People in Germany spend less money on shoes. Classic sandals in particular are losing demand at an above-average rate. This emerges from the new “shoe industry report” from the retail research institute IFH Cologne and BBE Handelsberatung.
Even in summer, sneakers are more comfortable than sandals, says IFH market expert Hansjürgen Heinick. «In the past, you simply swapped your stylish office shoes for sandals. Now the sneaker is worn a lot.” The need for the change is not that great - and apparently neither is the desire. If you have sneakers, you need fewer or no sandals.
Consumers only spent 548 million euros on classic sandals last year, compared to 621 million euros in 2019. This means that sales fell by almost 12 percent - and thus significantly more than in the shoe market as a whole (minus 5.5 percent).
According to Heinick, sandals for women, men and children are affected. The figures include both leather sandals and those with reconstructed leather - regardless of whether the sole is made of plastic, rubber or leather. Plastic sandals such as flip-flops are recorded separately.
Sales continue to fall
According to IFH, the shoe market is influenced by several trends. There are fewer shoes per household, and consumers are also choosing more comfortable models and a more casual, elegant style (“smart casual”). In order to save money, the outfits should be as versatile as possible and independent of the season. This also applies to sandals, which are mainly worn in summer.
Sneakers in particular benefit from the trend - a collective term for sporty casual shoes and sneakers that are also worn outside of sport. The demand for sneakers has been increasing for years. According to IFH, the shoe market as a whole recorded another decline last year. People in Germany spent around 9.3 billion euros on shoes - two percent less than in 2024, when sales also fell.
The fact that the prices for shoes have risen significantly less than those of other goods has hardly helped the industry so far. According to the Federal Statistical Office, shoes were on average barely more expensive in July than a year before, and in some cases even slightly cheaper. The increase has also been moderate since 2020: children's shoes recently cost 7 percent more, sports shoes 6 percent, classic men's or casual shoes a good 9 percent. For comparison: Food prices rose by an average of 37 percent over the same period.
What will 2026 be like?
Heinick does not expect the industry to recover in 2026 either. The children's shoes sector is particularly under pressure. The birth rate continues to fall, and parents are buying fewer pairs than before. Most shoes are bought between the ages of one and four.
Sönke Padberg observes that consumer preferences are also changing elsewhere. White sneakers are now less in demand, while brown or earth-colored models are more common, says the managing director of the Federal Association of German Textile, Shoe and Leather Goods Retailers (BTE). At the same time, demand is increasing for mules that are visually reminiscent of sandals, but instead of several straps they only have a wide bandage, usually made of leather. Padberg generally sees “a renaissance back to classic and formal, less casual and sporty shoe shapes”.
Fewer and fewer shoe retailers
According to the IFH, the number of shoe retailers in Germany has fallen from 7,247 to around 2,420 since 2000. A shoe retailer can be a single independent retailer or a larger company that operates a large number of branches. There are around 8,200 shoe stores in Germany, as the industry association BTE estimates.
The stationary shoe trade has lost its importance. According to the IFH, almost 38 percent of shoe sales in this country were made online in 2025; before the pandemic, the proportion was a good 24 percent.
