Brandwave

Adidas vs New Balance:Which is more popular?

In September 2026, Adidas and New Balance were level in searches among rugby cleats brands in New Zealand, with an estimated 67K versus 65.7K branded searches, at 26% and 25.5% of the total. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about rugby cleats brands, Adidas appeared in all four answers and New Balance in none.

Among rugby cleats brands in New Zealand in September 2026

Who do people search for more?

Adidas and New Balance are searched for about as often as each other.

Adidas 67K searchesNew Balance 65.7K searches

Who does AI mention more?

Adidas, mentioned in every answer we collected

Adidas in 4 of 4New Balance in 0 of 4

Who does AI recommend more?

Adidas, the only one of the two named

Adidas first in 3New Balance never named

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Top rugby cleats brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and one Google AI Overview, Adidas appeared in all four answers. New Balance did not appear in any of the four answers.

Most recommended by AI

Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.

  1. Adidas1st
  2. Canterbury2nd
  3. Mizuno3rd
  4. Nike4th
  5. ASICS5th
  6. New Balance–

Mentioned by AI

Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.

  • Adidas4 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
  • Canterbury4 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
  • Mizuno3 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
  • Nike2 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
  • ASICS1 of 4Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
  • New Balance0 of 4Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers

See every answer about rugby cleats brands

4 answers
  • Asked ChatGPT

    “Which rugby cleats brand should I buy in New Zealand?”

    1. 1Canterbury
    2. 2Adidas
    3. 3Mizuno
    4. 4Nike
  • Asked ChatGPT

    “What are the best rugby cleats brands in New Zealand?”

    1. 1Adidas
    2. 2Canterbury
    3. 3Mizuno
    4. 4Nike
    5. 5ASICS
  • Asked ChatGPT

    “What's the best rugby cleats brand in New Zealand for wet fields?”

    1. 1Adidas
    2. 2Canterbury
    3. 3Mizuno
  • Searched Google, AI Overview

    “rugby boots nz”

    Google showed no AI Overview for this search.

  • Searched Google, AI Overview

    “cleats for rugby”

    1. 1Adidas
    2. 2Canterbury

Not named in any answer:

Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in New Zealand on October 19, 2026.

Is Adidas or New Balance more popular in search?

This chart shows how often people search Google for Adidas and New Balance by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all six rugby cleats brands we track, month by month, from searches in New Zealand.

Adidas and New Balance among rugby cleats brands in New Zealand, by month

Share of searches by month for Adidas, New Balance. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthNikeAdidasNew BalanceASICSCanterburyMizuno
Oct 202532%26.1%23.6%15%1.9%1.4%
Nov 202533.5%26.9%22.2%13.9%2.4%1.1%
Dec 202536.7%24.8%22.5%12.8%2%1.1%
Jan 202633.8%22.3%22.8%17.7%1.8%1.7%
Feb 202631%23.9%22.3%19.2%1.9%1.8%
Mar 202631.1%26.5%22.1%16.7%1.8%1.8%
Apr 202629.7%25.7%24.1%16.9%1.7%1.9%
May 202628.1%26.5%26.6%15.8%1.4%1.7%
Jun 202628.3%25.7%27.7%15.5%1.4%1.4%
Jul 202628.9%26.8%23.9%17.1%1.7%1.6%
Aug 202629.9%25.6%24.6%17%1.6%1.4%
Sep 202628.2%26%25.5%17.2%1.6%1.5%

How has the Adidas and New Balance comparison changed over the last 12 months?

3 findings
  • The lead changed hands 4 times in the 12 months ending September 2026: New Balance took it in January 2026, Adidas took it in February 2026, New Balance took it in May 2026, Adidas took it in July 2026.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Adidas’ share of searches among rugby cleats brands in New Zealand moved from 26.1% to 26%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 60.5K to 67K.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, New Balance’s share of searches among rugby cleats brands in New Zealand moved from 23.6% to 25.5%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 54.5K to 65.7K.

How did search popularity change for New Zealand rugby cleats brands in September 2026?

2 changes
  1. In September 2026, New Balance gained share of searches among rugby cleats brands in New Zealand, from 24.6% to 25.5%.

  2. Estimated monthly branded searches for Adidas in New Zealand rose 10.8% over 12 measured months, from 60.5K to 67K in September 2026.

How are branded searches counted?

26 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Adidas’ and New Balance’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.

Adidas

15 branded search terms

  • adidas
  • adidas adizero
  • adidas campus
  • adidas gazelle
  • adidas jacket
  • adidas logos
  • adidas originals
  • adidas outlets
  • adidas predator
  • adidas samba
  • adidas samba og
  • adidas slides
  • adidas spezial
  • adidas superstar
  • adidas trackpants

New Balance

11 branded search terms

  • new balance
  • new balance 1080
  • new balance 2002r
  • new balance 530
  • new balance 550
  • new balance 574
  • new balance 740
  • new balance 9060
  • new balance outlets
  • newbalance
  • newbalance 327

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Other head-to-heads among rugby cleats brands

Creator with pink hair and a pink jacket

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