A Pulse Check on the Current State of the Sneakersphere in 2023
Welcome to the sneakersphere, where hype is the currency and limited edition kicks reign supreme. From high-end designer collaborations to grassroots community initiatives, it’s a diverse landscape that transcends all borders and celebrates self expression, creativity and innovation. It’s also evolving at a break-neck speed, but we’ve cut through all the noise to deliver a data-driven pulse check of the sneaker industry.
At the heart of the sneakersphere are the collectors, resellers, enthusiasts, and influencers who fuel the industry’s growth and evolution, and the State of the Sneakersphere report provides comprehensive insights into how our audience is feeling now and what they want the future to hold. The survey delivers data on how consumers feel about recent trends and innovations, if the landscape has changed for sneaker collectors, whether purchasing habits have shifted, how sneakerheads view themselves, and how consumers perceive the industry. The State of the Sneakersphere provides a comprehensive and accurate pulse check of the sneaker industry and maps the path of the future.
Some of the most surprising trends to come out of 2023 were the popularity of anti-sneakers like and the slew of playful designs, along with the growth of niche brands like and . As for what wasn’t working, NFTs are almost dead in the water, with 70 per cent of voters feeling negatively towards them. Unsurprisingly, took out the top spot for the brand whose ‘cool’ factor has increased the most over the last 12 months, and has also been forging through the zeitgeist. There was also a growing sentiment that the sneaker community is becoming too superficial and toxic, and that it ‘needs to die so it can get back to its roots’, but on a more positive note, sneakerheads almost unanimously agree that sneakers are still an important form of self-expression.