Nike takes top footwear spot for 2007

The SportsOneSource Group, the leading information platform serving the sporting goods, outdoor, athletic footwear and apparel markets, has released the U.S. retail Top Ten Sellers for 2007 in the branded Sport Footwear Category based on the retail point-of-sale data compiled by the company's SportScanINFO service. The 2007 Footwear Top Ten list was comprised of a range of sport styles from the Casual Athletic, Street Casual, Running, Basketball and Skate categories.

For a third consecutive year, Nike's Air Force 1 continued to dominate the market, taking the top spot on the list, even as Nike took steps to limit distribution of the popular style. The Jordan brand retained its cache at the top of marquee footwear best-sellers, making the list with the Retro 8 and the Spiz'ike. Also showing up on the board was Timberland with its ubiquitous 6" wheat boot, despite that company's own limited distribution strategy. "We have seen the limitations on distribution of key styles have a very positive effect on average selling prices," said James Hartford, president and CEO of The SportsOneSource Group. "In some cases, unit sales actually decreased, but dollar sales improved on the average selling price increase." Running Footwear comprised four of the top ten in 2007, with the Asics 2120 taking two spots, one each for men and women. Nike's SHOX was at the #4 spot and the New Balance's M992 rounded out the top ten. Since 2005, Running Footwear has continued its momentum as the category maintains its position as the top-selling category in Sport Footwear.

Source: SportScanInfo