By — Carey Reed Carey Reed Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/arts/sneakers-numbers Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Infographic: Sneakers by the numbers in America Arts Sep 13, 2015 12:05 PM EDT Not only have sneakers become an icon in American pop culture (seemingly since Run DMC’s “An Ode to the Adidas Superstar”) but sales of the popular footwear are big business, to the tune of about $34 billion dollars a year in the U.S. alone. This represents roughly 40 percent of the industry worldwide, estimates Matt Powell, a sport industry analyst from NPD Group and contributor to Forbes. In the U.S., Nike and subsidiary Jordan Brand account for more than 90 percent of basketball shoe sales, Powell said. Currently, Brooklyn Museum’s “The Rise of Sneaker Culture” exhibition explores how the sport shoe became an obsession in the U.S. and around the world. Watch the full report from PBS NewsHour Weekend. A free press is a cornerstone of a healthy democracy. Support trusted journalism and civil dialogue. Donate now By — Carey Reed Carey Reed Carey Reed assists in covering breaking and feature news for NewsHour Weekend's website. She also helps the NewsHour Weekend broadcast team in the production of the show. She is interested in the flourishing fields of data journalism and information visualization and recently graduated, with honors, from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism. @careyereed
Not only have sneakers become an icon in American pop culture (seemingly since Run DMC’s “An Ode to the Adidas Superstar”) but sales of the popular footwear are big business, to the tune of about $34 billion dollars a year in the U.S. alone. This represents roughly 40 percent of the industry worldwide, estimates Matt Powell, a sport industry analyst from NPD Group and contributor to Forbes. In the U.S., Nike and subsidiary Jordan Brand account for more than 90 percent of basketball shoe sales, Powell said. Currently, Brooklyn Museum’s “The Rise of Sneaker Culture” exhibition explores how the sport shoe became an obsession in the U.S. and around the world. Watch the full report from PBS NewsHour Weekend. A free press is a cornerstone of a healthy democracy. Support trusted journalism and civil dialogue. Donate now