Running shoes led the footwear sales charge in the first quarter of 2026 despite the market seeing a modest 1 percent growth over last year, with rising costs not stopping customers at retail.
In its Retail Tracking Service report on Monday, Circana revealed that there was an overall drop in units sold, but an uptick in price kept the segment afloat.
Even with a slight dip in sales, performance models surged during the quarter on a 5 percent jump on strong demand and increased average selling prices. Within performance, running continued to climb and posted double-digit dollar and unit growth that reflects solid competition among the brands while consumers gravitate toward the latest offerings.
The report also noted that cross-training shoes for the gym along with models for golf and tennis were strong performers. But the lifestyle segment has benefited from retro reboots of early 2000s running shoes that remain popular with fashion conscious buyers.
Outside of performance, fashion saw a 2 percent rise in the quarter even as a the total sale units were down over the same point last year, according to Circana. Higher prices have absorbed the shortfalls at retail with sandals rising with help from mules, clogs and ballerinas as buyer have also inched toward shoes that can function in a number of settings like casual and business.
