Dive Brief:
- Footwear and collectibles marketplace StockX said outdoor performance shoes, Adidas x Wales Bonner Samba sneakers, and Ugg boots and slippers are the top three desirable categories this season, according to a Thursday press release.
- Other styles that made the list included skate and skate-inspired shoes from Adidas and Nike, footwear with loud patterns or unusual details and features, and classic Timberland boots. The company said most of the products featured were in keeping with seasonal trends, which tend to favor warmer statement shoes in winter months.
- The company’s quarterly trend report, issued in November, also said that performance running shoes and shoes that reflected a “runner aesthetic” were among the fastest-growing sneaker silhouettes in the resale market, which may predict holiday holiday trends.
Dive Insight:
While it’s unsurprising that cold-weather footwear sells well during the holiday season, what’s notable is how many consumers gravitate toward stylish details, sometimes choosing unusual materials over performance wear even as temperatures drop throughout the U.S.
"We tend to see interest in seasonally-appropriate footwear like Ugg boots spike in the fourth quarter," Drew Haines, merchandising director at StockX, said in the release. "That was the case again this year, but demand remains strong for materials that aren't always cold weather appropriate — think mesh, pony hair, and suede. This tells us that customers aren't letting cold temperatures deter them from snapping up the latest styles."
In the outdoor performance category, StockX reported that Salomon, New Balance and Hoka were popular seasonal choices. In particular, styles that featured Gore-Tex or rugged details such as lug soles were “great picks for the winter season.”
It’s also been a good year for the Adidas Samba. The Lyst Index named it 2023’s most popular sneaker, and StockX reported in its release that the Wales Bonner collab, available in three shades of pony hair, “lends itself to the season and is already a fan favorite.”
Ugg sales for both slippers and boots “have been heating up in the lead-up to winter” as well, and StockX said in its release that “many of the most sought-after styles already sold out on the primary market.” The brand “remains the fastest-growing brand in StockX's 'Shoes' category,” per the release, which added that it’s “on track to see record sales in 2023.”
In terms of skate shoes, StockX said the look is “yet another Y2K trend having a resurgence, and it's happening across multiple brands and silhouettes.” For winter, the style’s “wider toe box allows for thicker socks,” and the Adidas Campus 00s is currently “one of the best-selling adidas models on StockX.”
One of the reasons StockX believes unusual prints and details are trending this winter is because even “when you're bundled up, your shoes can do the talking with loud patterns, futuristic shapes, and fun detailing.” The trend is exemplified by models such as the women’s Nike Air Footscape Woven Cow Print, the Nike VaporWaffle Woven sacai Jean Paul Gaultier Green Gusto, and even the more summery Nike Shox MR4 Mule Martine Rose.
StockX also said that classic Timberland boots “remain a winter staple” for customers, especially waterproof models such as the Timberland 6" Premium Waterproof Boot Wheat and Timberland 6" Boot Black Nubuck Premium.
Detroit-based StockX, launched in 2016, is an online trading marketplace specializing in sneakers and collectible footwear, and it also sells apparel, accessories, electronics, collectibles and trading cards. The company has been releasing trend reports since 2020, and also releases top 25 rankings to track its fastest growing brands.
