NUMBER CRUNCHING: WOMEN'S SHOE SALES TOP MEN'S IN '98

          NY-based NPD Group announced that sales of athletic
     footwear in the U.S. declined 6% in '98.  Spending for
     athletic footwear totaled $13.8B for the year, with 325
     million pairs sold.  A 20% drop in the third quarter back-
     to-school buying contributed to the sales decline, making
     '98 the industry's first year of revenue loss since '94. 
     Generating $2.4B at retail, running shoes were the most
     popular athletic footwear category for the year, with sales
     outpacing those of basketball and cross-trainer shoes. 
     Running shoes had 17.1% of retail sales, basketball shoes
     had 16.9% of the market, while cross-trainer shoes had 16.8% 
     In addition, 46% of all purchases made during '98 were for
     women's shoes, with 41% for men's.  The top 5 industry
     brands based on retail dollar share for '98 (NPD Group):

                    BRAND           % OF RETAIL SALES
                    Nike                34%
                    Reebok              13%
                    adidas               6%
                    New Balance          5%
                    Easy Spirit          2%            





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