Buzz
1. Nike Brand
Nike is one of the most famous sportswear and footwear retailers in the world. Initially named Blue Ribbon Sports when the company was founded, it changed its name to Nike in 1971. Nike's products are manufactured in factories not directly owned by the company. Instead, contractors own the factories, and Nike pays them to produce goods. Nike sells footwear, clothing, and sports accessories at thousands of stores worldwide. In total, over 900 million items are sold annually. Over the years, Nike has produced several award-winning advertisements, and in 2000 and again in 2002, the company won Emmy Awards.
One of Nike's recent innovations is a shoe that can be electronically linked to a smartphone. The shoe contains a computer device embedded inside and can connect to anyone's smartphone while wearing the shoes. In the athletic shoe market, Nike holds about 62%, making it the most popular sports shoe brand. Nike not only designs shoes but also has everyday casual wear. Tinker Hatfield, a shoe designer for Nike, created the Bat shoe for the first Batman movie. Additionally, the hoverboard shoes worn by Michael J. Fox in Back to the Future: Part II were designed by Nike.
Website: https://www.nike.com/
2. Puma Brand
Established in Herzogenaurach, Germany in 1948, Puma is one of the world's largest suppliers of athletic footwear, apparel, and accessories. The Puma Group owns fashion brands like Puma, Cobra Golf, and Tretorn. The company distributes its products in over 120 countries and employs more than 9,000 people worldwide. Puma has gained fame for its urban fashion products and is quite popular with the younger generation due to its fashionable appearance.
Due to intense competition from both Nike and Adidas, Puma began diversifying by entering the fashion industry to survive. They have introduced various lines of athletic shoes and casual footwear over the years, making a significant impact on the fashion industry by blending sports and fashion. Puma has evolved into a giant conglomerate as it is today through dedication and relentless competition against other brands. Puma not only maintains its position as one of the world's largest sportswear companies through this struggle but also succeeds by becoming an iconic figure in the fashion world, merging both worlds and creating their beloved brand. Puma is committed to contributing to the world by supporting Creativity, Sustainability, and Peace while adhering to the principles of Fairness, Honesty, Positivity, and Innovation in the decisions and actions they take.
Website: https://about.puma.com/
3. Adidas Brand
Adidas AG stands as the largest sportswear manufacturer in Europe and second only to Nike globally. Founded by Adolf 'Adi' Dassler, who crafted sports shoes in his mother's laundry room in Herzogenaurach, Germany upon returning from World War I. Adidas is an iconic sports apparel brand with a rich history dating back to 1924. Yet, Adidas's success doesn't just stem from successful marketing efforts and innovation. From its early days to the present, Adidas has collaborated with professional athletes across various sports fields to understand their needs and develop and refine its products accordingly.
The company Adidas AG also owns a portion of the German football club Bayern Munich. Adidas's logo consists of three stripes, used on the company's clothing and footwear designs as a marketing support tool. Some of Adidas's main competitors include Puma, Under Armour, and, of course, Nike. Adidas employed over 61 thousand people worldwide in 2021. The company's global net revenue reached approximately 21 billion euros in 2021, showing an increase from the previous year, when sales were lower due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. As of 2021, the Adidas brand is the fourth largest apparel brand in the world, with a brand value of $16.5 billion. Hence, it's no surprise that the company is also one of the most valuable apparel, accessories, and sportswear companies globally.
Website: https://www.adidas-group.com/
4. Skechers Brand
Skechers is a relatively young company with its inception in 1992. Retail expert Robert Greenburg, formerly head of LA Gear, founded Skechers with his son Michael with the initial purpose of becoming the distributor for Dr Martens in the United States. They also imported and distributed brands like Cross Colors and Karl Kani, however, soon Greenburg realized their passion and forte lied in designing and marketing their own line of footwear products. 1993 witnessed the debut of Skechers' first 'big hit,' the Chrome Dome. A unisex urban street boot made to look worn-out and scuffed attracted young trendsetters as well as the emerging grunge style.
Skechers has become a renowned brand for athletic and street shoes, establishing itself as a major recognized brand for over 35 years since its inception. Skechers is steadily growing stronger by introducing new, innovative styles to capture the market for everyday wear for athletes. Today, the footwear giant has over 3,000 different product styles under various smaller brands. Skechers are manufactured in China, Mexico, Brazil, and Romania and currently produce over 900 shoe styles for a range of smaller brands including: Go Walk, Skechers USA, Skechers Sport, Cali, Tone Ups, Skechers Work, Skechers Kids.
Website: https://www.skechersvn.vn/
5. Converse Brand
Renowned for its lightweight and durable materials, Converse has been popular in high-level sports as well as on the battlefield and has dominated mainstream culture for decades. At its peak, the brand was said to have held an 80% market share in the athletic footwear segment in the United States. In the 1970s, Converse acquired its competitor, PF Flyers. By the late 1970s, high-tech athletic shoes from rival brands like Nike, Adidas, and Puma entered the market, and Converse lost its monopoly.
With affordable prices and excellent design, Converse sneakers carved out a niche in the casual footwear segment after legendary actor James Dean wore Converse shoes by Jack Purcell in the 1950s. The brand image underwent another transformation when Nike steered Converse away from performance shoes to focus on long-term collaborations with fashion brands Givenchy, Missoni, and Maison Martin Margiela. Converse reported $1.4 billion in revenue in 2012. Converse may have built a reputation over the years as a healthy, consumer-friendly American athletic footwear brand.
Website: https://www.converse.com/
6. Reebok Brand
If there's any sports brand that can demonstrate skyrocketing sales figures and plunging lows, it's Reebok. Founded in 1958, Reebok is an offshoot of the athletic footwear company JW Foster and Sons, one of the first companies to use spikes in their running shoes. Once not considered a giant in athletic shoes, this sportswear brand has seen a resurgence in recent years thanks to the comeback of 'dad shoes' propelling it to all-time highs in the 1980s.
Reebok is one of the first brands that come to mind when someone mentions 'athletic shoes.' The company began producing world-class sneakers and quickly gained popularity among elite athletes worldwide. Their shoes were so good that they were even used by the British running team at the 1924 Olympics. To truly become one of the world's leading athletic apparel brands, the company had to expand to the United States. Within 2 years of its introduction, Reebok's revenue in the US soared to $1.5 million. Following the newfound success in the US market with another innovative move helped drive Reebok's sales through the roof, Reebok caught competitors off guard with the introduction of the Reebok Freestyle, a line of athletic shoes specially made for women. This helped propel sales to over $13 million the following year.
Website: https://www.reebok.com.vn/
7. New Balance Brand
While Adidas and Nike have dominated the modern athletic shoe market for years, New Balance has held its own by producing special athletic shoes praised for comfort and quality. As one of the world's largest athletic footwear manufacturers, New Balance has been in business for over 100 years, producing iconic sneakers and apparel for some of the world's most ambitious athletes.
New Balance was originally founded as the New Balance Arch Support Company in 1906 by William J. Riley. It is believed that Riley was inspired to create his first product after watching chickens balance around his backyard. New Balance also provides this revolutionary type of athletic shoe with various widths to accommodate all athletes. By the 1980s, New Balance had a range of globally successful products, including walking shoes and clothing. New Balance has collaborated with several prominent fashion labels, including Norse Projects, Stussy, United Arrows, Junya Watanabe eYe, and Beams Plus. New Balance athletic shoes have a strong presence in both men's and women's clothing markets, including high-fashion circles.
Website: https://www.newbalance.com/
8. Under Armour Brand
Founded in 1996 by former University of Maryland football player Kevin Plank, Under Armour was inspired by Plank's frustration of having to change his sweat-soaked T-shirts underneath his football jerseys. This led him to create a T-shirt using moisture-wicking synthetic fabric to keep athletes cool, dry, and light. Since its inception as a sports apparel and accessories brand in 2006 by CEO Kevin Plank, it has held its position as the most innovative sports apparel brand in the world.
Today, Under Armour is one of the leading developers and retailers of functional sports apparel, footwear, and equipment used by the world's top athletes. Brand ambassadors include heavyweight boxer Anthony Joshua, skier Lindsey Vonn, basketball player Stephen Curry, and Czech Olympic champion Martina Sablikova. Under Armour recently announced their quarterly financial figures, showing a 31% increase in revenue compared to last year.
The revenue and profits of the Under Armour brand have skyrocketed and become popular with the increasing sales of footwear, thanks to the new shoes released by brand ambassador Stephen Curry. Curry became a brand ambassador in 2014 and has since propelled the company's revenue with his signature line of shoes.
Website: https://www.underarmour.com/
9. Air Jordan Brand
Air Jordan is a leading American basketball shoe brand produced by the American conglomerate Nike. From kids to teenagers to dads, everyone can't overlook the iconic footwear and apparel of the Air Jordan brand. Air Jordan shoes are so prevalent that we acknowledge how difficult it is for a footwear and apparel brand to survive in the collective consciousness for nearly 40 years.
The signature line of Air Jordan sneakers continues to thrive. Air Jordan is a line of athletic shoes released annually by Brand Jordan, a subsidiary of NIKE, Inc. Created for six-time NBA champion Michael Jordan in 1984, the Air Jordan line debuted at retail in 1985 with the Jordan 1. The Air Jordan brand became a $4.5 billion brand in 2022. Last year, that target was achieved a year early as the Air Jordan brand's sales increased by 31%, reaching $4.7 billion.
While the basketball shoe market peaked in 2015 and is currently declining, the Air Jordan brand maintains 96% control, still remaining popular. The Air Jordan brand today comprises over 32 sneaker models, many of which have been re-released multiple times. The sneakers often sell out upon release and are resold online to sneaker collectors. Many individual pairs of Air Jordans that Jordan wore in games have been auctioned off or donated to charities over the years.
Website: https://www.nike.com/jordan
10. Vans Brand
Vans is a sports footwear brand, one of its major competitors being Converse, starting with a small scale and it's a true example of starting from small beginnings but achieving big things. What the Van Doren siblings never imagined they would achieve, yet today Vans is one of the most renowned and coveted brands, not just for the variety of shoes but also for the comfort they provide us.
The Vans brand was established on March 16, 1966, in the city of Anaheim, California. Brothers Paul and Jim Van Doren (with the help of 2 other business partners) opened a small store specializing in athletic shoes for skateboarders. The store was called Van Doren Rubber Company and on the same day of its opening, they sold 12 pairs of #44 Deck Shoes, now known as Vans Authentic. Soon after, the brand started selling performance shoes. One of its sponsors even became a professional athlete testing out prototypes.
Vans has a famous brand domestically and internationally and maintains its position, Vans has changed perceptions about conventional marketing strategies but still retains their values and lifestyle. It is estimated that Vans will be a $5 billion brand by 2023 and it will become the third-largest brand in the world, after Nike and Adidas. These results prove to brands the importance of engaging in consumer insights to develop and always staying in their minds.
Website: https://www.vans.com/
