Sneakers have quietly become one of the biggest growth drivers for Anthropologie, the company told Glossy.
Over the last year, the number of people coming to Anthropologie for sneakers specifically has increased nearly 30% according to Jessica Irick Peek, gmm of footwear and accessories for Anthropologie.
Now, Anthropologie is capitalizing on that growth with several new investments. Chief among them: bringing the biggest sneaker brand in the world, Nike, to Anthropologie shelves. It’s the biggest footwear brand Anthropologie carries, and the company is planning a full digital campaign to accompany the launch. The first of nine styles launched on Monday, with the rest rolling out by September 21.
“We tend to have the most success with footwear when we’re tying it back to apparel,” Irick Peek said, citing its merchandising and marketing efforts that often position footwear as part of an overall outfit. “With Nike, we have a campaign planned that will touch on the full range of what we offer, and we have a campaign planned for September that will heavily feature Tecovas boots.”
Irick Peek said Anthropologie’s footwear strategy has evolved significantly since she started at the company five years ago. Footwear used to be available in only eight Anthropologie stores, and now it’s available in 200 of around 250 stores. The investment in sneakers is specific to the company’s U.S. strategy, with 40% of Anthropologie’s sneaker investment being exclusive to the U.S. Sneaker brands like Puma, Nike, New Balance and Brooks have all created exclusive sneakers for Anthropologie.
But Anthropologie’s own brands have also seen growth in footwear. Customers purchasing footwear from Anthropologie’s owned brands increased 23% over the last year. Maeve, Anthropologie’s recently spun-off brand, has seen particular success with a 32% increase in shoe sales. URBN doesn’t break out its company’s revenue by segment, but owned brands make up around 70% of Anthropologie’s revenue.
Data from Circana released this month shows sneakers remain a powerful growth engine for fashion retailers. While overall footwear sales in the U.S. rose only 1% in the first half of 2026, sales of sneakers and performance shoes rose by 6%.
For Anthropologie, the footwear customer is a valuable investment, as the number of footwear-buying customers has increased by 15% over the last year. Anthropologie is a valuable property for parent company URBN. Anthropologie’s annual revenue is over $2 billion, as of this year
Over the past year, one in five Anthropologie customers who bought apparel also bought shoes. One in 10 new customers also purchased shoes in their first year of shopping Anthropologie, which solidified the team’s view that footwear is bringing in new customers who want to shop a full look in one place.
“An important takeaway from this is that the shoe customer is our most valuable customer,” Irick Peek said. “If they are purchasing shoes, they are in our most valuable cohort, and that customer has become a big priority for us.”
