Running shoe sales breakdown on Tmall China 2023, by brand

In 2023, ANTA was the most popular brand for running shoes on China's e-commerce platform Tmall, accounting for 16 percent of the platform's running footwear sales value. Li-Ning, Asics, and Nike had a similar market share of around nine percent. The five leading brands made up over half of Tmall's running shoe sales.

Booming running shoes market

With rising health awareness and the increasing popularity of marathons, running has become a trend in China and the favorite sport among high-net-worth individuals. Professional running shoes also emerged as the most preferred athletic footwear for many Chinese consumers. This has led to the thriving sales of running shoes, which accounted for over 30 percent of the total sales of athletic footwear. 

Strategic focus of domestic brands

Nike has been dominating the online sportswear market in China for years, with Adidas as its strongest rival. However, Adidas lost favor during the 2021 Xinjiang Cotton Controversy, while domestic brands managed to capture the market share. Considering the prosperity of the running industry, some local companies, such as ANTA, Li-Ning, Xtep and 361°, strategically focus on the battlefield of running shoes, striving to offer innovative high-performance products through increased investment in research and development (R&D). In 2023, Xtep became the most popular brand among Chinese runners, with over one third of the top 100 athletes wearing its products during races.