Japan Sport Footwear Market

the japanese sport footwear market has seen an impressive growth in recent years, despite the country’s economic slowdown. 2016 saw a 4% growth in value while in 2017 growth has continued, with the market now being worth 359.7 billion yen (over 3 billion dollars us). this has been driven by the increased popularity of running and other sports, as well as lifestyle sport apparel. the key players in the japanese sport footwear market are adidas, new balance, nike and asics. these four companies have established strong brands and loyal customer bases in the japanese market. adidas is the largest player with a 36% market share, followed by new balance with 17%, nike with 15% and asics with 12%. innovation and new product launches have been at the heart of the recent success of the japanese sport footwear market. adidas has launched 3d-printed running shoes, while new balance launched the ‘my nb’ app which allows customers to customize their sneakers to better suit their own style. as the japanese market is highly competitive, the top players are engaging in ongoing price competition. adidas is expected to remain the market leader due to its strong product portfolio and promotional activities. however, new balance, nike and asics are likely to remain strong competitors over the years ahead. looking to the future prospects for the japanese sport footwear market, it is expected to continue to grow in revenue over the coming years despite competition increasing in the market. growth in the lifestyle segment is likely to remain resilient although the performance segment is expected to remain the most successful segment. going forward, it is expected that technology and digital marketing strategies will continue to be a key element for any successful player. the japanese sport footwear market is expected to remain an exciting and innovative market for the years ahead. with the major players continuing to battle it out for market share, brands that can gain an advantage through innovation and strong customer relationships will be the ones that will be most successful in the long run.