Nike has officially won the sneaker game

The data that have lifted the swoosh brand to the sneaker podium were collected by the estimated global market share of the world’s most popular brands in 2022, of which Nike took 18%, followed by its counterpart Jordan Brand which has 11%, with adidas in third place with 9% of the market. 

An ascent that has not ceased at any time since the sportswear brand’s origins, which Statista interprets and expresses as follows: ‘With footwear sales of $29 billion in the fiscal year ended May 31, 2022 (plus $2 billion from Converse), Nike is the clear No. 1 in the global sneaker market. Having started as a company that licensed Japanese running shoes for the U.S. market, Nike quickly developed a name for itself in the 1970s, when some of the company’s most iconic silhouettes were introduced.’

‘Interestingly, some of the models released in the 1970s are still among Nike’s most popular sneakers today. The sneaker market is probably unique in the way it constantly moves between innovation and nostalgia, with sneakers designed in the 1970s and 1980s still selling just as well or, in many cases, better than sneakers incorporating the most advanced technology.’

THE SWOOSH CULT

At the end of the day, this news has come as no surprise to anyone. And even less for the sneakerheads or the community that worships the swoosh, who know all his drops, his iconic silhouettes and iterations, as well as the endless collaborations he has carried out with reputable brands within the system such as Corteiz, Martine Rose, AMBUSH, Drake’s Nocta, Stüssy or CLOT.

En el gráfico realizado por Statista, podemos ver asimismo como otras firmas de calzado como Skecher y Vans empatan quedando en la misma posición, con un 7% cada una de la cuota de mercado, seguidas de Moonstar con un 5% y New Balance y Converse con un 4%. Eso sí, cabe decir que el informe únicamente pone el foco en las marcas de calzado versátil dentro del ámbito de la cultura sneaker, excluyendo, como resultado, el calzado ‘atlético’ puramente funcional.

In the graph made by Statista, we can also see how other footwear brands such as Skecher and Vans tie in the same position, with 7% market share each, followed by Moonstar with 5% and New Balance and Converse with 4%. However, it should be noted that the report only focuses on versatile footwear brands within the sneaker culture, excluding purely functional ‘athletic’ footwear as a result.