Footasylum
A British retailer specialising in sportswear, footwear, clothing, and related fashion products.
Last updated November 4, 2026
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Overview
Footasylum is a British sports-fashion retailer focused on footwear, clothing, and accessories associated with sportswear and youth fashion. The business was founded in 2005 by David Makin and developed as a specialist retail chain serving customers seeking branded athletic and casual products. Its assortment is centred on sports shoes and sports-inspired apparel, with accessories forming an additional part of the offer. The company's ownership history has included a significant period under JD Sports. In April 2019, JD Sports acquired Footasylum. The transaction subsequently attracted scrutiny from the United Kingdom's Competition and Markets Authority, which concluded that the combination could substantially reduce competition in the relevant sports-fashion retail market. In November 2021, the CMA required JD Sports to divest Footasylum. This made the retailer an important example of a completed retail acquisition later reversed through competition enforcement. Footasylum remained a UK-focused operation rather than an international retail chain. The available reference material records that it had 65 stores across the United Kingdom as of August 2022. Its retail proposition combines physical stores with a sports-fashion product mix aimed primarily at consumers interested in branded trainers, casual clothing, and contemporary athletic styles. The business is distinct from a manufacturer-led sportswear brand: it operates principally as a multi-brand retailer, selecting and selling products from sportswear and fashion labels rather than relying exclusively on its own branded products. Following the required separation from JD Sports, Footasylum became owned by the German asset-management firm Aurelius Group. The ownership change preserved Footasylum as an operating retail business while ending JD Sports' control. The available material does not establish a separate public listing, a ticker symbol, a current chief executive, or a standalone corporate website. Accordingly, those fields are left unspecified here. Footasylum's documented identity is that of an active UK sports-fashion retailer with a store network, a youth-oriented assortment, and a history shaped by both acquisition activity and regulatory intervention.
History
Footasylum was established in 2005 by David Makin as a specialist British retailer of sportswear-related products. Its business model centred on selling footwear, clothing, and accessories associated with athletic and casual fashion. Rather than functioning primarily as a single-label manufacturer, Footasylum operated as a multi-brand retailer, bringing together products from sportswear and fashion suppliers for a UK consumer audience. The company later became part of the consolidation trend within the British sports-fashion retail sector. In April 2019, JD Sports acquired Footasylum. The transaction placed Footasylum under the control of a larger sportswear retail group, but the deal was subsequently examined by the UK's Competition and Markets Authority. The regulator assessed the effect of the acquisition on competition in sports-fashion retail and in November 2021 required JD Sports to sell Footasylum. The regulatory decision reversed the ownership outcome of the 2019 transaction. The reference material also records that both parties were required to pay a £4.7 million fine in February 2022. The case therefore represents a notable corporate and regulatory turning point in Footasylum's history: the retailer was acquired, subjected to competition scrutiny, ordered to be divested, and then transferred to a new owner. Following the divestiture, Footasylum remained owned by Aurelius Group, a German asset-management firm. The retailer continued operating in the United Kingdom. As of August 2022, the available reference material stated that Footasylum had 65 stores across the country. No reliable information in the supplied material identifies a current chief executive, a separate public listing, a ticker, or a confirmed corporate headquarters address. Footasylum's documented historical identity is consequently defined by three elements: its founding as a specialist sports-fashion retailer in 2005, its acquisition by JD Sports in 2019, and its subsequent separation from JD Sports following CMA intervention. Its core commercial scope has remained sports-related footwear, apparel, and accessories sold through a UK retail network.
- 2022
Ownership passes to Aurelius Group
[1]Following the required separation from JD Sports, Footasylum remained owned by German asset-management firm Aurelius Group.
- 2022
UK store network recorded at 65 locations
[1]The available reference material reported that Footasylum had 65 stores across the United Kingdom as of August 2022.
- 2021
CMA orders divestiture
[1]The Competition and Markets Authority announced in November 2021 that JD Sports was required to sell Footasylum.
- 2019
Acquisition by JD Sports
[1]JD Sports acquired Footasylum in April 2019.
- 2005
Footasylum is founded
[1]David Makin founded Footasylum as a British retailer focused on sportswear-related clothing, footwear, and accessories.
Products and positioning
A UK-focused multi-brand sports-fashion retailer serving consumers seeking branded athletic footwear, casual apparel, and youth-oriented streetwear styles.
Footwear
Sports footwear
Sports footwear is a central part of Footasylum's retail assortment. The category includes athletic and sports-inspired shoes sold through the retailer's multi-brand model. The supplied reference material identifies footwear as one of the company's principal areas, but does not provide a complete brand-by-brand product catalogue.
Apparel
Sportswear and casual clothing
Footasylum sells clothing connected with sportswear and casual fashion. This apparel offer complements its footwear business and supports the retailer's positioning around athletic and contemporary everyday styles. Specific named collections or proprietary clothing lines are not established by the supplied sources.
Fashion accessories
Accessories
Accessories form an additional part of Footasylum's sports-fashion assortment. They are sold alongside footwear and apparel within the retailer's broader multi-brand offer. The available material does not specify individual accessory categories or named product ranges.
Controversies
2022
Footasylum: CMA fines JD Sports and Footasylum for competition rule breaches
The Competition and Markets Authority fined JD Sports and Footasylum almost £4.7m for breaching rules around their attempted merger. The regulator said the firms exchanged commercially sensitive information and failed to alert it promptly. JD accepted that it had received limited sensitive information but disputed some of the regulator's conclusions.
Brand decisions
2022
Fines connected with the competition caseOtherBackground
The divestiture process following the CMA's intervention included penalties recorded in February 2022.
Action taken
The reference material states that both parties were required to pay a fine of £4.7 million.
Aftermath
The regulatory process concluded with Footasylum separated from JD Sports and owned by Aurelius Group.
Fine. £4.7 million (February 2022)
2021
Regulatory divestiture of FootasylumOtherBackground
The Competition and Markets Authority reviewed the competitive implications of JD Sports' ownership of Footasylum.
Action taken
In November 2021, the CMA required JD Sports to sell Footasylum.
Aftermath
Footasylum left JD Sports' ownership and remained owned by Aurelius Group.
2019
JD Sports acquisition of FootasylumM&ABackground
JD Sports sought to bring Footasylum into its sports-fashion retail group through an acquisition completed in April 2019.
Action taken
JD Sports acquired Footasylum and became its owner.
Aftermath
The acquisition was subsequently reviewed by the UK's Competition and Markets Authority and later became subject to a divestiture requirement.
Recent events
Reported
CMA fines JD Sports and Footasylum for competition rule breaches[2]
The Competition and Markets Authority fined JD Sports and Footasylum almost £4.7m for breaching rules around their attempted merger. The regulator said the firms exchanged commercially sensitive information and failed to alert it promptly. JD accepted that it had received limited sensitive information but disputed some of the regulator’s conclusions.
Sources2 sources
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