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La Gear

The athletic footwear industry has grown rapidly over the past two decades. Retail
growth averaged roughly 20 percent per year between 1985 and 1993 to about $6 billion
in sales. The forces responsible for that growth include the popularity of running
in the late 1970s, with that sport eventually reaching non-runners, and the purchase
of running shoes for casual use piggybacking the trend toward more casual lifestyles.
The emergence of aerobics in the early 1980s created a new fashion and fitness
trend for women who wanted fashionable apparel and footwear. They preferred
stylish items that were comfortable and colorful, with more variety than traditional
exercise outfits. The early 1980s also produced shoes designed for individual sports
and technological innovations in material and design. From those 1980s trends
emerged two seemingly distinct athletic shoe market segments, that is, consumers
who wanted performance versus those who were primarily interested in fashion.
In the 1990s, athletic footwear is worn to make a statement, The shoes are not
only for serious athletes but also for casual athletes and fashion wearers looking for
comfortable, attractive shoes that represent the wearer's personality and life style.
Athletic footwear has evolved from being an accessory to an essential clothing item.
From high-tops to high-tech, the sneaker has made it to the high style of fashion's
runways. In the recent designer collections, sneakers took front stage as
footwear's must-have accessory. The sneaker also received another honor, a special
award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America for its uniquely American
influence on world fashion. The sneaker is the most universal item in everyone's
wardrobe. It is now also becoming integrated into different aspects of every
consumer's life, from the office to the home. The sneaker represents everyone's
sense of fitness and health; everyone feels young and healthy wearing sneakers.
When it comes...