Three subcategories within sports lifestyle – running-inspired, casual athletic, and basketball-inspired – accounted for 96% of online sales in China

Port Washington, NY, November 22, 2022 – According to The NPD Group, for the year to date ending August 2022, e-commerce sales for total sports footwear in mainland China decreased 22% versus the same period last year.

Running footwear rose 6%, increasing its market share from 19% to 23%. Sales of running footwear, which has seen high double-digit growth in the +$90 price band, is expected to continue growing through the end of the year and replace sports lifestyle as consumers’ top choice for daily wearing. Challengers of the larger international brands are domestic, with seven of the top 10 being Chinese.

Sports lifestyle, running-inspired, casual athletic, and basketball-inspired subcategories accounted for 96% of online sales in China. Among which, casual athletic increased 20%, and basketball-inspired increased 34%.

“Sports lifestyle is now heavily homogenized, leading young consumers to look for something new.” Said Alex Yang, e-commerce commercial executive director, The NPD Group. “Though the total sports footwear market declined, running footwear will keep growing, with items in the mid-to-high-end price range becoming key for the continued success of international brands.”