From competitions to show off the best pairs to long queues out of shops when a new shoe hits the shelves, it’s safe to say that Switzerland is not immune to the immense hype around sneakers. Now, new data from Digitec Galaxus has revealed the favoured sneaker brands for shoe fans across the alpine nation.
According to the data, New Balance is the most popular sneaker to cop in Switzerland, with the iconic brand making up 26 percent of Galaxus' shoe sales in 2024 so far. The online supermarket and trader noted that NBs also took the top spot in 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2023.
However, that doesn’t mean that New Balance’s crown has been left unchallenged: after coming in a surprise first place in 2022, French brand Veja has cemented its status as a top shoe brand in Switzerland, placing second in 2024 with 17 percent of sales. Speaking to Watson, Galaxus spokesperson Lina Friedrich explained that the brand’s promise of a durable, more environmentally friendly shoe has allowed the brand to sneak itself into the higher echelons.
Comfort kings Sketchers rounded out the podium places with 8 percent of sales, followed by the three stripes of Adidas with 7 percent. Watson noted that the biggest drop in popularity in Switzerland has been felt by Nike. With the brand dropping from 19 percent of total sneaker sales in 2019 to 7 percent today, it’s clear that Nikes just don’t do it for Swiss consumers anymore.
Galaxus added that the most popular type of sneaker in Switzerland, based on data from last year, are Vans Old Skools, followed by Veja Esplars, Superga 2750 Cotu Classics, Converse Chuck Taylor All Stars and Nike’s Air Force 1s. When it came to colour, shoe shoppers across Swiss cities and cantons were quite predictable: white and black were the most popular colours with a third of sales each, followed by blue (12 percent) and grey (10 percent).