The Lyst Index Says Sneaker Brands Are Losing But Ugg is Winning Big During Boot Season
The holidays and cold weather helped Ugg snag the hottest shoe in the fourth quarter of 2024.
According to Lyst’s latest Index report, which covers the recent holiday season, Ugg’s Classic Ultra Mini boots became Q4’s hottest shoe and second hottest product overall.
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While Ugg typically always sees seasonal success, this quarter’s demand was unprecedented Lyst said. Indeed, the global fashion shopping app showed that Ugg searches were up 358 percent over the last three months, and up 12 percent year-on-year.
Beyond the ongoing nostalgic appreciation for 2000s fashion, Lyst noted that shoppers were “feeling inspired by creators showcasing new ways to style the boots, pairing Uggs with baggy jeans or more elevated looks, as ‘Mini Ugg outfit inspo’ dominated TikTok.”
The company also credited the rise of Ugg’s brand heat, which is now ranked as the 10th hottest brand in Q4, to the footwear company’s fall 2024 men’s campaign with Post Malone, its retail experiences including the Feel House in Los Angeles and Nordstrom’s Corner Shop in New York, and Kendall Jenner being spotted in the Classic Ultra Mini boots.
As for more top footwear styles, the Inditex-owned fast fashion company Massimo Dutti’s penny loafer ranked number 10 in the hottest product’s list in the fourth quarter.
But what’s most notably absent in this report are sneakers. In at least over a year, sneakers were prevalent in Lyst’s hottest products index. Most recently in Q3, Puma’s Speedcat sneaker was named the third hottest product overall by Lyst. In the second quarter of 2024, the On x Loewe‘s Cloudtilt 2.0 collaborative sneaker was the period’s hottest product, while the Adidas SL72 OG came in second. And in Q1, the Miu Miu x New Balance 530 SL sneaker collaboration took the top prize.
While Lyst didn’t address the absence of sneakers in its fourth quarter ratings, it did note that it’s ranking continued to shuffle as fashion fans reassessed the value of luxury labels, and rediscover more accessible brands and trends.
What’s more, the company also pointed out some brands that are “moving fast” in its rankings – one of which is the Stockholm-based fashion label Our Legacy. Lyst noted that its recent minority stake by LVMH Luxury Ventures and its trending Camion boot helped the brand rise 22 percent in demand in Q4.
Auralee was another standout among the fast-moving independent brands. Lyst noted that the Japanese brand’s New Balance 990v4 sneaker collaboration helped engage a growing international fanbase, resulting in a 114 percent rise in demand in the quarter.
Overall, though, Miu Miu kept its top spot in Lyst’s hottest brands ranking in the fourth quarter, while Saint Laurent climbed to number two and Prada remained at number three. Meanwhile, the Coach Brooklyn bag nabbed the top hottest product in Q4, while Miu Miu’s fleece jacket takes third place.
The Lyst index is a quarterly ranking of fashion’s hottest brands and products. The formula behind the index considers Lyst’s database of 200 million shoppers and their online behavior, including searches on and off platform, product views and sales. To track brand and product heat, the formula also incorporates social media mentions, activity and engagement statistics worldwide, over a three-month period.
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