The pandemic put a serious dent in the dress shoes (and dress clothes) market -- so the good news is that sales are creeping up since 2020. The bad news? There’s a growing trend, that started even before the pandemic, of more comfortable clothes – and more comfortable shoes – at work and everywhere else.
In April, sales of dress shoes were 200% higher than in April of 2020, but that was still 40% below April 2019 levels. In 2020, sales fell so far that “really the only direction is up,” said Beth Goldstein, accessories and footwear industry analyst at NPD Group. (Quartz)