Kids' Shoes Statistics

Top kids’ shoes statistics

• Sales are at an all-time high for kids’ shoes as of 2023, reaching global revenue of US$50.57 billion.
• It’s anticipated to double in the year 2032.
• Consumers favour children’s shoes that sell anywhere between $35 and $50 a pair.
• A year after the height of the pandemic, kids’ shoes got 12% more expensive.
• Back-to-school shoes for kids compelled many parents to spend more in 2022.
• Only a third of children get to own a pair of kids’ footwear in the correct size.
• Worldwide revenue in baby shoes as of 2023 sits at US$40,122 million.
• Toddler footwear sales are at US$44.80 billion as of 2023.
• Kids within the age bracket of 4 to 6 are likely to change shoes a maximum of three times a year.

Kids’ shoes global revenue

• Worldwide revenue in kids’ shoes is valued at US$50.57 billion as of 2023.
• Its CAGR within the projection period of 2022-2032 is at 8.2%.
• By 2032, kids’ footwear revenue is anticipated to reach a total of US$102.79 billion.
• This estimated figure is roughly 103.26% sales growth from the 2023 revenue.
• 2022 sales for children’s footwear were at $46.74 billion.
• While worldwide sales had a steady growth rate revenue-wise in the previous years, unit sales for kids’ shoes have dropped by around 8%, year over year (YOY).

The average spend on children’s shoes (US)

• 28% of US consumers spent between $35 and $50 on kids’ footwear in 2019.
• About 24% of buyers bought children's shoes in the 20-to-35-dollar price range.
• Taking the third spot was kids’ shoes within the price range of $50 to $80, attracting 19% of US consumers.
• Cheaper children’s footwear priced between $10 and $20 attracted 15% of purchasers.
• At 6% were US consumers who were willing to spend anywhere between $80 and $100 on kids’ shoes.
• Children’s footwear selling no more than $10 a pair only attracted 5% of buyers.

Effects of inflation on kids’ shoes

• In September 2021, prices of kid’s shoes in the United States rose by 12%.
• This percentage was more than twice the overall price hike for consumer products in the month prior.
• Before imposing the levies back in 2019, a pair of plastic shoes for children cost $9.
• Post-implementation of the levies, the price in question ended at $9.88 per pair.
• That’s a price increase of about 9.7%.

Kids’ back-to-school footwear stats

• A survey about back-to-school footwear buying intentions, consisting of 691 families as respondents, was held in 2022.
• 78% of parents were willing to spend more on back-to-school shoes for kids in 2022 than last year.
• About 36% expected to spend a minimum of $200 in total on b-t-s shoes for kids,
• 63% of parents intended to spend $75 or less on back-to-school footwear.
• In the previous year (2021), 81% of couples were willing to buy kids’ b-t-s shoes at prices no more than $75 per pair.

Sizing concerns in kids’ shoes

• 35% of parents (about 700) answered that they bought the right shoe size for their kids.
• This means that only 1 out of 3 children was getting the right shoe size.
• 940 parents, or 47% of them, admitted that they bought kids’ shoes one size too small.
• 18% of parents bought kids’ footwear two sizes too small for their children.
• About 52% of parents admitted to never using the right way of measuring their children’s foot sizes.
• These parents relied mostly on visual tests to get the sizes of their children’s feet.

Baby shoes market stats

• Global revenue in baby shoes as of 2023 is at US$40,122 million.
• Within the projection period of 2022-2032, this figure is expected to increase at a CAGR of 8.4%.
• By the end of 2032, worldwide baby footwear sales are expected to reach $82,920 million.
• This 2032 revenue forecast paints a 106.67% sales growth from the 2032 figure.

Toddler shoes global revenue

• As of 2023, global numbers for toddler footwear are at US$44.80 billion.
• These sales are projected to grow at a 7.7% CAGR until 2031.
• Total sales of US$87.2 billion in toddler shoes are expected by the end of the estimated period.
• While independent of each other, toddler footwear sales are 89% of the global revenue in kids’ shoes as of 2023.
• Fake or low-quality products are expected to hamper the sales growth of toddler shoes within the projection period.

Frequency of replacing kids’ shoes

• Children between the ages of 4 and 6 generally will need shoe replacements every 4 to 5 months.
• 7- to 10-year-old kids, whose feet still grow at a rapid pace, require new shoes every 5 months.
• Children from 11 to 14 years of age need new and size-appropriate shoes once every 6 months, translating to two trips to the footwear store in a year.
• Boys within this age range see their feet grow at a faster rate than girls.
• During puberty or from age 14 to 17, foot growth usually stabilises and eventually stops, making bi-annual purchasing of kids’ footwear less often.

Facts about kids’ feet and shoes

• 22 partially developed bones are in a baby’s foot at birth.
• This number increases to 45 at school age.
• Toddlers are recommended to go barefoot or wear soft-soled shoes—this is to promote sensitivity and muscle growth.
• Most kids have flat feet, which will develop defined arches as they grow older.
• Children are advised to wear kids’ footwear at the exact size with extra room around the toe box.
• Based on recent data, children’s feet often wind up in ill-fitting shoes, which leads to various foot problems, such as athlete’s foot and blisters.
• The practice of ensuring that children get the correct shoe size and fit has been growing in importance over the years, with the United Kingdom being at the forefront of this.

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