Shoe brands will continue to feel the pinch from sports labels that are making further inroads into the growing sneaker market. This is the finding from a recent consumer focus survey conducted in Germany on the top brands in both the female and male market segments. Adidas, Nike, Reebok, Converse and Skechers are five of the top 10 labels women consider when buying new shoes, with Tamaris, Rieker, Gabor, Geox and Birkenstock filling up the other places. For men, Adidas, Nike, Puma and Reebok occupy the top four places on the list. Geox comes in at fifth place, followed by Bugatti, Rieker, Camel Active and Timberland. Conducted in September by Respondi, a Cologne-based market research institute, the survey was carried out among 1,000 men and women in Germany. The popularity of sneakers transcends demographics. It is not only customers under the age of 29 who are buying the sports shoes, but also those over the age of 50. With men in particular, there is little difference in the top brands across the age groups.