Has the latest sneaker bubble officially burst?

About this episode

The episode discusses the decline of sneaker brands and the competitive landscape of the footwear market.

Last week, Allbirds sold for $39 million to American Exchange Group, a vast drop from the peak $4 billion valuation Allbirds had when it went public in 2021. But it’s not just Allbirds that’s dealing with decline in sales. The DTC brand is just one example of a shoe brand that stumbled in an ever-competitive market. The Allbirds fire sale also comes at a time when many sneaker brands are on a comedown after years of growth, thanks to ongoing demand. With that news, this week’s episode takes a look at the larger state of sneakers. Companies like On and Hoka, deemed darlings just a couple of years ago, are experiencing a slowdown in sales. Meanwhile, specialty running brands like Brooks and Asics are having a moment thanks to their positioning, offering technical designs. All the while, legacy player Nike is slowly but surely regaining its top spot as revenue recovers. To discuss these challenges many sneaker brands face, host Gabi Barkho is joined by senior reporter Julia Waldow. The duo speak about: How footwear brands lose their way as trends come and go. Fierce competition from the challenger brands means incumbents like New Balance and Nike are clawing their way back to…

People in this episode

Host: Gabi Barkho

Guest: Julia Waldow

Topics covered

• sneaker market trends
• footwear brand competition
• sales decline
• DTC brands
• legacy brands recovery

Keywords

• sneaker bubble
• Allbirds
• market share
• footwear brands
• sales slowdown
• Nike
• DTC brands
• competition

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Allbirds, American Exchange Group, On, Hoka, Brooks, Asics, Nike

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