Sneaker retail in France: which shops ChatGPT, Gemini and Google AI Mode recommend

We asked ChatGPT, Gemini and Google AI Mode, in French, 12 questions that French shoppers ask before buying sneakers: trendy pairs for women, limited editions, back-to-school shoes for teenagers, gift cards, cleaning kits. Nike and Adidas lead, but retailers are named in 26 of the 36 answers, and three chains take most of them.

Nike and Adidas first

Nike is named in 25 answers and Adidas in 23, usually early (average positions 2.0 and 2.6). On limited editions and exclusive streetwear sneakers, the answers name the brands only: Nike for ChatGPT and Gemini, Nike and Adidas for Google AI Mode. No retailer is named on that question.

1. Nike25 · 69%
2. Adidas23 · 64%

Courir, Foot Locker and JD Sports lead the retailers

Of the ten retailers we tracked, Courir is named most, in 22 answers, ahead of Foot Locker (19) and JD Sports (17). The others are far behind: Citadium 6, Galeries Lafayette 5, Besson Chaussures, Intersport and Shinzo 4 each, Snipes and size? once. In our UK study, retailers were named in fewer than half of ChatGPT's answers; here they are in 26 of 36, because more of these questions are about where to buy.

1. Courir22 · 61%
2. Foot Locker19 · 53%
3. JD Sports17 · 47%
4. Citadium6 · 17%
5. Galeries Lafayette5 · 14%
6. Besson Chaussures4 · 11%
7. Intersport4 · 11%
8. Shinzo4 · 11%
9. Snipes1 · 3%
10. size?1 · 3%

ChatGPT, Gemini and Google AI Mode, October 22, 2026. One answer can name several retailers.

The smaller names each come up for one reason:

• Galeries Lafayette for casual chic sneakers for women, the one question where it is ChatGPT's only answer.
• Intersport and Besson Chaussures for back-to-school shoes for children and teenagers, and urban boots.
• Citadium for streetwear: caps, hoodies and sliders in the same shop.
• Shinzo for trendy sneakers for women and streetwear, named by Gemini and Google AI Mode only.

Gemini often names no shop

ChatGPT and Google AI Mode name a retailer in 10 of their 12 answers each. Gemini names no brand and no retailer in 5 of its 12 answers: it gives general advice instead of shops. Courir is in 10 of Google AI Mode's answers, 8 of ChatGPT's and 4 of Gemini's.

The retailers' own sites are the sources

The answers cite 87 different websites. The retailers' sites lead: courir.com is used in 9 answers, footlocker.fr and jdsports.fr in 7 each, besson-shoes.com and snipes.com in 4. Nike's site is cited in 4. A French sneaker blog, commeuncamion.com, is cited in 4 answers, as often as most retailers.

Brand websiteRetailer websiteOther website

1. courir.com9 · 25%
2. footlocker.fr7 · 19%
3. jdsports.fr7 · 19%
4. besson-shoes.com4 · 11%
5. commeuncamion.com4 · 11%
6. nike.com4 · 11%
7. snipes.com4 · 11%
8. adidas.fr3 · 8%
9. citadium.com3 · 8%
10. footshop.fr3 · 8%

What this means for sneaker retailers

• Three chains share the answers. Courir, Foot Locker and JD Sports are named in about half the answers each; the next retailer is in 6. A retailer outside the top three is mostly absent from what AI recommends.
• Launches go to the brands. On limited editions, the answers point to Nike and Adidas. A retailer that runs raffles and exclusive drops has to say so clearly, on pages AI can read.
• Services decide the answer. Gift cards valid in shops, click and collect, easy returns in store: the questions ask about them, and the answers follow the retailers that describe them.
• Specialist blogs count. A sneaker blog is cited as often as most retailers. What it says about a shop feeds what AI tells the next shopper.

Method

12 questions in French, written as French shoppers would ask them, from the offer of one of the retailers tracked (Courir). Each question was asked once to ChatGPT (gpt-6, with web search), Gemini (Flash-Lite) and Google AI Mode, from France, on October 22, 2026: 36 answers. We counted the answers naming each of 12 tracked brands and retailers (names and common spellings), their position among the tracked names of the answer, and the websites cited.

This is a snapshot: three models, one day and 12 questions. AI answers vary from one session to the next, so a difference of one or two answers between two names is not significant. Names we did not track, such as Sarenza or Zalando, are not counted.