What goes up must come down, even the Adidas Samba.
The sneaker was a megahit with women in 2024, helping to fuel a turnaround at Adidas and usher in a bigger trend of low-profile silhouettes. Although women are just 40 percent of StockX’s customers, they drove up Adidas’ sales on the resale platform by 50 percent in 2024 as they bought up Sambas and other low-profile “terrace” models like Gazelles.
Today, it may be past its pinnacle. Data from Google Trends shows search interest for the Samba over the past 12 months peaked in the US in August 2024 and globally in November.
But even if the shoe is cooling off, the women’s sneaker market isn’t. Sneakers have stepped over other women’s footwear categories during a moment when women’s sports such as the WNBA have exploded in popularity and post-pandemic trends have placed more emphasis on comfort-dressing. In the US, sales of women’s sneakers totaled over $17 billion in 2024, up 9 percent from 2023 and 14 percent since 2022, according to the consumer tracking service Circana.
“It’s definitely the biggest area at this point, when we look at the performance piece and the lifestyle piece together,” said Beth Goldstein, Circana’s executive director and industry analyst for footwear and accessories.
While major sportswear brands have been criticised in the past for not paying enough attention to women, the category’s growth has them not only moving in lockstep with women’s sneaker trends, with many looking to mimic the success of Sambas with their own low-profile silhouettes, but also deepening their efforts to reach female sneaker shoppers.
Nike announced a new brand in partnership with Kim Kardashian’s Skims in February and put the spotlight on women’s sports for its first Super Bowl ad in decades. On launched long-term brand partnerships with musician FKA Twigs and actor Zendaya in 2024.
Collaborations within this space have also increasingly looked towards emerging women designers, such as Cecilie Bahnsen, to create boundary-pushing designs that go beyond just slapping an indie designer’s name on a retro style.
Nailing down what works when courting women’s sneaker buyers can be tricky, however. Lois Sakany, a director of retail research at OTR Global and co-founder of the women’s sneaker blog Snobette, said brands can’t assume that what’s popular in sneakers at large will resonate with their female consumers, and that a woman’s sneaker budget looks very different than a man’s because women typically refresh looks often while also dedicating more income towards beauty products.
“Women customers are tough,” Sakany said. “They spend a lot of money, but they spend it widely and know the landscape in a way that I think a lot of guys don’t.”
One Size Doesn’t Fit All
Brands need to be wary of returning to a one-size-fits-all approach akin to the broad “shrink it and pink it” attitude of the past. Women are looking for products that fit their lives and demands, rather than having to adjust their expectations. Often they’re seeking versatility, though exactly what that means can vary by customer.
Shelby Weaver, co-founder of the Toronto-based women’s sneaker boutique and creative agency Makeway, said part of the reason low-profile shoes remain in such high demand is that they can be styled with a wide range of pant styles. It allows one good pair of sneakers to fit into numerous outfits.
“There used to be a time where girls would walk in and buy five pairs of shoes. Now they come in and focus on buying one,” said Weaver.
Women also want products that work for them specifically, which is why Makeway has a physical store and not just e-commerce, allowing women to come try on shoes. Some styles that work for one consumer won’t for another. Abby Albino, who co-founded Makeway with Weaver, said even though she personally loves Nike Field Generals, just because it’s a low-profile model doesn’t mean it has caught on with women en masse like Adidas Sambas or Puma Speedcats, for example.
No matter what style the customer lands on, it must fulfill multiple needs. That means shoes that can transition across a woman’s entire day, from working in the office to running errands or going out in the evening, ideally providing comfort every step of the way.
Goldstein flagged this type of versatility as a driver behind the success of performance-running brands such as On and Hoka — basically the opposite of a low-profile shoe. Even labels known for traditional women’s footwear have been trying to capitalise on comfort. Sam Edelman, for instance, introduced its first performance-focused line of women’s sneakers in January.
A mix of style and comfort is similarly attracting shoppers to retro running shoes. Foot Locker’s chief commercial officer, Franklin Bracken, called out styles like New Balance’s 1906 and Asics’ GT-2160 on the company’s earnings call last week. Sakany pointed to Nike’s P-6000 as well.
She highlighted Dries Van Noten’s suede sneakers as a popular choice among designer footwear, though Goldstein noted designer sneakers have lost some cachet amongst women recently due to tightening wallets and athletic brands becoming larger status symbols.
Storytelling Beyond Women’s Sports
Beyond comfort and style, what’s key for customers is marketing that can emotionally click with them.
“Women are drawn to good storytelling and brands that they can connect to through sneakers,” said Weaver.
Granted that marketing around women’s sports may seem to be the most straightforward and lucrative route to engaging with women’s sneaker shoppers, Sakany believes that only speaking to the women’s customer through sport could be problematic due to lower rates of sports viewership amongst women than men.
“You have to make sure you’re speaking to her directly and not just hoping that the halo from being a part of this big sporting event is going to trickle down to her,” she said.
Outside of performance products, sneaker shoppers are looking for novel and diverse storytelling around the product. The explosive rise of Sambas was partly fueled by the silhouette being forefronted in Adidas’ collaborations with Grace Wales Bonner, a Black British designer whose designs are informed by her own ethnic heritage. Her latest collaborations with Adidas last year referenced everything from 1970s New York City hip-hop to East African marathon runners.
“You’re going to see more diverse stories that aren’t as obvious or mainstream rather than the same sorts of stories over and over again,” said Weaver.
When Weaver and Albino opened Makeway in 2020, women-focused sneaker boutiques such as Maha in Amsterdam and Naked in Copenhagen had been open for decades in Europe. Makeway was one of the first to explore the concept in North America. Weaver and Albino believe they would not have been able to open the business a decade ago because the investment in women’s sneakers wasn’t apparent yet.
But today, they believe women’s sneakers offer a similar opportunity to women’s sports, where there’s ample room for growth due to a historic lack of backing. Confidence within the category has also led to both the recent rise of start-up sneaker brands designed for female athletes and more thoughtful partnerships within the space.
As sales of women’s sneakers grow, however, so will competition in the category, making it necessary for brands to hone their approaches.
“There’s just a lot more interest now around women’s sports,” said Goldstein. “Nike and other brands are trying to take advantage of that.”
