The retail value of the U.S. athletic footwear market rose to $19.6 billion, with unit sales up 2% and ASP flat at $58.16, according to NPD. The women’s market easily outpaced other segments with a 5% growth rate for the year while men’s and kids’ rose 1% each. After saying earlier in the year that the category would be flat, NPD found that a strong third quarter and a 4% gain in Q4 enabled the market to inch upward, a conclusion that doesn’t surprise us as our import figures were consistently indicating mid-single-digit growth in the market. We suspect that ... Log in to view full article.