Refurbished Running Shoes Market – Global Industry Size, Share, Trends, Opportunity, and Forecast, Segmented By Type (Performance Shoes, Casual Shoes), By Gender (Men, Women, Unisex), By Distribution Channel (Online, Offline), By Region & Competition, 2021-2031F

Forecast Period	2027-2031
Market Size (2025)	USD 8.56 Billion
CAGR (2026-2031)	10.78%
Fastest Growing Segment	Online
Largest Market	North America
Market Size (2031)	USD 15.82 Billion

Market Overview

The Global Refurbished Running Shoes Market will grow from USD 8.56 Billion in 2025 to USD 15.82 Billion by 2031 at a 10.78% CAGR. Refurbished running shoes are defined as previously owned athletic footwear that has undergone rigorous inspection, cleaning, and repair processes to restore functionality and hygiene to standards comparable with new products. The market growth is fundamentally supported by the rising consumer demand for environmentally sustainable alternatives to reduce textile waste and the increasing preference for economically efficient options amidst global inflation. These primary drivers are reinforcing the shift toward a circular economy where product lifecycles are extended through professional restoration and certified resale channels.

A significant challenge impeding market expansion is the logistical complexity and high operational cost associated with the reverse supply chain including collection and sanitization protocols required to maintain consumer confidence. Establishing a profitable and scalable infrastructure for retrieving and verifying inventory remains difficult for many retailers. According to the Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America, in 2025, 49 percent of consumers reported buying fewer shoes and 19 percent shifted to value brands due to price increases. This data highlights the intense economic pressure that simultaneously restricts new product sales and creates a substantial opportunity for the refurbished sector to capture price sensitive buyers.

Key Market Drivers

The expansion of manufacturer-led resale and trade-in ecosystems is fundamentally altering the refurbished running shoes landscape by integrating circularity directly into the brand experience. Major athletic footwear companies are increasingly launching proprietary re-commerce platforms to maintain quality control and deepen customer loyalty, thereby mitigating the risks associated with third-party verification. This strategic shift allows brands to capture value from the secondary market while ensuring that performance standards remain high for second owners. According to On, April 2025, in the '2024 Impact Progress Report', the company expanded its resale platform, Onward, and successfully diverted 99 percent of manufacturing waste from landfills, demonstrating the viability of these manufacturer-controlled circular loops.

Rising consumer demand for environmentally sustainable and circular footwear serves as a parallel force propelling market adoption. Eco-conscious runners are actively seeking refurbished options to lower their individual carbon footprints, viewing pre-owned gear as a direct contribution to waste reduction. This behavioral shift is quantitatively supported by the significant environmental impact of the resale sector. According to Mercari, September 2025, in the 'FY2025.6 Impact Report', transactions across categories including shoes avoided approximately 690,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually, highlighting the tangible environmental benefits driving consumer participation. Reflecting this broader momentum, according to ThredUp, in 2025, U.S. online resale saw accelerated growth of 23 percent in 2024, signaling a robust trajectory for the digital secondhand economy.

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Key Market Challenges

The logistical complexity and high operational costs associated with the reverse supply chain constitute a formidable barrier to the expansion of the Global Refurbished Running Shoes Market. Unlike the linear distribution of new products, the refurbished sector relies on an intricate, labor-intensive system for retrieving, cleaning, and verifying used footwear. Retailers struggle to establish scalable infrastructure that can handle these collection and sanitization protocols without eroding profit margins. This financial burden often makes the restoration of lower-value running shoes economically unviable, thereby limiting the volume of inventory available for resale and restricting the market to premium tiers only.

These operational inefficiencies are exacerbated by the sheer volume of product flow required to maintain a functioning circular economy. The costs involved in processing these reverse flows prevent many companies from entering the market or expanding their existing resale programs. According to the National Retail Federation, in 2025, retailers projected that 19.3 percent of online sales would be returned, illustrating the intense volume pressure placed on reverse logistics networks. This high frequency of product return and processing highlights the substantial economic strain involved in managing reverse inventory, which directly hampers the ability of the refurbished market to offer competitively priced options to price-sensitive consumers.

Key Market Trends

The integration of artificial intelligence and machine learning is standardizing the grading process, using automated visual inspection to objectively assess shoe condition and guarantee authenticity. Unlike subjective manual checks, these AI-driven systems analyze critical performance indicators such as sole wear patterns and midsole compression, fostering higher consumer trust in the structural integrity of refurbished athletic gear. This technological shift is essential for scaling the market, as it minimizes human error and efficiently processes the growing volume of second-hand inventory. According to Entrupy, January 2025, in the '2025 State of the Fake Report', their AI-driven authentication system achieved a 99.86 percent accuracy rate in detecting counterfeits, demonstrating the reliability required to validate high-performance footwear for secondary ownership.

Simultaneously, the market is witnessing a pivot toward hyper-specialized resale platforms that prioritize performance metrics over the scarcity-driven models of fashion sneaker marketplaces. These niche ecosystems cater specifically to runners by categorizing inventory based on technical specifications like mileage history, terrain suitability, and gait support rather than just aesthetic condition. This transition is driven by a surging demand for functional, pre-owned performance gear that retains its athletic utility. Validating this shift in consumer preference, according to StockX, January 2025, in the 'Big Facts: Current Culture Index 2025', performance running brands saw explosive traction on the secondary market, with Saucony recording a 120 percent increase in trades year-over-year, signaling a robust appetite for dedicated running footwear beyond the traditional hype cycle.

Segmental Insights

Based on current industry analysis, the Online segment represents the fastest-growing distribution channel in the Global Refurbished Running Shoes Market. This rapid expansion is primarily driven by the proliferation of specialized resale marketplaces and the launch of direct-to-consumer digital programs by major athletic brands. These platforms provide superior convenience and access to a wider inventory of sizes and models compared to physical retail stores. Additionally, the adoption of transparent grading systems and authentication services has successfully addressed consumer concerns regarding product quality and hygiene. Consequently, the assurance and accessibility offered by digital retailers are establishing the Online segment as the primary driver of market expansion.

Regional Insights

North America maintains a leading position in the global refurbished running shoes market, driven by the widespread adoption of sustainable consumption habits and established circular economy frameworks. The region benefits from strategic initiatives by major athletic footwear manufacturers that have integrated resale channels directly into their business models to minimize textile waste. Additionally, the well-developed infrastructure for reverse logistics facilitates the efficient collection and authentication of used footwear. This dominance is further supported by high consumer demand for affordable, high-quality athletic gear, ensuring steady market expansion across the United States and Canada.

Recent Developments

• In February 2025, a coalition of fourteen major footwear brands, including Adidas, On, and Puma, collaborated with the global innovation platform Fashion for Good to launch the "Closing the Footwear Loop" initiative. This comprehensive project aimed to scale circularity solutions such as repair, reuse, and recycling infrastructure specifically for the footwear industry. The collaboration focused on assessing and implementing technologies that could handle the complex material blends found in performance shoes. By pooling resources and expertise, the participating companies sought to move beyond pilot programs and establish a robust, industry-wide system for diverting used footwear from landfills.
• In May 2024, On expanded its subscription-based circularity program, Cyclon, by launching two new footwear models, the Cloudrise Cyclon and the Cloudeasy Cyclon. These additions were crafted using bio-based materials derived from castor beans and were designed to be fully recyclable at the end of their lifecycle. The program operates on a "run, recycle, repeat" model where subscribers return old products to the company to be ground down and repurposed into new gear, rather than discarding them. This expansion demonstrated the company's continued investment in closed-loop systems and sustainable product innovation within the running market.
• In April 2024, Asics introduced a breakthrough in circular footwear design with the release of the Nimbus Mirai, a performance running shoe engineered to be fully recyclable. The company designed the shoe with uniform polyester materials and a special adhesive that facilitates easier separation of the upper from the sole during the recycling process. To support this launch, the brand implemented a take-back program where runners could return worn-out pairs using a QR code or by visiting retail stores. The recovered materials were then intended to be remanufactured into new sporting goods, directly addressing the issue of footwear waste in the circular economy.
• In February 2024, New Balance launched a new resale program called "Reconsidered" to extend the lifespan of its footwear products and reduce industry waste. This initiative allowed customers in the United States to trade in their gently worn shoes via mail or at select retail locations in exchange for a voucher valid for future purchases. The company also began selling pre-owned shoes, including consumer returns and cosmetically imperfect items, directly through a dedicated website. The program was powered by a partnership with a branded resale technology provider and a cleaning logistics firm to ensure quality standards for the refurbished inventory.

Key Market Players

• Nike Inc.
• Adidas AG
• New Balance Athletics, Inc.
• ASICS Corp.
• Kering SA
• Skechers USA, Inc.
• Under Armour Inc.
• VF Corp.
• Puma SE
• Relaxo Footwears Ltd.

By Type	By Gender	By Distribution Channel	By Region
Performance Shoes Casual Shoes	Men Women Unisex	Online Offline	North America Europe Asia Pacific South America Middle East & Africa

Report Scope:

In this report, the Global Refurbished Running Shoes Market has been segmented into the following categories, in addition to the industry trends which have also been detailed below:

• Refurbished Running Shoes Market, By Type:

• Performance Shoes
• Casual Shoes

• Refurbished Running Shoes Market, By Gender:

• Men
• Women
• Unisex

• Refurbished Running Shoes Market, By Distribution Channel:

• Online
• Offline

• Refurbished Running Shoes Market, By Region:

• North America
• United States
• Canada
• Mexico
• Europe
• France
• United Kingdom
• Italy
• Germany
• Spain
• Asia Pacific
• China
• India
• Japan
• Australia
• South Korea
• South America
• Brazil
• Argentina
• Colombia
• Middle East & Africa
• South Africa
• Saudi Arabia
• UAE