Why Expensive Sneakers Might Make You Exercise More
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Athleisure sneaker sales are still on the rise, and an increasing number of shoppers are willing to drop dollars on pairs that can transition from everyday wear to the gym.
Case in point: A new study that shows consumers are putting more stock in brand-name, higher-end performance active gear that strikes a balance between style and function. According to fitness equipment review platform FitRated, nearly three in four men wear luxury or designer sneakers during their workouts, along with 69% of their female counterparts.
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Further, the analysis found a correlation between spending and workout frequency: People who spend an average of $86 on shoes they wear at the gym logged five to seven days a week of exercise, while those spending $80.29 work out three to four days weekly and those spending less than $79 worked out just once or twice each week.
“Spending goes up with workout frequency, but regardless of whether or not you work out very often or infrequently, sneakers are the piece of activewear most people are willing to splurge on,” project manager Mel Kasulis told FN.
The findings, according to FitRated, suggested that paying for brand-name activewear might be akin to purchasing motivation: About 42% of respondents believed they worked out harder when they incorporated brand-name activewear into their routines.
Additionally, two fifths of respondents said that luxury or designer activewear is higher in quality than off-brand clothing, with 41% attesting that quality is important to the success of their workouts. Among the top reasons consumers said they bought higher-end fitness pieces: reliability, durability and increased self-confidence.
“Shoes have always been a status symbol in some ways, although younger generations have helped make expensive sneakers more trendy than designer handbags in recent years,” the report added.
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