Women, as a stereotype and generalization, covet shoes and seek them out as fashion staples. They are loyal to various brands and styles, and buy many different kinds of shoes for different occasions. And in general, women love shoes.
Men, on the other hand, traditionally haven’t been wooed by shoes as much, and only buy when they need a replacement. Recent research by The NPD Group confirms this, but also shows that some fashion trends have pushed shoe sales for men.
Nike, Inc., Adidas, and Reebok continue to rank among the top 5 brands on the criteria of awareness and ownership, garnering sustained loyalty from men who are willing to pay a higher price for these brands. As a category, athletic shoes are consistent in driving sales in men’s footwear.
According to data from The NPD Group, the last two years saw an increase in the footwear market by 8% for men – twice as much as the rate of growth of women’s footwear over the same period. This is spurred on by the cultural movement of men taking fashion into consideration more and more, making these purchases a priority.
So when it comes to casual footwear, fashion-conscious men are becoming more choosy and selective in their purchase decisions. They take into consideration different colors, trends, and styles now, which means different brands beyond the usual athletic wear.
Though men are becoming more adventurous when it comes to shoe buying, they remain loyal to their existing brand choices. They will try new styles from the brands they are loyal to, as well as sample styles from new brands. Meaning - fashion opens up a whole new world of brands for men!