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Summary of our market study
The French sneaker market is worth between €3.5 and €4 billion.
The global sneaker market, valued at $91.01 billion in 2022, saw a significant drop in sales due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused heavy losses for the world leaders (Nike and Adidas) but rebounded rapidly after the crisis.
The country is a net importer, with sneaker imports reaching $1.267 billion in 2022. Coverage has dropped to 46% by 2022. The sharp rise in sneaker exports, particularly to European countries such as Spain and Germany, testifies to the strength of international demand for French products.
Trends in the French sports footwear market
In recent years, the French athletic footwear market has proved remarkably dynamic in a declining total footwear market (€5.39 billion in 2022). Sneakers have moved beyond their athletic origins to become an essential part of everyday fashion, accounting for some 50-60% of all footwear sales. The appeal of sneakers is not limited to young people, but extends to all age groups, thanks to their comfort and style.
A combination of factors, including the desire for a sporty lifestyle and the comfort of clothing, has reinforced the importance of this market.
The average transaction value for sports footwear purchases is increasing.
Online sales account for around 20-30% of sneaker sales.
30% of buyers express a preference for sustainably manufactured sneakers. This trend is particularly true among young people, high-income groups and sneaker enthusiasts.
Collector culture forms a particular niche in the market, with "sneaker addicts" contributing to a dynamic secondary market. With strong demand for limited editions and rare models, some models sell for over €2,000.
Players in the sneaker market
- Sportswear giants
at the head of the sneaker world are giants Nike, Adidas and Puma.
- Celebrity brands and personality-driven successes
Celebrity collaborations have had a significant impact on the industry, bringing a fusion of style and branding that resonates with young people. The Jordan brand remains an excellent example of athlete-backed success, setting the bar high for further collaborations. Celebrities such as Kanye West, Jay-Z and Pharrell Williams have leveraged their influence to create highly sought-after collections, thrilling the market with must-have limited-edition models.
- Innovators
Veja, National Standard, Faguo and Panafrica
- Luxury houses embrace sneaker culture
Fashion houses such as Louis Vuitton, Gucci and Balenciaga have successfully ventured into the sneaker market. They have redefined sneakers as luxury items adorned with high-end materials and exclusive designs, often in collaboration with brands such as Off-White, Dior and Jacquemus.
- Specialized retailers and multi-brand outlets
Courir is an example of a specialist athletic footwear store that focuses solely on sports shoes, while offering quality products.
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Summary and extracts
1 Market overview
1.1 Definition and scope of study
Sneakers refer to a pair of sports shoes that have been adapted for everyday urban use. Derived from models designed for sport, they are appreciated for their comfort and style. In fact, sneakers are also fashion accessories that were used in the world of hip-hop in the 1980s, before becoming streetwear brands in the 2000s, spreading throughout popular culture. In many countries, particularly in the West, these shoes are widely worn on the streets. Adolescents are the main wearers of the sneaker as an everyday shoe, encouraged by the advertising campaigns of major specialist brands, but other ages also enjoy wearing them. For urban use, multi-sport shoes, or re-edited models from the 1960s-1970s, are the most popular.
The global sneaker market, estimated at $91.01 billion in 2022, is set to grow at a CAGR of 7.2% through to 2032, with Asia-Pacific representing the dominant region due to a growing population and rising average income. These demographics, combined with a growing desire for a healthy, sporty lifestyle and a craze for more comfortable accommodation, are shared by a growing number of consumers.these demographic factors, combined with the growing desire for a healthy, sporty lifestyle and the craze for more comfortable clothing shared by other regions of the world, explain the importance of this region in the development of the global sneaker market. France is also a dynamic market, where one in two pairs of shoes sold is a pair of sneakers.
The main players in the French sneaker market are the international sports brands, led by giants Nike and Adidas, and sneaker distributors such as Courir, Intersport and Décathlon.
As with most booming markets, the sneaker market is constantly experiencing new trends. These include the entry of luxury brands into the segment, notably through collaborations with existing players (e.g. Dior and Jordan Brand). The sneaker market is also being transformed by the growing environmental awareness of the population, and new players have entered this niche with sustainable and recycled sneakers, such as Jordan Brand.the French brand Veja, for example, is carving out an increasingly important place for itself in this market, followed more recently by industry giants such as Nike, Adidas and Puma.
1.2 A booming global market
The global market was estimated at $**.** billion in **** , and is expected to grow at a CAGR of *.*% to ****.
Sneaker market size World, ****-****, in billions of USD Source: ****
The craze for branded and innovative sneakers, supported by rising disposable incomes, is boosting the market. However, counterfeiting is holding back growth. Personalized ...
1.3 A declining national footwear market supported by the national sneaker market
According to a La Tribune article published in November ****, the French sneaker market was worth $* billion in France in ****, or *.*** billion euros (***). In France, it is estimated that one out of every two pairs of new shoes sold is a pair of sneakers[***].
The shoe manufacturing market encompasses the sneaker manufacturing ...
1.4 France, a net importer of sneakers
Sneakers are registered under HS code ******, which covers sports footwear: tennis shoes, basketball shoes, gym shoes, training shoes and similar footwear. Some sneakers may also fall under other HS codes, such as ******, which covers shoes other than sports shoes, with rubber or plastic soles and textile uppers. However, as we defined ...
2 Demand analysis
2.1 Consumer trends in France and growing interest in sneakers
Initially designed for sports use, the sneaker has gradually spread to become "the most democratized shoe model", according to Pierre Demoux, author of a book on the subject (***). Today, * out of ** French people buy sneakers for purposes other than sport. This trend is also evident in the corporate world, where sneakers ...
2.2 French sneaker brands and favorite places to buy, according to Yougov
The French are big sneaker fans, and have strong preferences when it comes to sneaker brands. Adidas, Nike and Puma come out on top with **%, **% and **% respectively. Converse, Reebok and New Balance capture almost half the votes of the market leaders (***).
Which sneaker brands will the French prefer in ****? France, ****, %, % Source: ...
2.3 Environmentally conscious sneaker addicts
The French are increasingly concerned about their impact on the environment. Buying sneakers is no exception to this trend, and of the **% of French people who answered "yes, absolutely" as to their purchasing preference, it's interesting to look at the details of this figure. The diagram below shows that this **% includes ...
2.4 A market driven by collector demand
Sneakers have become much more than a consumer product for many passionate buyers. They don't hesitate to spend hundreds, even thousands of euros every month to acquire rare and therefore very expensive pairs. These consumers are also known as"sneaker addicts".
The profile of sneaker addicts
According to a study byIdealo ...
2.5 Audience analysis
Audience breakdown by age France, ****, %, %, %, %, %, %, %, %, %, %, %, % Source: ****
Analysis of the data shows that the market's audience is mainly made up of individuals aged **-** (***). Audience breakdown by gender France, ****, % of total audience Source : Semrush In the market studied, an overall trend emerges in terms of audience distribution by gender. Men represent the ...
3 Market structure
3.1 The sneaker market value chain
Source: ****
The sneaker market value chain begins with the factory receiving all the components needed for production (***). Production then begins, and the finished product is inspected and packaged. As production and final consumption are very often far apart, the product is transported and exported to the market where it is to ...
3.2 A hybrid market between sportswear giants, celebrity brands, innovative startups and luxury houses
Many of today's most popular sneaker brands were created in the **ᵉ century.
Source: ****
At the time of their creation, sneaker models were designed for a particular sport. The table below lists a few well-known examples.
Source: ****
French brands have also emerged since the early ****s, such as Veja (***).
Sportswear giants
Nike ...
3.3 Multiple distribution channels
General sporting goods retailers
Brand names created around sport still have a significant share of the sneaker distribution market. These include Décathlon and Intersport, which sell all types of sporting goods. Courir takes a different approach: this brand sells only sports shoes, and has extended its range to include "city" ...
3.4 The development of ancillary services and products for sneakers
Sneakers are a product of enthusiasts, which means that their owners are prepared to spend a lot of money to keep their pairs in good condition for as long as possible. This phenomenon is further reinforced by the advent of the second-hand market, where sneakers can be resold for a very ...
3.5 Interview with Thomas Eskenazi, co-founder of Balt
This interview is taken from our Businesscoot podcast entitled "La Niche", which you can find on our website.
Marine: Thomas, let's get started. Let me introduce you and Balt.
Thomas: I'm co-founder of Balt. There are two of us on the project. Balt is a lifestyle sneaker brand that aims to ...
4 Offer analysis
4.1 Prices for the most popular sneaker models
This sub-section lists the prices of the most popular shoe models from the major sneaker brands.
Men's models:
Women's models:
There are big price differences between the most popular models. However, there is no noticeable difference in price between women's and men's shoes.
4.2 A market in the throes of innovation
Strong growth in the sneaker market doesn't stop manufacturers looking for new ways to win market share. On the contrary, they spend a great deal of money on R&D to develop innovative products that can recruit new customers and retain existing ones.
*D printing:
Innovation means modernizing production methods. ...
4.3 The rapid development of high-end sneakers
Designer and luxury sneakers are not a recent trend. Luxury sports brands such as Lacoste began creating high-end models, followed by others such as Gucci in ****. Today, sneakers are a fixture on Fashion Week catwalks, marking their evolution in the fashion world[***].
Faced with the burgeoning sneaker market, luxury brands have ...
4.4 The rise of eco-friendly sneakers
In the face of growing environmental awareness, major sneaker brands such as Nike, Adidas, Puma and Converse have taken major initiatives to reduce their environmental impact. Nike has launched"Move to Zero" to minimize waste and use recycled materials. Adidas aims to become carbon neutral by **** with recyclable products such as ...
5 Regulations
5. Footwear regulations
Labeling rules:
Footwear labelling must include information on the materials used to make the upper, lining, insole and outsole. This information must appear directly on at least one item of footwear. The label must appear on one of the following three parts of the footwear[***] :
the upper: the outer surface attached ...
6 Positioning the players
6.1 Segmentation of players in the sneaker industry
- Adidas
- Veja
- Intersport France
- Courir France
- Go Sport France
- Zalando
- Sport 2000
- Puma Groupe
- Balt
- StockX
- Caval
- Wethenew
- National Standard
- Faguo
- I-Run
- Converse (Groupe Nike)
- Under Armour
- On Running
- Vans (VF corporation)
- Paraboot - Richard-Pontvert
- Palladium
- Jordan (Nike)
- Belledonne
- Belledonne
- Axel Arigato
- Nike
- Golden Goose
- Bensimon
- Bobbies
- New Balance
- Moa
- Running Conseil
- Chamatex
- Circle Sportswear
- Foot Locker
- Decathlon Groupe
- Naked Copenhagen
- Faguo
List of charts presented in this market study
- Projecting the size of the global sneaker market
- Market share of leading sneaker brands
- Trends in the size of the French footwear manufacturing market
- Trends in the size of the French footwear retail market
- French sneaker exports
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Latest news
Intersport and Go Sport hot on Decathlon's heels in France - 11/04/2024
- Stabilization of like-for-like sales last year at Intersport.
- Increase in sales following the acquisition of Go Sport: 3.65 billion euros, i.e. **an increase of 11.2% compared with 2022.
- Projected openings: Between 15 and 20 new stores planned each year
Decathlon: all the 2023 performance figures - 05/04/2024
- - Worldwide sales 2023: 15.6 billion euros, up +4.4% on 2022
- - Decathlon presence: 78 countries.
- - Number of products sold worldwide last year: 1.19 billion.
- - Share of digital sales: 17.4%
- - Sales in France: 4.752 billion euros, up +1.24% on 2022.
- - Total number of stores worldwide: 1,749, including 319 in France.
- - Total number of employees: 101,000, including 24,000 in France.
Decathlon revolutionizes itself to become a global brand - 13/03/2024
- - Company sales: 15.4 billion euros
- - Number of stores: Over 1700
- - Presence in 69 countries
- - Number of brands developed by employees : Over 70
- - Number of disciplines covered by brands: Around one hundred
- - Focus on product-related services: rental, second-hand, subscription, recycling, etc.
Pierre Chambaudrie, CEO of Courir: "Naked Copenhagen has a unique positioning in the sneaker market" | Pierre Chambaudrie, CEO of Courir, emphasizes the uniqueness of Naked Copenhagen in the sneaker market. - 29/02/2024
- - Naked Copenhagen opened its first store in France.
- - 90% of Naked Copenhagen's sales are generated through e-commerce.
- - Denmark is currently Naked Copenhagen's largest market.
- - France is a growing market for Naked Copenhagen and is expected to become the leading market soon.
- - Naked Copenhagen has sales of over 100 million euros.
- - The Danish brand specializes in women's products, particularly rare sneaker models.
Discover Ekosport Rent, the new Sport 2000 brand | Explore Ekosport Rent, the new Sport 2000 brand - 29/02/2024
- - Sport 2000 has launched a new mountain brand, Ekosport Rent, for the 2023-2024 winter season.
- - 32 Ekosport Rent outlets have been opened for this winter.
- - The sales mix of these stores is 60-65% rental and 35-40% sales.
- - Sport 2000's objective is to open a further 20-30 stores next season, and eventually to reach a network of around 100 Ekosport Rent stores.
- - Sport 2000 currently has 241 stores in ski resorts.
4.5% growth for Sport 2000 in 2023 thanks to new openings - 27/02/2024
- Sport 2000 Group sales in 2023 were 841 million euros.
- - Sales were up 4.5% on the previous year.
- - 65% of sales came from the Sport 2000 brand network.
- - The total number of Sport 2000 stores in 2023 was 710.
- - Sport 2000's ambition is to generate sales of 1 billion euros by 2028.
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The sneaker market | France
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