The Nike Air Force 1 Was 2021's Best-Selling Sneaker

Sneaker industry advisor, trend tracker and market predictor Matt Powell of the NPD group (a market research company) has released his Sneakerenomics 2021 Year in Review report, and for the second year in a row, the Air Force 1 has taken the top spot on his best-seller list. The beloved basketball-turned-lifestyle shoe lead a Nike and Jordan Brand-heavy lineup that only made room for one adidas sneaker, and can be seen in full below.

1. Nike Air Force 1 Low
2. Nike Air Max 270
3. Nike Air VaporMax Plus
4. Nike Revolution 5
5. Nike Air Max 97
6. adidas NMD_R1
7. Nike Air Max 90
8. Nike Air VaporMax Flyknit 3
9. Air Jordan 1 Retro High OG
10. Air Jordan 13

Apart from crowning the Air Force 1 as the most popular shoe of the year, the list shows the general public's appitite for Air Max silhouettes both classic and modern, with models like the Air Max 270 and Air Max 97 claiming 50 per cent of the spots. A duo of original Air Jordan models made the cut as well, with the Air Jordan 1 and Air Jordan 13 rounding off the offerings, and the NMD_R1 sneaking in to represent the Three Stripes in the sixth spot. Of note is that these sales numbers are recorded through NPD-tracked companies' point of sale systems, so they don't include sales on aftermarket outposts like StockX, GOAT, or eBay.

Powell's report also notes that although the footwear industry's annual revenue grew by roughly 20 per cent in 2021, it was a rough fourth quarter industry-wide, with Nike and Jordan Brand posting declines of about 10 per cent in their fourth-quarter revenue while adidas only achieved a single-digit increase. Nike was #1 in overall revenue for the year, with adidas passing Jordan Brand to claim the #2 spot, even though Jordan Brand had more shoes in the top seller list above! PUMA and Reebok athletic footwear sales each grew over 60 per cent as well. You can check out Powell's full report here.

Want to take a look ahead? Check out SF's 2022 sneaker industry predictions here.