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Sneakers may have first been invented to enhance athletic performance, but the shoe style isn’t just for the field anymore. Sneakers have boomed in popularity with the rise of the athleisure trend, with athletic shoe brands consistently ranking as the top footwear brands in the U.S. year after year.
But while some Americans have sneakerhead status with their robust sneaker collections, others simply have a single pair of do-it-all running shoes in their footwear collection. Regardless of where you fall on the spectrum of sneaker ownership, one thing is for sure: Americans sure buy a lot of sneakers each year.
According to a 2018 Statista poll, the latest data available, 26.7% of adults reported purchasing two pairs of sports shoes (sneakers) in the last year. Another 22.5% reported purchasing one pair, while 35.5% reported purchasing three or more pairs in one year alone. Only about 3% of adults reported buying no sneakers at all.
According to 2020 data, the average U.S. household spends approximately $155 on women’s shoes of all types and $107 on men’s shoes of all types each year.
Given all this talk of booming market numbers and the ever-growing footwear hype, you may be wondering how many pairs of sneakers does the average American actually have in their closet? Well, the answer is more complicated than it may seem, with sneaker ownership depending on a variety of factors including gender, location, age and even profession.
To answer the burning question, let’s break things down a bit.
Do men buy more shoes than women? U.S. sneaker ownership by gender
According to a recent eBay study, men tend to have larger sneaker collections than women, though the gap isn’t as wide as you may imagine. Even with the sneakerhead stereotype being largely masculine, the average man only owns just one more pair of sneakers than the average woman, according to the study.
The survey of about 2,000 adult participants found that the average woman living in the U.S. owns six pairs of sneakers, while the average man living in the U.S. owns seven pairs.
Altogether, it’s imagined that the average American, regardless of gender, has about six pairs of sneakers in their closet. That’s a healthy collection of shoes for athletics, errand running and everything in between.
U.S. states with the most sneaker ownership
Though American sneaker ownership by gender doesn’t vary greatly, the average amount of sneakers owned by any one person can be pretty vast depending on the state you call home. And the territories with the most sneakers per person will probably through you for a loop.
Nevada comes out on top, with every living person in the state owning an average of around 19 sneakers. That number eclipses the national average more than three-fold.
Nevada’s stunning sneakerhead display is followed by Arkansas with 11 sneakers per state resident, and South Dakota with 10 sneakers per state resident. Coming in fourth place is a massive seven-way tie: North Dakota, Connecticut, New Jersey, Vermont, Delaware, California, Wisconsin and Virginia all have eight sneakers per person.
Rounding out the top five is a five-way tie between Minnesota, New York, Indiana, Alabama and West Virginia with seven sneakers per person.
U.S. cities with the most sneaker ownership
When it comes to the U.S. cities with the most sneaker ownership, the top-ranking status of Los Angeles, New York and Detroit may come as no surprise, given the population, average income and style reputations of each region. But you might be surprised residents in two major Texas cities are among some of the biggest sneakerheads in the country, hanging up those cliché cowboy boots for some Jordans.
When it comes to the city with the top sneaker ownership, San Antonio comes in first place with 12 shoes per every one resident, a notable feat given that Texas isn’t even in the top 16 states in terms of sneaker ownership.
Coming in second place, with 10 shoes per resident, is a tie between Los Angeles and another Texas city, Austin. Rounding out the top five cities is New York and Detroit where the average person owns 8 and 7 shoes, respectively.
U.S. sneaker ownership by age
Sneaker collection count in the U.S. also varies by age, according to the comprehensive study. EBay found that 25 to 34-year-olds own the biggest sneaker collections of all age groups in the U.S., owning nine pairs of sneakers on average. The next largest age group by sneaker ownership is 35 to 44-year-olds with eight pairs, followed by 16 to 24-year-olds with seven pairs.
While youth culture is often associated with sneaker collecting and the “sneakerhead” moniker, the fact that 25 to 44-year-old respondents eclipse Gen-Z respondents isn’t actually that surprising. After all, the older you get, the more disposable income you have to spend on items like extra sneakers. So while teens and young adults may lust after the latest footwear releases, those a tad bit older actually have the purchasing power to buy their dream kicks.
U.S. sneaker ownership by profession
Surprisingly literally no one, sports and leisure workers were the professions with the largest sneaker collection in the U.S., with the average worker owning about 20 pairs of sneakers.
Recruiters were the U.S. workers with the second-highest sneaker ownership, coming in at 14 pairs, while bankers were third in line with an average of 12 pairs of sneakers.
And speaking of professionalism, wearing sneakers in the workplace isn’t nearly as frowned upon as it was in your parent’s generation. In fact, one-third of survey respondents said they would not consider someone wearing sneakers to work as unprofessional.
Even further, 23% of 35 to 44-year-olds and 20% of 25 to 34-year-olds believe that wearing sneakers to work is modern and forward-thinking, which are two incredibly positive adjectives.
Other essential sneaker findings
But the study didn’t only break down U.S. sneaker ownership by demographic; It also delved into the opinions of sneakers in U.S. culture overall. According to the comprehensive eBay survey, Americans put a lot of value on sneakers — probably more value than you may realize.
EBay’s study found that 22% of 35 to 44-year-olds believe that sneakers are the most important item in a person’s closet. Nearly a quarter (24%) of participants said that the shoes someone is wearing can impact their first impression of that person, and one in five respondents said the sneakers someone is wearing can define your character.
And, according to respondents, there are certain shoes that make the most impact on what people think of your personality. One out of 10 respondents said the most personality-defining sneaker on the market is a pair of Nike Air Force 1s. That’s followed by Adidas Superstars in second place as the most personality-defining sneaker, while the ever-iconic Converse Chuck Taylor All-Stars round out the top three.
Participants also assigned characteristics to top-selling sneakers, matching 33 popular footwear styles with the attributes that each sneaker displayed to the world when worn.
According to respondents, Nike Air Jordan 1s displayed confidence, extroversion and style. Air Jordan 3s, on the other hand, displayed professionalism. Converse Chuck Taylor All-Stars display an alternative quality, along with a down-to-earth nature and an adventurous spirit. Classic Vans Sk8-Hi sneakers, on the other hand, evoke creativity.
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