Shoes have been worn to protect our feet for centuries, dating back to 7000-8000 BC. These days, they’re fashionable as well as functional (and in some cases, not very functional at all). If you’re interested in investing in footwear brands, a lot of them are listed on stock exchanges in the UK and worldwide, here’s how.
Footwear stocks are shares of companies that manufacture and sell footwear. In some cases, such as with Crocs, shoes are its only venture, but some companies might manufacture and sell shoes as well as other products, such as with sportswear brands Nike and Adidas.
Some UK footwear stocks include:
Shoe Zone has over 300 stores on high streets across the UK. Its annual turnover is £241 million and it sells approximately 14 million pairs of shoes each year. Shoe Zone has acquired many different shoe brands over the years, including Tylers, The Oliver Group plc and Shoefayre.
Dr. Martens is relatively new to the London Stock Exchange, having IPOd in January 2021. This British footwear brand makes instantly recognisable boots with distinctive yellow stitching. The shoes were originally popular with housewives due to their comfortable soles. At its IPO in 2021, the company was valued at £3.7 billion.
Shoes are produced all over the world, so you’re not limited to UK companies to invest in. Here are some global stocks that you can invest in.
Nike is an American company that designs, develops, manufactures and sells footwear, clothing, equipment and accessories with the Nike branding. In 2024, Nike had a revenue of $51.36 billion (around £40.22 billion). It is one of the most valuable sports businesses in the world.
Crocs is an American company that’s behind the colourful rubber clogs famously worn by Nicki Minaj and Justin Bieber. It also sells sandals, flip flops, slides and shoes. During the coronavirus pandemic, Crocs offered healthcare workers a free pair of its shoes in its “A Free Pair for Healthcare” campaign. Crocs is listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange.
Skechers is an American footwear company. It’s the third largest athletic footwear brand in the US. Skechers is known for having comfortable memory foam trainers. Skechers has used celebrities in its promotions, including Demi Lovato, Camilla Cabello and Ringo Starr. It is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
Shoes are worn to protect our feet from the harsh surfaces — unless the world suddenly smooths over, we’re unlikely to ever stop needing to wear shoes. That’s also assuming that our floorboards won’t remain so cold that we no longer need slippers either.
The fashion element of shoes doesn’t look like it’s dying out. According to Simply Be, the average woman owns around 24 pairs of shoes, with at least a couple that they haven’t worn for a year or more, and at least one pair that they’ve never worn. Most of these shoes will have been chosen for their style — with bright colours, intricate designs and high heels.
All investing should be regarded as longer term. The value of your investments can go up and down, and you may get back less than you invest. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. If you’re not sure which investments are right for you, please seek out a financial adviser. Capital at risk.
Shoes are one of the retail products that you typically want to try on before you purchase them, so the loss of high street footfall that we’re seeing doesn’t bode well for the footwear industry. Online retailers are adding the option to try a range of clothes without the obligation to buy, as well as free and easy returns.
Shoes are an inevitable part of your outfit, unless you’re heading to bed or going on a bouncy castle, so it’s a great industry to be interested in investing in. Be aware that while shoes are essential items, their sales will drop in times of recession, as a lot of shoe sales are pleasure buys rather than essential buys.
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