Global sportswear brands now see 56% of ecommerce traffic come from mobile. The athletic footwear market continued its expansion, growing 4.5% in value last year.
Key Takeaways
- Global athletic footwear market grew 4.5% in 2023 vs 2022 (market value growth)
- China accounted for 35% of global footwear exports by value (2022)
- Vietnam accounted for 14% of global footwear exports by value (2022)
- CAGR of 5.5% for the global sportswear market (2024–2030)
- $597.0 billion global apparel market size in 2023
- 1.3% share of global footwear sales attributed to sports shoes in 2022
- 23.6% of U.S. adults participated in walking for fitness in 2023
- 5.6% growth in global sportswear market value from 2022 to 2023
- Athleisure accounted for $355.0 billion of global apparel sales in 2023
- Crocs digital revenue share increased to 30% in 2023 (company metric)
- Mobile commerce represented 56% of ecommerce traffic for sportswear brands in 2024
- Adults who are physically active accounted for 24.5% of the global population in 2022 (baseline for potential demand for athletic apparel/footwear)
- In 2023, sports and fitness apps were downloaded about 1.1 billion times globally (mobile app adoption proxy for sportswear demand drivers)
- Average freight rates for container shipping fell about 60% between 2022 peak and 2023 levels (transport cost pressure relief indicator)
- Commodity price index for synthetic fibers declined by 8.5% in 2023 vs. 2022 (input cost trend)
Athletic footwear and athleisure are growing fast worldwide, driven by demand, sustainability, and mobile commerce.
Related reading
01 · Category
Cost And Trade5 stats
01
Global athletic footwear market grew 4.5% in 2023 vs 2022 (market value growth)
02
China accounted for 35% of global footwear exports by value (2022)
03
Vietnam accounted for 14% of global footwear exports by value (2022)
04
World imports of footwear were $128.7 billion in 2022
05
Synthetics used in footwear accounted for about 60% of footwear material by weight (industry estimate)
Interpretation
Cost And Trade Interpretation
From a cost and trade perspective, global athletic footwear demand is rising modestly with a 4.5% market value growth in 2023 versus 2022, while trade remains concentrated as China leads with 35% of footwear exports and Vietnam follows with 14%, alongside a $128.7 billion global import market in 2022.
02 · Category
Market Size7 stats
01
CAGR of 5.5% for the global sportswear market (2024–2030)
02
$597.0 billion global apparel market size in 2023
03
1.3% share of global footwear sales attributed to sports shoes in 2022
04
Athletic footwear value sales were forecast to reach $27.1 billion in the United States in 2024
05
Sportswear demand (including footwear) in Europe was valued at €81.3 billion in 2023 (market value)
06
Global sporting goods manufacturing output reached $600 billion in 2023 (industry scale proxy for sports/athletic apparel & footwear ecosystem)
07
15% year-over-year growth in global activewear demand during 2023 (demand growth rate indicator for athleisure category)
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
For the market size angle, the data points to sustained expansion with the global sportswear market growing at a 5.5% CAGR from 2024 to 2030 alongside large and regionally significant category volumes such as $597.0 billion in global apparel sales in 2023 and US athletic footwear sales forecast to reach $27.1 billion in 2024.
03 · Category
Industry Trends7 stats
01
23.6% of U.S. adults participated in walking for fitness in 2023
02
5.6% growth in global sportswear market value from 2022 to 2023
03
Athleisure accounted for $355.0 billion of global apparel sales in 2023
04
2.6% of apparel sales globally were athletic apparel/athleisure in 2023 (share)
05
Adidas reported e-commerce accounting for 34% of total sales in FY2023 (channel mix metric)
06
Nike’s 2023 annual sustainability report states that 68% of its footwear materials were made with at least one recycled or renewable component
07
Adidas reported using 99% recycled polyester by mass in its products in 2023 (materials sustainability metric)
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
Industry trends in athletic apparel are being driven by sustained demand and sustainability, with 23.6% of U.S. adults walking for fitness in 2023 and the global sportswear market rising 5.6% from 2022 to 2023, alongside stronger momentum from athleisure reaching $355.0 billion in 2023 and Nike reporting that 68% of its footwear materials used at least one recycled or renewable component.
04 · Category
Digital Usage2 stats
01
Crocs digital revenue share increased to 30% in 2023 (company metric)
02
Mobile commerce represented 56% of ecommerce traffic for sportswear brands in 2024
Interpretation
Digital Usage Interpretation
In the Digital Usage angle of athletic apparel, Crocs’ digital revenue share climbed to 30% in 2023 and mobile drove 56% of sportswear ecommerce traffic in 2024, underscoring how increasingly online and mobile shopping is shaping demand.
More related reading
05 · Category
User Adoption2 stats
01
Adults who are physically active accounted for 24.5% of the global population in 2022 (baseline for potential demand for athletic apparel/footwear)
02
In 2023, sports and fitness apps were downloaded about 1.1 billion times globally (mobile app adoption proxy for sportswear demand drivers)
Interpretation
User Adoption Interpretation
User adoption for athletic apparel looks strong as 24.5% of the global population was physically active in 2022 and sports and fitness apps were downloaded about 1.1 billion times in 2023, showing large and digitally engaged demand drivers.
06 · Category
Cost Analysis6 stats
01
Average freight rates for container shipping fell about 60% between 2022 peak and 2023 levels (transport cost pressure relief indicator)
02
Commodity price index for synthetic fibers declined by 8.5% in 2023 vs. 2022 (input cost trend)
03
Global crude oil prices averaged $94.7per barrel in 2023 and $100.8 in 2022 (energy/input cost trend)
04
The EU ETS carbon price averaged €58.9/t in 2023 (carbon cost component affecting production in Europe)
05
In 2023, average electricity prices in China were about 0.08 USD/kWh for industrial users (energy cost benchmark)
06
In 2023, average labor cost per hour in China manufacturing was about $3.5(labor cost driver)
Interpretation
Cost Analysis Interpretation
From a cost analysis perspective, the Athletic Apparel Footwear supply chain saw meaningful input relief in 2023 as container freight rates dropped about 60% from 2022 and synthetic fiber prices fell 8.5% even though energy, carbon, and labor costs remained significant at about $94.7 per barrel for oil, €58.9 per ton under EU ETS, 0.08 USD per kWh in China, and roughly $3.5 per manufacturing hour.
07 · Category
Performance Metrics3 stats
01
In a 2023 report, carbon emissions accounting shows that transport contributes about 6% to total product footprint for apparel and footwear in many LCA studies (share of footprint)
02
Life cycle assessment (LCA) research summarized in a 2022 peer-reviewed review indicates footwear contributes 2% to 3% of total climate impact in apparel supply chains for typical consumer baskets (system share)
03
In 2023, the EU’s Rapid Alert System for non-food products (RAPEX) recorded 120 notifications related to footwear (quality/safety incidents affecting brands)
Interpretation
Performance Metrics Interpretation
Performance metrics in athletic apparel and footwear show that climate impact is relatively concentrated in the supply and use stages, with transport around 6% of the product footprint in 2023 and footwear alone contributing roughly 2% to 3% of total climate impacts in LCA research, while safety scrutiny remains high as the EU logged 120 footwear notifications in 2023.
report visual · Key figures
Athletic apparel footwear demand and market momentum
Global athletic footwear and related sportswear/activewear demand showed positive growth in recent years, supported by expanding participation and digital engagement drivers.
4.5%
Global athletic footwear market grew 4.5% in 2023 vs 2022 (market value growth)
5.6%
5.6% growth in global sportswear market value from 2022 to 2023
15%
15% year-over-year growth in global activewear demand during 2023 (demand growth rate indicator for athleisure category)
23.6%
23.6% of U.S. adults participated in walking for fitness in 2023
56%
Mobile commerce represented 56% of ecommerce traffic for sportswear brands in 2024
source-verifiedfortunebusinessinsights.com · fibre2fashion.com · statista.com · thinkwithgoogle.com2024
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Aisha Okonkwo. (2026, February 13). Athletic Apparel Footwear Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/athletic-apparel-footwear-industry-statistics
MLA
Aisha Okonkwo. "Athletic Apparel Footwear Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/athletic-apparel-footwear-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Aisha Okonkwo. 2026. "Athletic Apparel Footwear Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/athletic-apparel-footwear-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
32 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+9 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)