You want to purchase a new pair of shoes to alay your next fashion outing? Which should you go for? Well, it shouldn’t be difficult if you know your options. Therefore, here are the 10 most popular shoe brands in Nigeria.
1. Nike
At number 1, we have Nike, an American brand. Nike shoes are very popular in Nigeria. Not just shoes along but you can say the same for their clothing and other apparel. Nike has their headquarters in Oregon in the United States. However, you can buy shoes from almost every shoe vendor in Nigeria.
Nike was founded in 1964 by Bill Bowerman and Phil Knight. The company was known as Blue Ribbon Sports at the time. The name was changed to Nike in 1971. Nike was chosen as the company’s name in honor of the Greek goddess of victory.
2. Adidas
When it comes to sports and athletic shoes globally, only Nike compares to Adidas. However, in Nigeria, the Adidas brand is just as common as the Nike brand. Adidas features some very sleek fashion shoes. You can find them on the legs of some of your favorite celebrities.
Adidas is a German brand founded in 1924 by Adolf Dasser. That’s where the brand gets its name as well. The brands’ clothing items like jackets and hoodies are also popular in Nigeria as well.
3. Air Jordan
At one time, Air Jordan – or simply Jordan – was the trending sneakers in Nigeria. Everyone had it. Interestingly, the Air Jordan brand is a subsidiary of the Nike brand. Nike produced the first version for Michael Jordan – the famous basketball player in 1984. After that, the shoes were released to the public.
You can easily identify the Air Jordan brand from the silhouette of Michael Jordan; that’s what set it aside from other Nike shoes. No doubt, the Air Jordan brand has some of the best sneakers in Nigeria.
4. Converse
Have you seen shoes with the star and arrow logo? Those are Converse shoes and they’re very popular in Nigeria. Converse was originally founded in 1908 which makes it one of the oldest shoe brands on this list. In 2003, the company was made a subsidiary of Nike.
As a Nike subsidiary, Converse is an American company. The brand has released some of the best sneakers in recent times. Notably, Converse is renowned for their unique special editions. Their shoes are popular amongst basketball players; take The Weapon for instance.
5. Puma
This shoe brand really needs no introduction. There’s a high chance that you’ve owned at least one Puma shoe. If not you, then a family member. In the early 2000s Puma shoes were everywhere in Nigeria. Both adults and children were rocking these shoes.
Puma is still one of the top brands today with very sleek sneaker shoes. The German brand was launched in 1948 by Rudolf Dassler. Interestingly, Rudolf Dassler and Adolf Dassler (Adidas Founder) are brothers. In fact, their businesses were one until a split.
6. New Balance
New Balance is one of the latest shoe brands to hit Nigeria. The brand’s sneakers are taking over the Nigeria shoe market. This is somewhat interesting because the brand has existed since 1906 and only hit the Nigerian market recently.
Well, New Balance shoes and other products have always been in the market; just not very popular. The brand is an American brand and was founded in Boston where their headquarters sits today. New Balance was founded by William Riley.
7. Asics
ASICS is one of those brands that had a hard time breaking into the market. However, that’s no longer the story as the brand is now a popular one in Nigeria. ASICS is a Japanese brand which is the first on this list. Like most other brands here, the one produces sneakers and clothing.
ASICS was launched in 1949 and at the time, it was known as the Onitsuka Tiger brand. By 1977, the brand was then renamed to ASICS. ASICS headquarters is located in Kobe in Japan.
8. Vans
Vans shoes are unique, you just can’t mistake them. They bring both style and simplicity which makes them preferred by so many Nigerians. Like the majority of shoe brands on this list, Vans is an American brand and the company is based in California.
The brand was launched in 1966 by Paul Van Doren,James Van Doren and Gordon Lee. At the time, it was known as The Van Doren Rubber Company. Vans shoes are skateboarding shoes; it’s very easy to bring out the swag with them.
9. Reebok
This is the first UK brand on this list and Reebok is another brand that was very popular during the early 2000s. Not just in Nigeria but globally. Reebok is the oldest shoe brand on this list as it was launched in 1895 which is more than 125 years ago.
However, the brand is currently a subsidiary of the number two popular shoe brand in Nigeria – Adidas. Although Reebok was launched in Bolton in Lancashire, the company’s headquarters is located in Boston in the United States.
10. Under Armour
Last but not least here is Under Armour. When you see shoes with the H like logo, you know they’re Under Armour shoes. According to the manufacturer, the brand makes game-changing shoes. Well, one thing’s for sure; Under Armour shoes feature some of the best designs.
The brand was founded by Kevin Plank in 1996 which makes it one of the latest brands on this list. Under Armour headquarters is located In Baltimore in Maryland.
Bottom Line
The 10 shoes listed above are the most popular shoe brands in Nigeria and even globally. Nike is the number one; aside from their massive popularity, they have various subsidiaries.
There are several indigenous shoe brands in Nigeria. Hopefully, they’ll become as big as the 10 brands in this article.