Sales by quarter reached a 5% and 6% increase, in the first and second quarter, respectively. Athletic footwear lost some of its dynamic growth in the third quarter, with an increase in sales of only 2%, and then to close the year, a disappointing decline in the final quarter (-1%).

According to the NPD Group the shift in the second half is due almost entirely to the void that was created by The Sports Authority and Sport Chalet bankruptcies. The greatest impact came in the fourth quarter, when both retailers were fighting for their survival. As this is recent, it is expected that the impact in sales continues in the first quarter of 2017, but after the trend should return to normal.

“December was another disappointing month for athletic footwear, with continued weakness in the athletic specialty/sporting goods channel. Sales in that channel were down in the low single-digits, dragging the overall market down 1%. The soft sales in the athletic specialty/sporting goods channel was primarily caused by the absence of The Sports Authority. Nowhere was this void felt more than in running footwear, which declined 8 percent”, the NPD Group stated.

The same source indicated that classics, the largest category based on dollar sales for December, grew sales by 11% for the month. Playing off this trend, casual athletic has also been strong, and sales in this category grew 28% for the month. Cross training and other performance footwear continues to face challenges, with sales down by 19% and 11%, respectively, for December.