As we know, the shoe industry is an incredibly vast and diverse arena that is full of different large companies and their ideas of what shoes should be and look like. Each company has their influence on shoe culture, but only a few companies genuinely change the style, functionality, and technology involved in shoes. Today, I’ll be talking about some of my predictions for the future of shoes and sneakers as well as what current advancements are taking place.
First, the leading companies that are influencing shoe development, style, etc., are Nike and Adidas. This is no surprise as Nike holds a majority market share in the US at roughly 35% and Adidas comes in second at approximately 12%. Adidas has had a semi-remarkable return as they doubled their market share from 6% by bringing back classic styles and focusing on shoe culture rather than shoe development all the time. Other companies like Underarmour, Sketchers, Vans, and others haven’t concentrated wholeheartedly in updating shoe technology and development, mainly just style. But let’s dig into Nike’s development of shoe technology.
Nike has no doubtedly immense resources and economies of scale. This allows Nike to spend a considerable amount of resources on R&D which gives them an incredible edge. One example of how this R&D money has been spent is shown by different Nike Air Max models and flywire tech. They also made Nike Plus kits and implants for shoes which track how many steps you take per day, your activity, and more. Another example of what this R&D money has gone towards is things like the Nike HyperAdapt 1.0. The Hyperadapt 1.0 is the best advancement in sneaker technology in a long time. It has self-lacing and automatic tightening for maximum comfort. I believe we will see a lot more improvements like these from Nike. They have already released news of a patent for a shoe that has a mini treadmill that will grab your foot and put your foot in the shoe for you.
Next, Adidas has made a few low-key tech advancements. One, in particular, that is impressive is the 4D printed shoe that is made from 3D/4D printing and is the first mass production type shoe of it’s kind. I think we’ll be seeing more and more of these kinds of shoes as the material for 4D printed shoes becomes more affordable and more automated. If Adidas can harness the efficiency while making a shoe that looks good 4D printed, they could have a real edge in product development on Nike.
Lastly, my thoughts on the future of shoes are highly optimistic. I believe that shoes will start to have more functions and moving parts with chips like the HyperAdapt 1.0. It is a no-brainer; and if the technology can become cheaper, then we could be looking at some incredible futuristic advancements in our daily footwear. Consumers may start to look at shoes with removable soles, interchangeable soles, and more. Shoes have the ability to achieve great things, and the possibilities are endless when it comes to development. Eventually, shoes will be able to tell us the condition of our shoes, our daily activity, and more, assuming the tech development continues the way it has. Overall, I think the future of shoes is incredibly exciting and holds great things in store for consumers.