Doug’s Dime: Are sneakers making a comeback?

New data from market research firm EDITED indicates that we are in the twilight of the dominion of the sneaker, as other shoe styles begin to supplant sports footwear in day-to-day usage. Sneakers have been on a tear lately — they rose from 37 percent of the global market in 2012 to 50 percent in 2024 — but other more traditional shoes appear to be making a slight comeback. Compared to the same period a year ago, the proportion of men’s sneakers selling out in a majority of sizes is down 18 percent over the summer, and among men’s chunky sneakers, it’s down 46 percent. It appears that loafers are the big winner of the sneaker retreat, with loafer sellout rates up 49 percent over the same period. Andrea Felsted, Bloomberg