Shoe stores among retail’s hottest destinations

Shoe stores are stepping up big time.

Shoe stores are among retail’s hottest destinations as customers keep coming in, according to a new report from foot traffic analytics firm Placer.ai.

Even though fewer people were hitting the streets and going to work in recent years following the pandemic, shoe stores quickly gained traction among consumers, and continue to outperform the apparel retail market at large in terms of visits. Shoe store visits are far above apparel retail visits overall. In June 2023, visits were up more than 36% at shoe stores compared to a January 2020 baseline, while apparel retail visits were up 8.2%.

The report, “A Shoe In. Footwear Climbs to the Top,” analyzes data from shoe stores, including specific brands WSS, Boot Barn, and Nike. It noted that WSS, which is owned by Foot Locker and is known as an affordable footwear destination, is likely benefiting from a price-conscious consumer in the present inflationary climate.

As for Boot Barn, its expansion from a solely western and workwear brand into the country lifestyle market is bringing in a diverse audience. Nike’s growth reveals that its commitment to DTC and wholesale has helped it stay on track to meet 2023 inventory and revenue goals. Nike may also be benefitting from sustained demand from luxury shoppers, according to Placer.ai.

“As retail gears up for the back-to-school season, Nike, WSS, and Boot Barn appear to be in a position to build on their recent success and drive traffic from back-to-school shoppers,” said Placer.ai’s Ezra Carmel.

During the week of June 26, visits to Nike were up more than 19.3% compared to the same week last year. During that same week, Boot Barn saw visits up more than 13.3%, as did the shoe store category overall. WSS, however, saw visits up just 1.3%, but the week prior, visits were up more than 20%.