Organisations
AAFA announces board leadership changes
The American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) has appointed new members to its Board of Directors. These include Joe Preston, the president and CEO of New Balance, who will serve as board chair
Trump’s trade halt threat raises concerns for the Spanish footwear industry
Amid heightened international tensions, the Spanish Footwear Industry Federation (FICE) has expressed concern following Trump’s threat to halt trade with Spain over military base access
Italian footwear industry signals potential turnaround despite 2025 turnover decline
Preliminary figures released by Assocalzaturifici show signs of stabilisation in the Italian footwear sector, despite a 2.8% year-on-year decline in full-year 2025 turnover
German footwear manufacturers achieve modest sales growth in 2025
Sales by German footwear manufacturers rose by 3.2% year-on-year in 2025, according to the German Federal Association of the Footwear and Leather Goods Industry (HDS/L)
US Supreme Court rules against Trump’s emergency tariffs
The US Supreme Court has ruled against former President Donald Trump’s use of emergency powers to impose sweeping tariffs. This has prompted reactions from US retail groups and international industry stakeholders
Import growth continues in Brazil’s footwear industry
Brazil’s footwear imports increased in January by 34.3% in volume and 31.2% in value year-on-year. This growth comes amid slowing domestic consumption and weakening national production
UK retail sales pick up in January
UK total retail sales rose by 2.7% in January, according to the BRC, surpassing the 12-month average of 2.3%. Post-Christmas discounts boosted spending on both food and in-store items
CEC welcomes technology centres as new associate members
The European Footwear Confederation (CEC) has introduced a new membership category to engage with stakeholders beyond national footwear associations. This new category will encompass technology centres
New footwear material trends revealed by industry survey
Industry experts point to sustainable natural fibres as the dominant footwear material trend for the next two years, a key insight from the World Footwear Business Conditions Survey conducted at the end of 2025
Edvin Prençe, President of ProEksport: towards a more value-added footwear industry in Albania
We spoke to Edvin Prençe, President of ProEksport, the official representative body for Albania’s clothing and footwear industry. Among other topics, we discussed ProEksport’s role in the country, the importance of multi-country partnerships and the current state and future of the sector in Albania
British Footwear Association announces CEO departure
The British Footwear Association (BFA) has announced that Richard Shetliffe will step down from his role as Chief Executive Officer in early June 2026. The search for his successor is underway
AI has not yet matured sufficiently to meet the specific needs of the industry
This is one of the key findings from the World Footwear Business Conditions Survey, conducted in October and November 2025. We asked our panel of experts to share their views on the impact of AI in the footwear industry. Here’s what they told us
Two Ten Footwear Foundation appoints new Board Chair and Vice Chair
The US-based charitable foundation has appointed Jonathan Frankel, President of Aldo Product Services, as Board Chair, while Ed Rosenfeld, Chairman and CEO of Steve Madden, now serves as Board Vice Chair
Signs of stabilisation emerge in the Italian footwear industry
According to Assocalzaturifici, the Italian footwear industry is beginning to stabilise following a challenging start to the year. However, activity remains below 2024 levels
Dr Luis Zugno: Leather Naturally plays a key role in raising awareness about leather
We spoke to Dr Luis Zugno, Chair of Leather Naturally, a non-profit organisation dedicated to leather education and the promotion of compliant, regulated leather manufacturing. Our conversation focused on the organisation’s role in the industry and current debates surrounding leather-
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