Columbia Sportswear Company COLM is gaining traction in footwear, supported by growing demand for technical products, innovation and stronger consumer interest in premium styles. Footwear has emerged as a key growth priority under the Columbia Sportswear brand's ACCELERATE strategy, which focuses on attracting younger, more active consumers through improved product offerings. The momentum across hiking, trail running and fishing footwear highlights encouraging progress, raising the question of whether continued category strength can support broader sales growth.
The company's second-quarter 2026 results reflected this momentum. Total footwear sales increased 5% year over year to approximately $117 million, compared with 1% growth in apparel, accessories and equipment. Columbia Sportswear-branded footwear delivered high-single-digit percentage growth globally, supported by demand for technical styles featuring proprietary Omni-MAX technology. However, the broader footwear category's growth was partially offset by declining SOREL footwear sales.
Product innovation has been central to Columbia Sportswear's footwear performance. The Tellurix Titanium OutDry shoe sold out during the quarter, reflecting strong consumer demand for premium hiking footwear. Other notable performers included the Peakfreak hiking franchise, Konos trail-running shoes and Dry Tortuga fishing footwear. Demand for elevated footwear also gained traction among younger consumers. In Japan, the Thrive Revive Shandal emerged as another successful offering, selling out during the quarter.
Looking ahead, footwear remains a key growth priority for Columbia Sportswear. The Spring 2027 wholesale order book indicates low-to-mid-single-digit percentage growth, with footwear outpacing apparel and newer styles gaining traction among younger, active consumers. Columbia Sportswear also expects footwear growth to exceed apparel growth in 2026. Strong demand for technical products and improving wholesale orders support continued momentum, although sustaining growth will depend on consumer demand and product execution.
Columbia Sportswear’s Zacks Rank & Share Price Performance
This Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) stock has fallen 10.2% in the past three months compared with the broader Consumer Discretionary sector and the industry’s decline of 2.3% and 2.6%, respectively. COLM has also underperformed the S&P 500, which gained 3.1% during the same period.
COLM Stock's Past 3 Months' Performance
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Is COLM a Value Play Stock?
Columbia Sportswear currently trades at a forward 12-month P/E ratio of 13.56, below the industry’s average of 15.09 and the sector average of 14.89. This valuation positions the stock at a modest discount relative to both its direct peers and the broader consumer staples sector.
COLM P/E Ratio (Forward 12 Months)
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Key Picks
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Columbia Sportswear Company (COLM): Free Stock Analysis Report
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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).