U.S. Sneaker Analysis Determines The Most Popular Sneaker In Every State

Nike sneakers, Air Force Ones.

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Which sneaker brands and models are the current favorites in each US state, and which ones are on the rise?

When it comes to sneakers, the choices are endless, with thousands of makes and models to choose from to suit everyone’s needs and fashion tastes. From the 1989 Nike Air Jordan 4, which has been described as the ‘coolest sneaker ever’, to the Vans Half Cab, historically released in 1992, and remains the best skate shoe of all time, it’s safe to say we are split for choice. But does everyone in the US have a favorite sneaker, and how do states differ when it comes to favorite brands and models?

Nike Air Force Ones

eBay has conducted a study to discover what sneaker models are dominating Google searches in the US. eBay analyzed a seed list of the most iconic sneaker brands and also took an in-depth look at Nike sneaker models. The results reveal state favorites, and which brands and models have been rising in search interest over the last four years. Check it out!

Nike Air Force 1 unanimously triumphs as the most popular sneaker in every single US state in 2021

eBay analyzed 32 of the most iconic sneakers, from the Reebok Pump and Gucci Tennis 83 to Nike Air Jordan and A Bathing Ape Bapesta, but it is the Nike Air Force 1 that comes out on top as the most searched sneaker in every US state.

Making its debut nearly 40 years ago in 1982, the Nike Air Force 1 ranks as the most-searched sneaker in all of America. Since its launch, Air Force 1 has released a women’s range and also given the power to the consumer to create their very own personalized sneakers with NikeiD. With over 2,000 variations of the sneaker, it comes as no surprise that the AF-1 crushes all other iconic sneaker models in popularity.

Nike Dunk is the sneaker with the highest increase in search interest between 2017-2021

Nike Dunks

As well as revealing the most popular model in 2021, the data also shows which sneaker has seen the biggest increase in search over the last few years to determine the rising star of the sneaker world. 

eBay´s analysis shows that the Nike Dunk has had the highest increase in search over the past four years, making it the fastest-growing sneaker in popularity, and beating the likes of the Nike Air Huarache, Vans Sk8-Hi and adidas Stan Smith. 

Designed with inspiration from four earlier Nike models – the Air Force 1, Terminator, Air Jordan 1 and Legend - and released as a college basketball sneaker in 1985, the Nike Dunk has evolved into an iconic fashion must-have and is also now recognized as a top sneaker for skateboarding.

Whilst the Nike Air Force 1 is the most searched iconic sneaker, eBay took a deeper look into Nike's wider sneaker collection specifically to find out if any models are favoured more than others - the Air Force collection remain unbeaten

eBay´s research also looked further into a wider group of Nike’s sneaker models to see if there were any other contenders deemed popular across US states.

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Most popular Nike sneaker in the states

US States

Air Force 1

[Missouri, California, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, Nevada, Georgia, Maryland, Arizona, Nebraska, North Carolina, Colorado, Oklahoma, Alabama, Idaho, Delaware, Ohio, Kansas, Mississippi, Michigan, Indiana, Louisiana, New Hampshire, Minnesota, New Mexico, Hawaii, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, North Dakota, Montana, Arkansas, Alaska]

Air Force 2

[Oregon]

Air Force 3

[Pennsylvania]

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While the  Air Force 1 is the most searched Nike sneaker in 36 states including California, North Carolina, Maine and Hawaii, 14 states show another model more popular. Texas searches for the Air Force 8 most, Utah loves the Air Force 9 and Washington generally goes for the Air Force 12.

Nike may rank the most popular sneaker brand in America, but the last four years show that Converse, Puma and New Balance are the fastest-growing in search popularity.

It’s common knowledge that Nike is the biggest and most popular sneaker brand in the US, and the data confirms this as this research comprised the likes of Converse, Reebok, adidas and Gucci and 10 other sneaker brands to see which was the most searched for. Unsurprisingly, Nike came out on top across every state, with adidas dominating the second most popular in search, followed by Gucci and Vans - monopolizing the majority of third-most-popular across the nation.

The Ten, Nike by Virgil Abloh.

At the same time, eBay research found that Converse trumps all other sneaker brands with the highest percentage increase in search since 2017. Founded well over 100 years ago in 1908, Converse has introduced the world to some of the most iconic sneakers including the Converse Jack Purcell, Chuck Taylor All Star, and Pro Leather - with millions of people purchasing pairs as staples in their wardrobes.

Across a staggering 42 states, Converse is one of the sneaker brands most on the rise in search, especially in locations like Rhode Island, Arizona, New Jersey, Montana and Illinois.

New Balance ranks in four states as the sneaker brand that has increased the most in popularity over the last four years; Puma ranks top in two states, followed by Reebok and Osiris ranking top in one state each as the up and coming sneaker in search. 

So, whilst it may seem like Nike and the Air Force 1 dominate the sneaker popularity contest across the US, search data trends over the last four years show what the state of sneakers could look like in a few years time. 

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