as their top purchase ...

2.4 A dynamic sports segment

Demand for athletic shoes by price range France, ****-****, millions of consumers Source: ****

Multi-brand shoe chains (***) remain the main marketing channel and accounted for **.*% of shoe sales in France in **** [***].

The explosion of running shoe sales in recent years can be attributed to two distinct trends:

The perception by a portion ...

2.5 Millenials, the main driver of demand for trainers in France

How often Millennials wear sneakers France, ****, in % Source: ****

In ****, about * in * **-** year olds (***) said they wore sneakers every day, compared to only **% who said they never wore them during the year. There is therefore a high consumption of sneakers among **-** year olds in France, with **% of them wearing them ...

2.6 A new and increasingly popular trend: sneakers

Trainers market size France, ****-****, in billions of euros Source: ****

The French sneaker market grew by *% between **** and **** to reach a value of over €* billion. It now represents **% of the French footwear market (***). An estimated *** brands have entered the market in the last five years.

The sneaker brand with the highest ...

3.1 The main players in the sector

Market share of the main companies in the footwear market France, ****, in percent Source: ****

The footwear market is mainly composed of industry giants, as illustrated in the chart above. Indeed, Nike and Adidas logically lead the market. These two companies are closely followed by Decathlon and all its brands.

The graph ...

3.2 Footwear distribution in the country

Department store shoe distribution France, ****

Source: ****

The Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region has the largest number of stores in the region with no less than *** shoe stores in ****.

Although it is the region with the most stores, for the French Footwear Federation, the leading French production region is New Aquitaine. Finally, the other ...

3.3 Distribution mainly through retail outlets

As shown in the chart below, the main distribution channel for footwear in France in **** is sports stores, with over a quarter of the market (***).

It should also be noted that online and distance sales represent **% of the total French distribution. Logically, food superstores are the least used distribution channel for ...

3.4 The development of the online market

Companies providing only "online" shoes without a physical store accounted for **.*% of shoe sales in ****. Three pure players dominate the market: Sarenza, Spartoo and Zalando.

To compensate for the absence of physical stores, these brands offer a wide choice online, combined with a low price policy. Additional services have also been ...

4.1 Different types of products

There are several categories of consumer footwear. The footwear market can be segmented on the basis of product usage:

Leisure and recreational footwear:these shoes can be covered with leather, synthetic materials and rubber or fabric. There are many different models, depending on gender and use (***) They are usually marketed by ...

4.2 The production process

The manufacture of a shoe includes three main stages which are the manufacture of the upper, the assembly (***) and finishing according to the model of the shoe French Federation of Footwear. more precisely :

Manufacture of the upper: first of all, the shoe is designed and the shape is modelled. The different ...

4.3 Production volumes by product category

Production volumes by product category France, ****, in % Source: ****

Casual and "leisure" footwear were produced in France in ****, which is not surprising since these are the most frequently worn shoes. In fact, about one out of every two pairs of shoes produced that year (***) was a pair of shoes in this product ...

4.4 Prices of the different products

Producer Price Index (***):

changes in the producer price index for footwear France, ****-****, base *** in **** Source: ****

The Producer Price Index (***). Despite a visible cyclical nature, this index is generally on the rise over the ****-**** period. For the first time in the first two months of ****, the PPI exceeded ***: ***.* in January ...

4. The 5 most ethical brands: sustainability and made in France

The "Made in France" trend, confirmed by a **** CREDOC study [***], is also affecting the footwear sector, with an increasing diversity of products The hexagonal factory offers us a guide to "Made in France" shoes. This trend seems to affect more male consumers. The mid to high-end market is well represented in ...

5.1 Prodcom and NAF codes

Prodcom code

The Prodcom list is a product nomenclature used by the Member States of the European Union to compile their production statistics. The Prodcom codes are *-digit codes, the first four of which correspond to the activity classes of the NACE-BEL **** classification. The first six digits of the Prodcom code ...

5.2 Footwear Standards

Labeling Rules:

Footwear labeling must include information on the materials used to make the upper, lining, insole and sole. This information must appear directly on at least one of the footwear items. Therefore, the label must appear on one of the following three parts of the footwear [***] :

Lining: the outer surface ...