At a time where we talk about economic crisis, inflation and potential recession, the sneaker market is no exception.
When money loses its value, prices go up. This is a known economic mechanism of our capitalist era, but this is never pleasant from a consumer point of view.
This year, we have seen the price of the most iconic sneakers slowly but surely increase.
But how much have our favorite sneakers gone up ? Has the inflation affected the global sneaker market or just certain continents ?
To answer these questions, we will simply use the sneaker data from our website and go back in time to find a price difference.
Since some limited or special releases can have a punctually high prices (due to materials, accessories, etc.), we will focus on general releases.
We will also select silhouettes with a high number of releases in the last 2 years that have had a consistent demand.
Price evolution of the Nike Air Force 1 Low 07 'Triple White'
Let's start with a timeless classic the Nike Air Force 1 Low 07 'Triple White' (Men's pair).
There is a +20 for all 3 currencies Euro, Dollars and Pounds since 2020.
The price increase is not limited to this colorway but affects all Nike Air Force 1 releases.
Personally, I always had in mind the price of 100€ for an Air Force 1 'non limited', the cursor is now moved to 120€.
Price evolution of the Air Jordan 1 Mid
The Air Jordan 1 Mid and its promotion by Jordan brand for several years now is our second usecase.
To highlight the price increase this time, we compared the Air Jordan 1 Mid 'Bred' (2020) vs Air Jordan 1 Mid 'Lakers' (2022).
We see an increase of 10€ in Europe, 10$ in the USA and 20£ for our friends in the UK.
This change has not been sudden for this silhouette as numerous limited releases and collaborations have dropped into the market with higher prices increasing the perceived value of the model over time.
Price evolution of the Air Jordan 1 High Retro OG
The coveted silhouette of collectors, resellers and Michael Jordan fans, the Air Jordan 1 High Retro OG shows an inflation from 6 to 18%.
Between the famous 'Mocha' of 2020 and the 'Gorge Green' released this month, we notice an increase of 10$ for the US (5,8%), 20€ for Europe (12,5%) and almost 25£ in the UK (17,8%).
I remember rumors at the beginning of this year (around March) saying that the new retail price of the Air Jordan 1 High Retro OG should go from 170$ to 180$ in the US during the holiday season.
Just before that, the price in Europe pumped from 160€ to 170€ (£140 to 155£ in the UK) in January 2022 catching up the US a little late. The 2 first releases at that price being the 'Atmosphere' and the 'Dark Marina Blue'.
Finally, the price took its current level (180$/180$/165£) earlier than expected this summer with the Air Jordan 1 High Retro OG 'Taxi'.
In the end, that's a double inflation in one year for EU & the UK.
With Nike still the undisputed leader in 2022 of the sneaker market, inflation is not just for the Swoosh brand.
Price evolution of the adidas Originals Stan Smith
To complete this study, we looked at one of the timeless pairs at adidas: the adidas Stan Smith 'White Green'.
This time around, there's a $20 increase in the US, €15 in Europe, and £10 in the UK.
In the US, the price has increased from $80 to $85 between 2020 and 2021 and jumped to $100 in 2022.
This increase also affects several models of the 3 stripes brand in a difficult context where Kanye West is out of the equation and where the collaboration with Balenciaga was paused following the scandal of their last advertising campaign.
Price evolution of the New Balance 550
Finally, let's take a look at New Balance which has returned to the center of the sneaker market in recent years.
The New Balance 550 with its retro minimalist look, basketball and lifestyle at the same time, is one of the big successes of this year.
Comparing the prices of the New Balance 550 'White Black' (2021) with the New Balance 550 'Marquette' released last November, we see that the American market is resisting for the Boston-based brand since the price remained at $109.99 in the US.
On the other hand, there is a clear increase in Europe (+30€) and in the UK (+30£), which gives us a progression of +25% (EU) to 30% (UK).
The rise in prices affects of course other popular models : Nike Dunk, Nike Air Max 1, adidas Ultra Boost, etc. Clothing is also affected with The North Face Nuptse Jackets for example which jumped from 250 to 330€ in a few years.
To conclude, the inflation is real and particularly hard this year. I think we all know that already, but looking at the numbers with a little perspective brings it back to the reality of the market. It’s hard for the pocket money and I guess we all spend more wisely now.
It is still a little early to see the impact of this inflation on the sneaker market.
Nevertheless, we can see a more limited anguish on the part of consumers, less releases that are no longer sold out in 5 minutes and a higher number of products that last until the sale periods.
Buying your pair of sneakers at the best time and at the best price is exactly the service we try to deliver here for almost 10 years now.
These 100% customized web pages are here to aggregate a maximum of data in one place and simplify your daily sneaker life.
As for the prices, we'll keep a close eye on it all in 2023.