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ARTICLE · 28 APRIL 2026

U.S. Consumer & Executive Footwear Survey

AlixPartners Asia LLC
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AlixPartners and FDRA partnered to survey U.S. consumers about their footwear purchasing intentions for Spring 2026, revealing widespread economic pessimism and sticker shock that's driving shoppers toward needs-based spending. The research examines how tariff-related price pressures and consumer anxiety are reshaping purchase behaviors across footwear categories and retail channels.

United StatesConsumer Protection
Bryan Eshelman
Bryan Eshelman
Sonia Lapinsky
Sonia Lapinsky
Andrew Hogenson
Andrew Hogenson
Amit Mahajan
Amit Mahajan
Raj Konanahalli
Raj Konanahalli
Meghan Hayward
Meghan Hayward
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FDRA represents 95% of the footwear industry, working from footwear design through to retail to help the industry evolve and advocate for policies that grow the sector. AlixPartners advises footwear manufacturers and retailers on digital-first retail strategies across the value chain. We partnered to research current consumer trends; the results will help inform footwear companies on how to meet the consumer where they are in 2026.

For all the consumer anxiety in 2025 over tariff-related price hikes, footwear companies were “surgical” about where they raised prices last year.

The latent price pressures being felt by retailers may exact more of a pinch in 2026. The Spring 2026 U.S. Consumer Footwear Survey, conducted by AlixPartners in partnership with FDRA, finds widespread sticker shock and pessimism over the anticipated state of the economy in six months’ time, especially among older respondents, with consumers retreating to needs-based spending and working to make each purchase

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