As the back-to-school season gets underway, sneakers are expected to “remain the cornerstone” of footwear purchases this season, according to new data from Circana’s latest consumer survey.
This year, running-inspired styles, as well as low-profile sneakers and Mary Jane-inspired silhouettes are expected to stand out, reflecting broader fashion trends while maintaining the practicality families prioritize, Circana found.
Beth Goldstein, footwear and accessories industry advisor at Circana, said that the demand for sneakers this season is due to the shoe’s “versatility,” which has become a “non-negotiable factor” for consumers.
“Stretching the dollar, families are looking for footwear that can transition seamlessly between the classroom, extracurricular activities, and other events — and sneakers fit most wearing occasions,” Goldstein noted.
The executive added that sneakers, including cleats, generate about two-thirds of footwear sales during the peak back-to-school months of July and August.
“For kids’ footwear specifically, sneakers are about 85 percent of sales,” Goldstein said. “So that’s really what drives the market. Other categories that may see a boost include comfort slides, flats and ballerinas, and slipper/mule hybrids.”
Unlike apparel, Circana noted that footwear sales typically experience a more concentrated back-to-school spike — with July and August accounting for a combined 20 percent of annual sneaker sales for kids’ ages 5 to 18 — making the category a key seasonal driver.
Circana’s latest consumer survey also found that 57 percent of shoppers are concerned about price increases impacting back-to-school clothing and footwear purchases this year, yet families aren’t simply chasing the lowest price point. Instead, they’re looking for pieces that feel worth the investment and can work across multiple occasions and settings.
This new data comes just days after the Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America (FDRA) reported that children’s footwear prices accelerated in the month of June by climbing 4.7 percent year-over-year, the fastest in nearly four years.
Men’s and women’s shoe prices last month also rose 3.4 percent and 4.3 percent, respectively, both off from May’s recent spurts, the FDRA found.
Gary Raines, chief economist at FDRA, told FN earlier this week that this latest read on retail footwear prices pegs footwear prices through the first half of the year up 3.2 percent, supporting FDRA’s earlier outlook for full-year footwear prices to rise at the third-fastest rate in 34 years.
“This latest read also supports our earlier caution that price pressure would continue to permeate the footwear supply chain to store shelves and into less confident footwear shoppers’ pockets in 2026,” Raines said.
