Sometimes the best investments are the ones that are hiding right in plain sight. They come from companies that we already understand, that make products we all use every day. Take shoes, for instance; you know how shoes work, you can see the trends in shoes each time you step outside, and the companies that dominate the market are household names. Shoe companies are a great place to buy what you know.
The classics
The dominant player here is clearly Nike
To put that in context, beleaguered Steve Madden
New challengers appear
Nike makes shoes that you run, jump, and play in to get fit. SKECHERS
Those three companies round out the three that I'd probably ever consider buying shoes from, but it doesn't round out the possibilities for investment. Crocs
The bottom line
I've been on a bit of a Nike kick recently, and that's not going to stop. Nike benefits from its diverse range of goods, strong sales machine, and worldwide brand. Steve Madden has made some very positive changes over the past few years, but I just don't know where it's headed. Crocs and SKECHERS are both riskier stocks, but lots of people like them. If I had to choose a runner-up, I'd choose Crocs for its strong growth.
Nike also makes me happy because owning it doesn't make me lose any sleep. It's a solid company with very few risks, and the management team has shown an ability to overcome most of the issues that come up. That strength has made Nike one of the Fool's 3 American Companies Set to Dominate the World. You can get the details on all three companies in this free report, and get investing today.