Hype DC vs The Athlete's Foot:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Hype DC had more branded searches than The Athlete's Foot among sneaker retailers in Australia. Hype DC had about 49,500 branded searches, while The Athlete's Foot had 27,100. Hype DC made up 4.7% of all sneaker retailer searches we track, and The Athlete's Foot accounted for 2.6%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about sneaker retailers, Hype DC and The Athlete's Foot each appeared in one of the four answers.
Who do people search for more?
Hype DC, about 83% more searches than The Athlete's Foot
Who does AI mention more?
Both were mentioned in 1 of 4 answers.
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Top sneaker retailers in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and one Google AI Overview, Hype DC and The Athlete's Foot were each mentioned in one out of four: in one of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in the Google AI Overview.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
Foot Locker3 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
Culture Kings2 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
JD Sports1 of 4Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers- Hype DC1 of 4Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
The Athlete's Foot1 of 4Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
Platypus0 of 4Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
See every answer about sneaker retailers
4 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Where should I buy sneakers in Australia?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best sneaker stores in Australia?”
Asked ChatGPT
“Which store in Australia has the best range of running shoes?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“sneakers”
Google showed no AI Overview for this search.
Searched Google, AI Overview
“shoe stores”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in Australia on October 22, 2026.
Is Hype DC or The Athlete's Foot more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Hype DC and The Athlete's Foot by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all six sneaker retailers we track, month by month, from searches in Australia.
Share of searches by month for Hype DC, The Athlete's Foot. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | JD Sports | Foot Locker | Culture Kings | Platypus | Hype DC | The Athlete's Foot |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 35.5% | 29.1% | 15.9% | 13% | 3.9% | 2.6% |
| Nov 2025 | 32.3% | 32.3% | 17.7% | 11.8% | 4.3% | 1.6% |
| Dec 2025 | 34.5% | 28.2% | 18.9% | 12.6% | 3.8% | 2.1% |
| Jan 2026 | 36.3% | 29.7% | 13.3% | 13.3% | 4% | 3.3% |
| Feb 2026 | 31.9% | 31.9% | 17.5% | 11.6% | 4.3% | 2.9% |
| Mar 2026 | 37.7% | 30.8% | 13.8% | 11.3% | 4.1% | 2.3% |
| Apr 2026 | 41.9% | 28.1% | 12.6% | 10.3% | 4.6% | 2.5% |
| May 2026 | 36.6% | 29.9% | 13.4% | 13.4% | 4% | 2.7% |
| Jun 2026 | 39.9% | 26.7% | 14.6% | 12% | 4.4% | 2.4% |
| Jul 2026 | 42.8% | 28.6% | 12.8% | 10.5% | 3.2% | 2.1% |
| Aug 2026 | 39.3% | 26.3% | 14.4% | 11.8% | 5.3% | 2.9% |
| Sep 2026 | 35.2% | 28.8% | 15.8% | 12.9% | 4.7% | 2.6% |
How has the Hype DC and The Athlete's Foot comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Hype DC was ahead of The Athlete's Foot in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Hype DC’s share of searches among sneaker retailers in Australia moved from 3.9% to 4.7%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 49.5K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, The Athlete's Foot’s share of searches among sneaker retailers in Australia held steady at 2.6%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 33.1K to 27.1K.
How did search popularity change for Australia sneaker retailers in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Hype DC lost share of searches among sneaker retailers in Australia, from 5.3% to 4.7%.
Estimated monthly branded searches for The Athlete's Foot in Australia fell 18.1% over 12 measured months, from 33.1K to 27.1K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Hype DC’s and The Athlete's Foot’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Hype DC
1 branded search term
- hype dc
The Athlete's Foot
1 branded search term
- the athlete's foot
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