Some 60 percent of U.S. consumers with an annual household income of $50,000 or less say their budget or inflation is altering the way they shop for shoes. Meanwhile, 55 percent of respondents to a FDRA+FFANY-commissioned survey with a high school degree or less said they are still shopping at the same retailers for footwear but are being more selective.

Among other key findings in the 11-page report based on a national survey of Americans conducted earlier this month by Emerson College Polling in Boston:

• Shoe shoppers between 18 and 29 years of age are the most likely group to shop online for footwear (66%) during the holiday season. Consumers between 40 and 49 are the least likely (51%) to make an online footwear purchase.
  

• Shoe store chains such as Famous Footwear, DSW, Rack Room, and Foot Locker will attract half of all footwear shoppers during the holiday season. Meanwhile, 29 percent intend to flock to large mass retailers such as Target or Walmart with 20 percent expected to seek out new kicks in department stores such as Kohl’s, Nordstrom, and Macy’s.
  

• Some 37 percent of holiday footwear shoppers intend to make a purchase on Amazon, down from 41 percent in 2022. Retail own websites (20%) will attract others while shoe brand websites such as Nike.com or Vans.com are the favorite of 29 percent of the survey’s respondents.
  

• Casual footwear is rising as a favorite type of footwear to purchase during the holiday season (39% vs. 32% in 2022) while athletic shoes have lost a little bit of luster (41% vs. 42%). Fashion and dress shoes, meanwhile, will be bought by an estimated 16 percent of shoppers.
  

• The survey found that 47 percent of respondents intend to spend the same on footwear this holiday season as they did in 2022, while 28 percent intend to spend more, and 26 percent intend to spend less.