Tennis footwear and apparel sales continued to grow in the U.S. as racquet sports — namely pickleball — persistently gain momentum with consumers.
Looking at footwear, U.S. tennis shoe sales grew by 21 percent in the 12 months ending June 2023 versus the prior year, and increased 37 percent compared to three years ago, according to new data from Circana (formerly IRI and The NPD Group). Additionally, sales for tennis-inspired sneakers, which have the performance-based heritage of a tennis shoe but intended for everyday wear, increased by 9 percent in the past 12 months, compared to the previous year, the research firm found.
In general, consumers do not distinguish between different racquet sports like tennis and pickleball when it comes to choosing clothes for the sports. Even brands like Spanx are marketing court inspired clothing for a variety of sports. And while some brands like Fila, K-Swiss and Skechers offer pickleball-specific shoes, many pickleball players are opting for tennis shoes on the court.
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Beth Goldstein, footwear industry analyst at Circana, said in a statement that the growing trend of tennis footwear as a fashion statement is an “interesting” finding from the company’s latest data. “Through the rising popularity of tennis-inspired footwear, we can see the impact that the interest in tennis as an activity is having on fashion — by reaching a much broader audience than those who are actually playing the sport,” Goldstein said.
As for tennis apparel, Circana found that the category saw U.S. sales rise 15 percent in the 12 months ending June 2023 versus the prior year and is up 38 percent compared to three years ago. The research firm also saw that the market for athletic skirts and dresses grew a combined 24 percent in the past 12 months, compared to the prior year, and sales have more than doubled since 2019.
Kristen Classi-Zummo, apparel industry analyst at Circana, added in a statement that this growth is “no doubt” a result of heightened appeal for both tennis and pickleball but said there are “other powers” at play.
“A balance of sporty and chic, tennis apparel has carved a place in consumers’ post-pandemic wardrobe evolution as they swap their sweats for something more stylish without sacrificing on comfort,” Classi-Zummo said. “The versatility of athletic dresses, skirts, and other tennis-inspired apparel is having just as much of an impact on sales as the sport itself.”
Indeed, racquet sports are trending right now. According to the U.S. Tennis Association, tennis has added more than 5.9 million new players since the beginning of 2020 through the end of 2022, for a growth of 33 percent.
Pickleball has seen an even more dramatic increase in participation. Total pickleball participation in the U.S. skyrocketed 158.6 percent over the last three years, according to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA).
The SFIA also found that pickleball participation grew 85.7 percent to 8.9 million players in 2022, up from 4.8 million players in 2021. Last year also marked the first time since 2015 that every other racquet sport increased participation, the SFIA added.
Growth in the number of racquet sport players have also affected equipment sales as well. According to Circana’s receipt-based tracking service “Checkout,” year -over-year sales for racquet sports equipment increased by 27 percent to $684 million in the past 12 months, led by the continued surge in pickleball sales. Capturing $50.8 million in retail sales just three years ago, pickleball paddle and ball sales is now a $304.2 million business, Circana found.
“We are seeing market share shifts, as pickleball racquets are gaining share at the expense of tennis racquets,” Julia Day, executive director of business development at Circana, added. “To become the dominant player, retailers and manufacturers need to equip themselves with actual sales and shopper data to understand market dynamics and quantify opportunities.”
