Shoes are a huge part of the fashion and sports business in the United States.
Nike sells running shoes, basketball shoes and everyday sneakers. Skechers has built a large business around comfort and walking shoes. New Balance has become popular in both running and casual fashion, while HOKA has grown quickly with runners.
Not every big name in the US market started in America. Adidas comes from Germany, and HOKA started in France. Both still have a large US customer base, so they belong in a list of the top shoe brands in USA.
Some companies also focus on one type of customer. Brooks mainly works in running. Vans comes from skate culture. Crocs is known for casual clogs, while Converse has sold its Chuck Taylor shoes for generations.
The list below looks at sales, US demand, product range and how large each brand is in its main category.
Top 10 Shoe Brands in USA at a Glance
| Rank | Brand | Started | Main Shoe Category |
| 1 | Nike | 1964 | Sports, running and lifestyle |
| 2 | Skechers | 1992 | Walking, casual and performance |
| 3 | New Balance | 1906 | Running and lifestyle |
| 4 | Adidas | 1949 | Sports, running and sneakers |
| 5 | HOKA | 2009 | Running and walking |
| 6 | Crocs | 2002 | Casual footwear |
| 7 | Vans | 1966 | Skate and lifestyle |
| 8 | Converse | 1908 | Sneakers and casual shoes |
| 9 | Brooks Running | 1914 | Running shoes |
| 10 | Under Armour | 1996 | Training, running and basketball |
Nike is the biggest company on this list.
Phil Knight and Bill Bowerman started Blue Ribbon Sports in Oregon in 1964. The Nike name and Swoosh came later. Nike began selling shoes under its own name in the early 1970s.
Shoes are still the largest part of Nike’s business.
Nike Brand footwear brought in about $29.5 billion in fiscal 2026. Total Nike Inc. revenue was $46.4 billion. The company also describes itself as the world’s largest seller of athletic footwear and apparel.
Nike sells shoes for basketball, running, football, training, skateboarding and everyday wear.
Some of its longest-running names include Air Force 1, Air Max, Pegasus and Jordan. Basketball is another major part of the business, with shoes linked to players such as LeBron James and Ja Morant.
Nike is based in Beaverton, Oregon.
Popular Nike Shoes
- Air Force 1
- Air Max
- Pegasus
- Dunk
- Jordan
- Vomero
Skechers started in 1992 in California.
The company first sold utility-style boots. It later moved into casual shoes, walking shoes, children’s footwear and performance products.
Comfort has become a big part of the Skechers name.
GO WALK, Arch Fit and Hands Free Slip-ins are some of its familiar product lines. The company also sells running, golf, basketball and football footwear.
In August 2026, Skechers said it had become the second-largest footwear brand in the United States by units sold.
The company reported $8.97 billion in sales in 2024. It has continued expanding in sports since then and has signed athletes in basketball, football and other areas.
Skechers works at very different prices from some premium running brands. A shopper can find everyday walking shoes as well as more technical sports models under the same name.
Popular Skechers Shoes
- GO WALK
- Arch Fit
- Hands Free Slip-ins
- Max Cushioning
- Skechers Performance
New Balance has been around since 1906.
The business began as an arch-support company in Boston. William J. Riley founded it before New Balance moved more heavily into athletic footwear.
It is still privately owned.
New Balance reported $9.2 billion in global sales for 2025, up 19% from the previous year. The company said it had recorded five straight years of double-digit growth.
Running is important to New Balance, but lifestyle shoes have also brought in a much bigger fashion audience.
The 574, 990, 530 and 9060 are regularly worn as everyday sneakers. Runners may know the Fresh Foam 1080 and FuelCell lines better.
New Balance is also unusual among large footwear companies because it still makes some shoes in the United States.
The company says its Made in USA footwear contains at least 70% domestic value. It also makes clear that these shoes account for only a limited part of total US sales.
Popular New Balance Shoes
- 574
- 990
- 530
- 9060
- Fresh Foam X 1080
- FuelCell
Adidas is not an American company.
The brand comes from Germany, but its US business is too large to leave out.
Adidas reported €5.09 billion in North American sales in 2025. Sales for the Adidas brand in the region grew 10% on a currency-neutral basis. Running, basketball, training and lifestyle products all contributed.
Footwear is also the biggest product category for Adidas globally.
The company reported €14.23 billion in footwear sales in 2025.
Adidas has shoes for athletes as well as buyers who mainly want sneakers for daily wear.
The Samba returned strongly as a fashion shoe in recent years. Superstar and Gazelle have a much longer history. On the performance side, Ultraboost and Adizero cover different types of running.
Basketball has also received more attention from the company, with signature shoes for NBA players.
Popular Adidas Shoes
- Samba
- Gazelle
- Superstar
- Ultraboost
- Adizero
- Campus
HOKA is much younger than Nike, New Balance or Adidas.
The brand started in the French Alps in 2009. Its founders were trying to make a shoe that worked better for running downhill. Early versions used thick midsoles that looked very different from most running shoes sold at the time.
HOKA later became part of California-based Deckers Brands.
Sales have grown quickly.
HOKA recorded $2.59 billion in net sales in fiscal 2026, up 15.9% from the previous year.
The shoes are easy to recognise because many models use thick cushioning.
The Clifton is one of HOKA’s regular road-running models. Bondi has even more cushioning, while Speedgoat is built for trails.
HOKA also has a big walking audience. People who spend long hours on their feet often buy the brand even if they do not run.
Popular HOKA Shoes
- Clifton
- Bondi
- Speedgoat
- Mach
- Arahi
Crocs began in 2002.
The original idea came from George Boedecker Jr. and Lyndon Hanson in Colorado. They wanted a lightweight shoe that could work around boats and water.
The Classic Clog later became the product everyone connected with the company.
Crocs shoes use Croslite foam and have a design that is hard to mistake for another brand.
The business is much bigger now.
Crocs Inc., which also owns HEYDUDE, reported $4.04 billion in revenue for 2025. Crocs Brand revenue itself grew 1.5% during the year.
The company has also made collaborations a regular part of its business.
Movie characters, musicians, fashion names and sports brands have all appeared on limited Crocs releases.
Jibbitz charms give buyers another way to change the look of a pair without buying a different shoe.
Popular Crocs Products
- Classic Clog
- Echo Clog
- Mellow
- Classic Sandal
- Jibbitz accessories
Vans started in Anaheim, California, in 1966.
Paul and James Van Doren opened the Van Doren Rubber Company with Gordon Lee and Serge D’Elia. The company originally made shoes and sold them directly from the same location.
Skateboarders soon started wearing them.
The rubber waffle sole gave riders grip, and the simple canvas shoes fitted the skate culture growing in Southern California.
Several old Vans designs are still sold today.
The Authentic started as Style 44. The Era came in the 1970s, followed by the Old Skool and Sk8-Hi. The Slip-On also became widely known after appearing in Fast Times at Ridgemont High in 1982.
Vans is owned by VF Corporation.
The company reported $2.15 billion in Vans revenue for fiscal 2026, down from about $2.35 billion the year before.
So Vans has been going through a weaker sales period, but it is still one of the most recognised skate and casual shoe names in the US.
Popular Vans Shoes
- Old Skool
- Authentic
- Classic Slip-On
- Sk8-Hi
- Era
Converse has an even longer history.
The Converse Rubber Company opened in Malden, Massachusetts, in 1908. Marquis Mills Converse founded the business.
Its best-known shoe came from basketball.
The All Star began in 1917. Basketball player and salesman Chuck Taylor later became closely linked with the shoe, which eventually became known as the Chuck Taylor All Star.
The shoe stopped being mainly a basketball product long ago.
Today it is more likely to be worn as an everyday sneaker.
Nike owns Converse.
Converse revenue was $1.17 billion in Nike’s fiscal 2026, down from $1.69 billion a year earlier.
The sales decline is significant, but Converse still has something many newer shoe brands do not: designs that have stayed familiar for decades.
Popular Converse Shoes
- Chuck Taylor All Star
- Chuck 70
- One Star
- Run Star
- Weapon
Brooks Running does not try to sell every type of shoe.
Running is the main business.
The company began in Philadelphia in 1914, making ballet and bathing shoes. It later produced baseball cleats and other sports products before eventually narrowing its attention to running.
Brooks is now based in Seattle and owned by Berkshire Hathaway.
Its position in US running is strong.
Brooks said it was the No. 1 adult performance running footwear brand at US national retail for the third straight year in 2024. The company again reported No. 1 US national retail market share during the third quarter of 2025.
Ghost and Adrenaline GTS are two models often seen in running stores.
The company also sells Glycerin for more cushioning and Hyperion shoes for faster training and racing.
Brooks does not publicly give the same brand-level revenue detail that Nike or HOKA does, so it makes more sense to judge it by its running-market position than by an invented sales number.
Popular Brooks Running Shoes
- Ghost
- Adrenaline GTS
- Glycerin
- Hyperion
- Cascadia
Under Armour started in 1996.
Kevin Plank originally built the company around sports clothing rather than shoes.
Footwear came later.
Under Armour launched its first line of football cleats in 2006. The company says it captured 23% of that market during its first year.
Shoes now cover running, basketball, training, golf and team sports.
Stephen Curry has been especially important to the basketball side of Under Armour. The company launched Curry Brand in 2020 through its partnership with him.
Under Armour reported $1.1 billion in footwear revenue for fiscal 2026. That figure was down 11% from the year before.
The company has continued adding new shoe families. UA HALO arrived in 2025, followed by more lifestyle-focused footwear in 2026.
Popular Under Armour Shoes
- Curry basketball shoes
- UA HOVR
- UA Infinite
- UA HALO
- UA training shoes
Which Shoe Brand Is Best for Different Uses?
A good running shoe and a good skate shoe are not trying to do the same job.
| What You Need | Brands to Check |
| Running | Brooks, HOKA, New Balance, Nike, Adidas |
| Walking | Skechers, HOKA, New Balance |
| Basketball | Nike, Adidas, Under Armour |
| Casual sneakers | Nike, Adidas, New Balance, Converse |
| Skate shoes | Vans, Nike |
| Comfortable daily shoes | Skechers, Crocs, HOKA |
| Classic sneakers | Converse, Vans, Adidas, Nike |
| Trail running | HOKA, Brooks, New Balance |
| Gym and training | Nike, Adidas, Under Armour |
Price should not be the only thing you compare.
Fit matters a lot. Two running shoes that cost the same can feel completely different because of the heel shape, cushioning and width.
New Balance is known for offering several width choices. HOKA and Brooks have many shoes built around running comfort. Vans and Converse have a flatter feel that suits casual use better than long-distance running.
Which Shoe Brands Started in the USA?
Most names on this list have American roots.
Nike started in Oregon. Skechers began in California. New Balance came from Massachusetts. Crocs began in Colorado. Vans started in California, while Converse opened in Massachusetts.
Brooks began in Philadelphia, and Under Armour started in Maryland.
Two names are different.
Adidas is German.
HOKA started in France in 2009, although its parent company, Deckers Brands, is based in California.
So a list of shoe brands popular in the USA is not exactly the same as a list of American shoe companies.
Which Brands Are Growing Fastest?
HOKA has been one of the faster-growing large footwear names.
Its sales increased 15.9% to $2.59 billion in fiscal 2026.
New Balance also had a strong 2025. The private company reported $9.2 billion in annual sales, up 19%.
Skechers reached another milestone in August 2026 when it said it had moved into the No. 2 position in the US footwear market based on units sold.
Not every old brand is growing at the same rate.
Vans revenue fell 9% in fiscal 2026, while Converse revenue fell 31%.
These numbers can change from year to year, so they should not be used alone to decide whether a shoe is worth buying.
What Should You Check Before Buying Shoes?
Start with what you will actually use them for.
Someone running five days a week needs something different from a person buying sneakers for college or work.
Check the fit first. Your normal size may not feel exactly the same from one brand to another.
Cushioning matters too. HOKA is known for thick cushioning. Vans and Converse usually have a flatter feel. Running models from Brooks and New Balance can also vary a lot depending on whether the shoe is made for daily mileage, speed or trails.
Then look at price.
A more expensive shoe is not automatically better for your foot. The right fit and purpose matter more than the logo.
Conclusion
The top 10 shoe brands in USA cover very different customers.
Nike has the biggest overall footwear business on this list. Skechers has moved up strongly in US unit sales, while New Balance has recorded several years of fast growth.
Adidas remains a major part of the American market even though it is German. HOKA and Brooks are strong choices for running. Crocs has built its business around casual comfort.
Vans and Converse still sell designs that have been around for decades. Under Armour has more of its shoe business tied to sport, training and basketball.
There is no one brand that works for every buyer.
A runner may choose Brooks or HOKA. Someone looking for classic sneakers may prefer Converse or Vans. Skechers makes more sense for many walking customers, while Nike and Adidas give buyers far more categories to choose from.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the top 10 shoe brands in USA?
Nike, Skechers, New Balance, Adidas, HOKA, Crocs, Vans, Converse, Brooks Running and Under Armour are among the main shoe brands covered in the US market today.
Which is the biggest shoe brand in the USA?
Nike is the largest company on this list. Nike Brand footwear alone generated about $29.5 billion in fiscal 2026.
What is the second-largest footwear brand in the US?
Skechers announced in August 2026 that it had become the No. 2 footwear brand in the United States by units sold.
Which American shoe brand is the oldest?
New Balance started in 1906, while Converse followed in 1908. Among the brands listed here, New Balance is the oldest.
Which shoe brands are good for running?
Brooks, HOKA, New Balance, Nike and Adidas all have large running-shoe ranges.
Which shoe brand is good for walking?
Skechers is popular for walking shoes, while HOKA and New Balance also sell several cushioned models that people use for long periods on their feet.
Is HOKA an American brand?
HOKA started in the French Alps in 2009. It is now owned by Deckers Brands, a US company based in California.
Is Adidas an American shoe brand?
No. Adidas is a German company, but it has a large American business. Its North American sales reached about €5.09 billion in 2025.
Does New Balance make shoes in the USA?
Yes. New Balance still makes some footwear in American factories. Its Made in USA shoes contain a domestic value of at least 70%, although the company says these products make up only a limited share of its US sales.
Which brand is best for skate shoes?
Vans is one of the best-known skate footwear companies and has been connected with Southern California skateboarding since the early 1970s.
Which shoe brands are best for casual wear?
Nike, Adidas, New Balance, Vans, Converse and Crocs all have large casual footwear ranges.
Which shoe brand has grown quickly in recent years?
HOKA and New Balance have both reported strong recent growth. HOKA sales rose 15.9% in fiscal 2026, while New Balance reported 19% sales growth in 2025.
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