All crazy for sneakers. People have a real obsession for them. It is no use recalling it, since everybody knows, at this point, that training shoes have become a must-be footwear model. All manufacturers must add them in their collections: hard luxury brands as well as the ones actively playing in the fast fashion industry. Ironically enough, if you do not produce sneakers, that will be a distinguishing feature of your product line supply. Two research projects have been confirming, for the umpteenth time, the overwhelming power (from a mediatic point of view as well) of this footwear model. The former research has been carried out in France: here the local Shoe Federation worked out that over four years sneakers have remarkably gained ground in the market, up to 7 per cent in terms of market shares; 6 French children out of 10, and over 5 men out of 10, currently wear them. It is not just that though: in France sneakers are an entrepreneurial case. In fact, many young businessmen focus on sneakers to achieve their start-up projects, while selecting leather upper shoes and arranging fundraising through crowdfunding platforms. Fashion Network’s French edition provides a few examples: Newlab, which manufactures shoes in Portugal by using Italian leather, or Anamorphose, which mixes, in some lines, derby and sport models, with upper shoe strictly in leather. On the other hand, in Italy the Non-Food Observatory 2018, which belongs to GS1 Italy, provides some data and figures. Firstly, “surprisingly” apparel and footwear sales have been declining (-9,9% over the last five years); secondly, sneakers have been going in contrast to such trend, since in 2017 they reached a 36,3% market share (in terms of value) and their overall turnover amounted to 2,1 billion euros, therefore increasing by 4,4%. The online sales channel has been absolutely booming: in fact, in Italy, online sneakers sales have been augmenting, from 2013 till 2017, by 189,3%.
France and Italy love sneakers. 5 French men out of 10 wear them, new start-up businesses hang on them (with leather uppers). Online sales are booming in Italy
