Global Leaders in the Sneaker Market | February 11 2025, 22:05

Today we went shopping for sneakers, and I decided to investigate which countries are currently the world leaders in sneakers.

Overall, no surprises—the US is in the absolute lead. Germany and Japan are notable. The rest are catching up.

American brands—at least 9 of them: Nike (+Converse), New Balance, Brooks, Saucony (+Merrell), Reebok, Skechers, Vans, Hoka. Purely sport-wise, probably 7 from the list.

Japanese—Asics, Mizuno.

German—Adidas, Puma (by the way, both founded by the Dassler brothers, yet they are competitors). Swiss—On. Korean—Fila.

Of course, production is all in China, Vietnam, Indonesia.

Personally, I’ve been buying almost exclusively Asics for a long time. They are very comfortable, although the design is so-so, a mere pass.

By the way, want an interesting fact you probably didn’t know? The thin layer of felt on the sole of Converse sneakers was added (at least as of 10 years ago—it was added) not for functional reasons but for economic ones. Footwear with a fabric sole was subject to lower customs duties when imported compared to footwear with a rubber sole because it was classified as slippers. And the duty was reduced from 37.5% to 3%.

Who else from other countries – are there any brands that are very noticeable and popular in your markets, and have yet to make it to the US?