Sports shoes no longer just for running

When hearing the “sports shoes” phrase, jogging or various other sports undoubtedly come to mind. Things are about to change, as the vendors of such products on the Romanian market say, because more and more Romanians have started to see sports shoes as a leisure accessory.

“The fashion or leisure products are in greater and greater demand both in the West and in Romania, where people have become interested in wearing sports shoes when going out, as well. Furthermore, people have started buying brand name products even though they are a bit more expensive than fakes,” Dan Tudose, sales manager of Kraus & Co, the importer of the American Reebok brand in Romania said.

This is precisely why the representatives of the company decided to change the distribution strategy for next year. “Whereas our offer comprised more than 150 models in the first half this year, we will bring nearly twice more models in the first half of next year, i.e. 250,” Tudose said.

The other players on the domestic sports gear market verify the trend. “We want to convince the clients walking in our stores that they do not need to put on sports gear only when running or exercising. This is exactly why we decided to introduce an exclusive leisure collection this fall, which will include apparel, footwear and accessories,” the representatives of Sport System Development (SSD), the importer of Lotto products in Romania, say.

They added the first half saw sales of leisure-type products, either clothing or footwear, growing faster than the sales of specialised products. “This is only natural, because prices went down 6-8% compared with last year, which means it was possible for us to attract clients we couldn’t have otherwise reached,” SSD representatives say. ionut.bonoiu@zf.ro