Sneakers and the future of footwear

If you told anyone after Eliud Kipchoge’s win during his October 2019 marathon that the future of Nike wouldn’t appear so bright in 2020, you most likely would have received a blow in the face. Unfortunately, the pandemic and its effects have shaken the footwear industry to its core after major manufacturers were hit along the supply chain.

It’s likely that brands were already eyeing the 2020 Olympic Games, and envisioning themselves as significant sponsors of A-league athletes. With the appearance of Nike’s Air Zoom Alphafly NEXT%, companies such as Nike most likely had bigger plans for the better part of 2020.

The pandemic is an unfortunate occurrence that has resulted in consumers changing their attitudes and habits towards purchasing footwear.

According to specialists from sites such as sneakersloveportugal.com, footwear purchases are now not a matter of “I want”, but rather, “I need”. Fortunately for Nike, they made significant sales of the Alphafly before the pandemic hit.

Re-defining Innovation

With COVID-19 insight, sales going down, and the pandemic affecting frontline workers, brands have had to be innovative to keep afloat. One of the significant ways through which brands showed how creative they could be was by taking up the challenge of protecting healthcare workers at the frontline of serving those affected or infected by the coronavirus.

Fortunately, companies such as Nike managed to manufacture and distribute much-needed equipment such as face shields with material meant for their shoes.

In the past, sneaker and footwear companies did not focus on long-term innovation but instead relied on fashion seasons and changes that would improve their sales.

However, all that is changing as companies like New Balance managed to produce thousands of face masks as Under Armour joined the party. The question before us then for the future of sneakers and footwear is: how innovative will companies get?

Consumers seem to have shifted their focus from wants to needs. This is likely to become the new normal for footwear companies as they shift their production from servicing trends to ensuring that they meet the needs of different industries and populations.