Resale platform StockX has seen performance footwear brands rise in the ranks over the past year, beating out the growth of the usual streetwear names.
Outdoor footwear brand Salomon was the site’s fastest-growing sneaker label of 2022, seeing a 2,277-percent increase in trades, according to the Big Facts: Current Culture Index report published Wednesday. The French label was followed by running shoe maker Hoka, which continued on a strong growth trajectory with a 713-percent uptick in sneaker trades last year. The North Face’s footwear category also grew by 338 percent year over year, while Puma saw a 326-percent bump.
StockX projects that the reign of outdoor brands will continue in 2023, as a trend toward “Gorpcore”—named for the hiker’s snack staple of “Good ol’ Raisons and Peanuts”—gains traction with young consumers. Apparel from Arc’teryx and The North Face saw 53-percent growth and 153-percent growth, respectively, placing them squarely “at the center of the sneaker and streetwear worlds,” StockX said.
“We expect 2023 to be another banner year for functional and outdoor-friendly designs,” it added.
Gen Z’s obsession with the Y2K era is also prompting a revival of late-2000’s runners, with demand for styles like New Balance’s 2002R and Asics’ Gel Kayano—both launched in 2008—remaining high into the new year. New Balance’s collaborations with designers like JJJJound, Joe Freshgoods and Salehe Bembury have helped contemporize these retro silhouettes for a new audience, StockX said.
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Nike and Jordan Brand unsurprisingly led the pack in 2022 when it came to overall sneaker trades. The top-traded silhouette of the year was the Nike Dunk Low, while the award for highest price premium went to the Nike Air Force 1 Low x Off White sneaker in the bright green Brooklyn color way. The shoe was “arguably the most publicized sneaker release of the year,” dropping less than a year after Off-White founder Virgil Alboh’s death, and sells for an average of 912 percent over market value on StockX. Meanwhile, Jordan Brand’s Jordan 11 Retro Cherry, which debuted on Dec. 10, saw the most trades on StockX during its release week.
The 2022 World Cup “spurred a soccer revival” across the globe, skyrocketing demand for classics like the Adidas Samba and Gazelle sneakers, which saw 553-percent and 222-percent growth, respectively. “With the Women’s World Cup taking place this summer and more exciting releases on the way, we’re expecting an even bigger focus on soccer in 2023,” StockX said.
When it came to apparel trades on the site, familiar names ranked highest, with Fear of God beating out Supreme for the No. 1 spot for the first time. Nike followed at No. 3, while rapper Travis Scott’s streetwear label Cactus Jack took fourth place. Tokyo-based Bape rounded out the top five. Other labels with notable improvements in performance included New York luxury menswear brand Aimé Leon Dore, which took the No. 21 spot with 265-percent year-over-year growth, and Sp5der (No. 28), which StockX called “one to watch” due to its 1,000-percent trade uptick.
It was a record-setting year for the platform on the whole, according to CEO Scott Cutler. “Our seller community thrived this year, and even with a tough economic backdrop, demand for current culture products didn’t waver,” he said. StockX surpassed 1.5 million lifetime sellers, 12 million lifetime buyers, and 40 million lifetime trades in 2022, while rejecting nearly $100 million worth of goods that didn’t pass muster with its authentication standards.
“Even as the world faces an uncertain climate in 2023, we’re committed to putting in the work and making the necessary investments to continue delivering a best-in-class experience to our global customer base,” he added.