RUNNING UP FIFTH

Sneaker shops all over famed stretch

Easter paraders will be sashaying past plenty of sneaker stores next spring.

In the past several months, the world’s largest sneaker makers have either signed major retail leases or opened stores on Fifth Avenue — the grand avenue made famous, in part, by New Yorkers parading their Easter finest up and down the thoroughfare.

Nike, Under Armour and Asics flagship stores will open on Fifth Avenue in 2017, joining a gigantic Adidas store that opened this week on Fifth and 46th Street and a Sketchers store four blocks south, at 42nd.

Puma is also scouting for locations along the shopping artery long known for Tiffany & Co., Saks Fifth Avenue and Cartier, sources said.

“This fitness craze represents a change in the neighborhood,” said Faith Hope Consolo, chairman of the retail group of Douglas Elliman Real Estate. “That these companies are willing to pay the highest rents and are mostly selling sneakers, shows the strength of the athleisure trend.”

Nike inked a deal last month to move into a space at No. 650, previously occupied by Juicy Couture.

In September, Under Armour landed the coveted FAO Schwarz space at 58th Street. It will open early next year.

This is on top of the NBA store returning to Fifth Avenue this year and a smattering of outdoor, sports retailers like North Face and Orvis.

The sneaker retailers are offering “affordable luxury,” said NPD sports analyst Matthew Powell, pointing to Nike, which recently introduced a self-lacing shoe for $720, and others selling shoes for several thousand dollars.

“There is more interest in the avenue by retailers that are selling fitness,” said Tom Cusick, president of the Fifth Avenue Business. “But there’s always some natural turnover on Fifth.”

About three decades ago, there were complaints that Fifth Avenue was overrun by banks and airlines until new zoning laws were introduced to address the problem, Cusick said.

“They were phased out by the zoning change,” he added.