Footwear Insight

We surveyed 452 consumers. Here is what they told us. How many days per week do you walk for fitness? 1% 9% 40% 51% 8% 27% 30% 34% Picking Up the Walking Pace I n our latest consumer survey, we focused our questions on the walking category (and more) with 452 adults, aged 18-60, all of whom iden- tify themselves as "active." e results revealed that walking is indeed super-popular as a fitness activity right now — and this translates into plenty of opportunities on the product side. An astounding 96 percent of respondents told us they consider walking to be a part of their daily fitness routine. And nearly 65 percent said they walk for fitness five or more times per week, with 34 percent walking every single day. Based on our survey, the popularity of walking as an activity also translates into footwear trends. When it comes to what shoes they are wearing and buying for walking, 39 percent said they participate in the activity while wearing "walking" shoes, while 36 percent opted for "running" shoes. Only 12 percent of respondents told us they did not have specific footwear for walking. Aside from footwear, accessories are a solid add-on category with most walkers. e most popular accessories that our respondents reported walking with include earbuds or headphones, a water bottle, sunglasses, a hat or a dog leash. Walking socks were mentioned as well. As for shopping habits, a department store is the most likely place those surveyed said they'd be buying footwear (21 percent). And the most important traits they look for in footwear are comfort, followed by style, price and utility, with brand name placing fih out of our five choices. For more insight, check out the feature story on page 22 to learn how footwear brands are keeping pace with walking trends. is survey conducted by MESH01 included 452 respondents, men and women ages 18 - 60 years of age, who identify themselves as active and walkers. Trend Insight Consumer is a feature within Footwear Insight that delivers research conducted on the MESH01 Platform. MESH01 collects data from a select panel of active and outdoor enthusiasts. 0 TIMES NO CHANGE I WALK ABOUT THE SAME NO I WALK LESS YES I WALK MORE YES 96% 4% 1-2 TIMES 3-4 TIMES 5-6 TIMES EVERYDAY Do you consider walking a part of your daily fitness routine? NO Do you walk more for fitness now than you did before the pandemic? Powered by www.mesh01.com 34 • Footwear Insight ~ March/April 2022 footwearinsight.com

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