SEOUL, April 27 (Korea Bizwire) — The growing interest in hiking among young Koreans since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic has spurred a spike in demand for hiking boots among members of the MZ generation.
Black Yak’s shoe sales for the first quarter of this year jumped by 91 percent compared to the same period last year.
Led by the popularity of the Yak 343 D GTX, the South Korea’s leading outdoor apparel sales of its newest hiking boots between January and April 25 jumped by 250 percent compared to the previous year.
The new boots are made using recycled plastic bottles.
K2 Korea saw a 120 percent jump in shoe sales in March compared to last year. The brand’s Fly Hike series saw a more than 500 percent increase in sales.
The proportion of consumers in their 20s and 30s for March shoe sales jumped by 300 percent compared to last year.
Young Koreans tend to prefer hiking boots that look similar to sneakers, low cut and in bright colors. They prefer light boots suited for hiking activities of less than three hours.
Image Credit: Black Yak / K2 / photonews@koreabizwire.com