You not only want to ensure that your customers get athletic footwear that performs well and makes them look their best, but that you also increase your profits by ordering the shoes from reliable wholesale vendors. Keeping up with industry and company news will help you find footwear with the comfort features and styles that your clientele demands, while giving you the merchandising strategies to sell it easily.

Information on the athletic footwear industry can boost your bottom line. Hearing about upcoming trends, seasonal forecasts and customer requests directly from manufacturers, vendors and other retailers will help you make informed buying decisions. When looking for athletic footwear news and trends to assist your athletic shoe business, try to:

1. Discover news articles and discussion forums on athletic footwear to keep you apprised of new product offerings, consumer trends, company developments and hot fabrics and styles.

2. Become an active member in sporting goods retailer associations to communicate with manufacturers of athletic shoes, take advantage of educational business seminars and network with other retailers.

3. Walk the floor at athletic apparel trade shows to see the latest styles of running shoes, learn sneaker trends and buy running shoes, hiking boots and other sport styles from wholesale sources.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Read athletic footwear news to ensure your inventory is in line with current styles

As the industry develops, manufacturers discover new ways to incorporate comfort, safety and performance features into athletic footwear. Ensure you're offering your customers the latest and greatest by staying up to date with product and company information. Blogs, vendor sites and online publications are all good sources of breaking news.

I recommend: Footwear News not only features information on athletic shoes, companies and designers, it also keeps you apprised of developments in the shoe industry as a whole. Check the Footwear Business Update section at SportsOneSource for industry sales forecasts, manufacturer news and trends in athletic footwear styles.

Join sporting goods groups for news and business strategies for your athletic shoe business

In addition to trade shows, news archives and online discussion groups, industry associations also host social and educational events where you can discuss information from company rumors to the best running shoes with manufacturers and retailers.

I recommend: Sign up with the National Shoe Retailers Association to attend business-related events and receive Shoe Retailing Today, a publication that discusses advertising, marketing, vendor and style trend news. The National Sporting Goods Association gives you the opportunity to network with other athletic apparel retailers, take part in buying groups and hear about womens and mens athletic footwear news.

Attend athletic expos to see styles and displays for mens and womens athletic footwear in action

Seeing new product offerings and merchandising ideas first hand isn't the only benefit of attending trade shows and conventions. You'll also be able to attend seminars, discover new wholesale sources and get time to discuss the athletic shoe business, including the latest athletic footwear news and trends with company representatives and retailers.

I recommend: Attend The World Shoe Association Show to see the latest athletic footwear styles, talk to manufacturers and attend the Footwear and Accessories Business Conference designed to improve your business practices and profits. Check out the Athletic Business Conference + Expo put on by Athletic Business Publications to discuss trends in footwear and apparel with other retailers and the people who operate sports facilities and programs.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  When researching athletic footwear to add to your inventory, consider ordering several styles of cross training sneakers along with tennis shoes, trail running shoes and golf shoes. This multi-purpose footwear can earn you extra sales, since it will appeal to casual athletes and customers who simply want a comfortable pair of shoes.

Athletic footwear used to be limited to sneakers; high tops and low tops. The only variations were the manufacturer and the color.

The athletic shoe business now encompasses women's running shoes, women's athletic footwear, men's running shoes, men's athletic footwear, overall athletic shoes, trail running shoes, tennis shoes, running shoes, golf shoes and, of course, sneakers.

The athletic footwear industry is not just limited to helping you buy running shoes, but is also involved in helping you chose the best running shoes.

There are three basic issues to look at when choosing athletic footwear:

1. What sport are you playing? For example, tennis shoes have different requirements than golf shoes.
2. What support do you need?
3. What age/sex is the athlete?

Most people also take price and amount of usage into account when choosing their footwear. Once you find the type of shoe you need, then price and time used key components in finding the right athletic footwear.

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The sport is key in choosing the right athletic shoes

Sneakers started out as the choice of footwear for basketball and tennis players. Many of the current designs are still based on those sports and integrate those needs into the athletic footwear. The athletic footwear industry also has a complete line of running shoes.

I recommend: For overall athletic footwear (including sport specific footwear), check out The Finish Line as they have a wide selection to choose from and some good returns policies. For basketball shoes, Nike is always a good choice, as is Converse.

Get the support you need from your athletic footwear

Buying the right athletic footwear also depends on the support you need. Do you have knees that can't take the pounding of running? Are your ankles not as strong as you would like them to be? Or are you looking to improve your game?

I recommend: To find out the support you need before you get in the game, visit Foot Smart for their selection in footwear and support systems. If you know where your weaknesses are, New Balance has a line of both men and woman's athletic footwear which offers a variety of support options. Spira Footwear has a fantastic line of impact protection shoes as well. Both lines are carried through Foot Smart.

Finding the right athletic shoes is also dependent on age and sex

There are some differences when choosing the right shoe for you, based on your sex and your age.

I recommend: For women's athletic footwear and running shoes, visit Women's Sports for shoes and other running gear. For men' athletic footwear and running shoes visit Skechers. For both men's and women's athletic shoes in the same place, check out Road Runner Sports.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Remember, it's all in the fit, the feel and the function. If the shoe doesn't fit, feel good or aid you in your sport, it's the wrong shoe for you.
• •  Keep in mind your physical build when considering the cushioning of your shoe. An extra-cushioned shoe should be worn by men over 180 pounds and women over 150 pounds.
• •  When considering the size of your shoe, after you measure it, add up to a half-size more for the swelling which occurs during exercise.
• •  When in doubt, throw them out. Styles and functions of shoes change every year and a good pair of running shoes will last 300-500 miles; or about a year of regular running.

The athletic footwear industry encompasses a broad spectrum of different kinds of shoes used for different sports and activities. Athletic shoes are worn by men and women for everything from running and hiking to sports like basketball and golf.

When selling athletic footwear it's important to know how to help a customer find the right shoe for their athletic needs and also to ensure a proper fit. A salesperson's athletic footwear education and training should include the following:

1. Understand how to properly fit athletic footwear to a customer's foot.

2. Learning what style of sneakers are best for each sport or activity.

3. Keeping abreast of major innovations in the athletic shoe business.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Study guidelines to learn the proper fit of sneakers

Whether offering womens or mens athletic footwear, understanding the proper fit is essential. Every customer's foot is different, so it's important to understand how to fit running shoes properly.

I recommend: Study the handy guides at Foot Locker which outline the exact fitting needs for each sport, as well as the International Shoe Sizing Conversions for each major brand.

Become knowledgeable about the proper use of athletic shoes

Know what style of shoe is best for each sport and what features help with accuracy, speed or maneuverability. Tennis shoes are lightweight with traction on the bottom to allow players to move easily on the court, while golf shoes have special cleats on the soles to give the golfer stability. Learn about different styles of athletic shoes to better serve all kinds of athletes.

I recommend: Learn what features of athletic shoes are beneficial for specific sports with tips from Runner's World. EPodiatry.com provides a great resource about the various features of running shoes. Use its step-by-step anatomy of the running shoe to help customers find the best running shoe for their feet.

Stay on top of the latest athletic footwear trends and innovations with industry associations

In order to stay competitive, and keep your customers happy, it's important to keep up with all of the latest developments in the athletic footwear industry. Industry association involvement and trade show attendance will keep you and your staff on the cutting edge of both mens and womens athletic footwear.

I recommend: Attend the Shoe Market of the Americas trade show to learn about the newest offerings in athletic footwear. Subscribe to the online newsletter offered by the National Athletic Trainer's Association. It provides regular news about athletic footwear, as well as information about upcoming athletic footwear and apparel conventions.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Other great sources for athletic footwear education and training are top athletic footwear industry publications, such as Footwear News.