Chicago, early morning dawn, a guy wearing Nike's running along the Lake Michigan waterfront… Сan relate, right? Every YouTube video dedicated to self-improvement includes such a scene.

Health and financial well-being are often intertwined, and both are key components to success. And everybody knows jogging is good for health, it's quite literally a positive self-investment. Can't argue about that, or dare you to face legends in the coaching industry like Bill Hayward, Bill Bowerman or Bill Dellinger. However, we (TradingView) try to be experts on financial well-being — so let’s focus on more traditional investment today. 

Nike, Adidas, Puma — you’re wearing these while “paving the way to success”, mile by mile. We aren’t planning to teach you how to choose the perfect pair of sneakers, but we are about to share our expertise on how to financially benefit from shoes and stocks (please also wear socks).

Firstly, let’s find out what’s been going on with shoe and sneaker manufacturers over the last 12 months. The results you can see below are unlikely to be surprising for you, as 2022 was a tough year for the stock market. But even if the general trend is bearish, there are still lots of opportunities for good trades. For example, when the Fed announces another key rate hike, it means that US stocks will most likely go down. This is due to the adverse impact of interest rates on equity markets overall.
 

 
However, you can see a couple of gainers on the chart above. These outliers are Crocs ($CROX) and Skechers ($SKX) — the exceptions that prove that even in a crisis, you can always find opportunities for successful trades. But what about the next 12 months?

Let’s start with Nike ($NKE). The company has had multiple troubles caused by the pandemic — one of the biggest being the decrease of sales in China. On top of the current conflict headwinds — the influence of the Russian-Ukrainian crisis on China GDP — analysts believe that Nike stock will still outperform benchmarks. Nike remains one of the most popular brands in the world. The average forecast for Nike is +10% in the next 12 months.

Adidas ($ADDYY) is another legendary brand whose prospects are clouded at the moment. The stocks of the sportswear producer dropped by 30% last year. The company's conflict with Kanye West, who made antisemitic remarks last fall, put real pressure on Adidas from a sales perspective. The contract was terminated — but Adidas was left to cleanup the mountains of Yeezy shoes stored in its warehouses as a result. The sneakers were seen to be a significant profit center over the last few years, which raises the question as to what's Adidas' next act. The year 2023 will probably be a transition for the company and only in 2024 Adidas is likely to return to gaining positions. That’s why the consensus forecast for the next 12 months is –3%.

Puma ($PUMSY), a blood brother of Adidas, seems to be in better shape than its relative. The company has increased sales and expects a hike in operating profitwith an expansion in Europe. Plus it plans to focus more on the Chinese and the US markets. Analysts around the world believe that all of this gives great opportunities for Puma stocks. The average forecast is +36% for the next 12 months.

Under Armour ($UA) stock's price is lower than $10 these days. Few catalysts have been made in recent years. However, the company looks undervalued relative to its peers, because revenue is growing and the company has a good potential for development. In this case, from a value perspective, this could be a relative success story. Analysts' consensus forecast for this brand is +32% in the next 12 months.

And last, but not least on this list is Crocs and Sketchers. Of course, neither of these are quite qualified in creating running shoes — but who knows — maybe there's a new celebrity deal in the works? Personally, I cannot stand Sketchers, but people love them. And people really do love Crocs — the demand continues to grow and these shoes are mainstream. The average forecasts respectively are +20% and +17% for the next 12 months.

To keep track of all major economic events that can affect these stocks, traders and investors always track markets with qualified tools — one of them is the economic calendar.

If you are already running to create a portfolio of shoe stocks, take a water break first. Remember, the state of the stock market changes every day. That’s why you need to do your own analysis before making any investment. Look first, then leap.