The 15 Best-Selling Sneaker Brands in 2024
Introduction
We've worked in fashion e-commerce since 2011, building our expertise alongside successful brands and partners. The data in this report comes directly from our partners and offers an objective snapshot of the Italian market. This isn't a subjective or global statistic, but an analysis that mainly reflects the Italian market in 2024. This allows us to offer a precise, well-contextualised view of the sneaker market in Italy.
The Sneaker Sector: A Bright Spot for eCommerce
The sneaker sector has proven to be a bright spot within the e-commerce landscape. Online stores focused on shoes and accessories, with a strong sneaker presence, have recorded significant growth. This market segment keeps expanding, with plenty of room still left to grow and improve. For brands focused on sneakers and related products, the growth opportunities in e-commerce are still considerable, especially given the rising demand for exclusive, sustainable, design-led products.
According to research from New Research, reported by MarketWatch, the global sneaker market is set to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.5% over the next five years, surpassing $102 billion by 2024, up from $70 billion in 2019. Another study, conducted by Absolute Reports, confirms similar growth but with some variations: in 2019 the sneaker market reached $73 billion, and with a CAGR of 7.2% between 2021 and 2026, it is expected to reach $120 billion.
Looking back at 2020, Federico Bonelli of EY told MFF that, despite the crisis, the sneaker segment showed the most resilience, with a contained decline of just 13.5%. Bonelli also forecasts CAGR growth of 10.3% in sneaker sales between 2020 and 2025, with a major boost from online sales, where sneakers rank among the top three categories with the highest sales growth across all platforms.
Growth in Online Sneaker Sales: Success Stories and Meta's Key Role
Across our client portfolios, we've observed a strong rise in sneaker sales, for both single-brand and multi-brand retailers. Success stories such as Pollini, The Mooder, Treemme and Pier Abbigliamento have recorded significant growth, confirming the market's positive trend. Thanks to targeted strategies and e-commerce platform optimisation, these brands have managed to capitalise on the opportunities offered by the sneaker sector, strengthening their online presence.
Meta remains the leading channel for selling sneakers online, thanks to its ability to reach a vast, highly targeted audience.
Campaigns on Facebook and Instagram have proven particularly effective at generating qualified traffic and conversions, especially for fashion and sneaker brands. Thanks to advanced targeting and retargeting options, Meta is an essential platform for anyone looking to maximise sales in this sector.
The Age Groups Dominating the Market
According to various analyses, the main age groups buying sneakers online globally are Millennials (aged 25 to 40) and Generation Z (aged 16 to 24). Specifically, around 45% of sneaker buyers fall between 18 and 34, confirming that young adults are the dominant demographic in the sneaker market. This segment is driven by fashion, comfort and strong cultural influences, such as music and streetwear. It's worth noting that consumers aged 35 to 44 also continue to represent a significant share of the market, particularly for high-end and collectable sneakers.
Sources
Hyperbeast's Streetwear Report
Top 15 Sneaker Brands and the Importance of the Digital Target
The dominant age group in the sneaker market, those aged 25 to 34, is made up of digitally savvy consumers. These users are used to interacting with technology, they research products online and are constantly connected on social media. This means reaching them requires a highly targeted and strategic approach.
This is where it becomes important to work with a specialised agency capable of handling every aspect of your digital presence and advertising campaigns. Only with a well-thought-out strategy, one that leverages channels like Meta, Google and optimised e-commerce platforms, can you effectively reach and convert this consumer segment, delivering real, measurable results.
Experience and skill in data analysis and precise targeting are essential for maximising conversions and making sure your advertising message reaches exactly where it needs to: the users who are already living in the digital world and are ready to engage with brands that know how to speak to them.
Below is a chart with data from our partners in Italy, confirming the dominance of these age groups in the online sneaker market.
The data presented is sampled from our partners and doesn't represent an objective scale of the Italian market. However, as an agency active in the multi-brand sector since 2012, we have a broad view of the best-selling brands and know exactly where to invest to achieve concrete, measurable results.
Best-Selling Brands: Growth, Trends and Challenges
- Autry is confirming its strong growth, even though many expected a slowdown. The models work very well thanks to their versatility: they can be worn with either a dress or jeans. What's more, the new running version is already delivering positive results, sitting alongside the best-selling and by-now iconic Medalist.
- Hogan appeals to an older age group, with little competition online, since many traditional stores are still poorly equipped for digital sales. As a web agency, we're able to deliver significant results for our partners working with this brand.
- Premiata has gained a lot of ground on Hogan, positioning itself as a less classic but still elegant alternative. The wide range of models and the company's efficiency are driving steady growth, now confirmed over several seasons.
- New Balance posted impressive numbers in the first quarter, but is currently going through a slowdown, likely in Adidas's favour. If they don't introduce significant novelties before the end of the year, they risk being overtaken by the German brand.
