Dress shoes gain ground; sports still leads U.S. footwear sales

The shift towards dressier clothes has not displaced sports footwear. WWD puts sports at 58 percent of footwear sales in the U.S., compared with 50 percent in 2021. The same report cites a 4 percent rise in searches for dressy apparel, against an 8 percent fall for athleisure.

WWD identifies polished casual as a rising trend in 2026: a blazer worn over a tee, trousers with pleats, and loafers or ballet flats.