A second quarter report on outdoor retail sales from the Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) shows that the outdoor market is getting more fragile due to a pullback on consumer demand.
OIA found that young adults between ages 18 and 34 are facing disproportionate financial strain and declining outdoor participation. This particular demographic is feeling the strain most acutely, and their decline in participation represents “both the greatest risk to the market and, handled well, its greatest long-term opportunity.”
Overall unit sales for outdoor shoes were down 7.4 percent, while the average footwear price jumped 9.8 percent to $75.62, according to the report.
The OIA reports draws on Circana’s Athletic Specialty and Sporting Goods retail panel. The second quarter outdoor retail sales data reflects a market where total dollar sales slipped less than 1 percent as unit sales fell 5.3 percent across every major product category. That’s a sign that price — not demand — is holding the market up. Moreover, the 5.3 percent decline was on top of a 7.3 percent decline in the first quarter of 2026. And using footwear as one category example, the indication is that consumers are holding onto their casual shoes longer before they decide to replace them.
“Higher prices, not stronger demand, are what kept total dollar sales from falling further, and that dynamic cannot hold indefinitely,” the OIA said in an executive summary.
Not surprisingly, technical running footwear continued to grow even as more casual styles slipped.
Consumers, in general, remain committed to participation in outdoor recreational activities. However, rising costs for housing, food, fuel and insurance coupled with cooling employment rends and the lowest consumer sentiment in a decade is squeezing discretionary spending.
One bright spot was apparel sales, which was the only category that saw some measure of dollar growth as it rose 4.4 percent on strength of everyday basics, such as active tees, socks and sport jerseys.
The conclusion was that outdoor recreation has one distinct and enduring advantage, which is that it offers high-value, low-cost ways to stay engaged, giving brands and retailers a “natural path to keep consumers active” until purchasing power recovers.