Footwear
A year of milestones for the Italian footwear industry
The year 2025 marks the 80th anniversary of Assocalzaturifici, the Italian footwear association, and the 100th edition of MICAM. The latter is being repositioned under a newly launched three-year business plan
France Retail: something doesn’t add up in the footwear market
There is something amiss in the footwear retail sector in France. Since April, footwear sales have increased and prices have remained stable, supported by one of the lowest inflation rates in the Eurozone. Nevertheless, concerns have been raised about the sluggish state of the economy, with both consumer and retail confidence not only negative, but also on a downward trend. This suggests that footwear imports will most likely continue to decrease, as they did in April. Only time will tell what will happen next
Inspiramais wraps up with an attendance of over 8 000 visitors
The last edition of Brazil’s leading trade fair for materials attracted a record 8 000-plus buyers and industry professionals from the footwear, apparel, furniture, automotive, décor and jewellery sectors
Coats Group acquires OrthoLite
The UK-based manufacturer of industrial threads for the apparel and footwear industries is set to acquire the insole manufacturer OrthoLite for an initial enterprise value of 770 million USD
Genesco and Wrangler sign a multiyear licensing agreement
Genesco and the denim and lifestyle brand have signed a multi-year licensing agreement, whereby the former will design, source, and market footwear under the Wrangler brand
AI's impact in the footwear industry
Artificial Intelligence seems destined to deeply change our lives, so we have asked our panel of experts about the expected impact of this tool in the footwear business. Get free access to the report with the main conclusions
AI takes centre stage at the upcoming UITIC Congress
Taking place in Shanghai, the upcoming UITIC Congress comprises a series of four thematic sessions that engage with the main topic of ‘competitiveness and sustainability in the era of artificial intelligence’
Netherlands Retail: mixed signs in the first half of the year
Despite a strong start to 2025, the Dutch retail sector has been experiencing some volatility. Sales in the footwear sector recorded significant fluctuations, reaching their lowest point in April with a decline of 7.5%, before recovering to a decline of 2.5% in May. Notably, the footwear sector experienced negative inflation in these months, meaning consumers paid less for footwear. However, imports to the Netherlands have increased in the first quarter, and Retail confidence remains above zero. Therefore, despite negative consumer confidence and a challenging macroeconomic backdrop, there may still be some hope for the rest of the year
Andy Polk from the Footwear Innovation Foundation: changing the industry from reactive to visionary
We spoke to Andy Polk, Executive Director of the Footwear Innovation Foundation and Vice President of the FDRA, to learn more about the newly established Foundation and its most recent initiative, the Footwear LaunchPad
Portuguese footwear industry gears up for defence investment
In light of the anticipated increase in defence spending by NATO countries, the Portuguese footwear industry is gearing up to increase its production of technical footwear
Barefoot European Shoe Fair makes its debut in Offenbach
Europe’s first barefoot footwear trade fair, from the 31st of July to the 3rd of August, will welcome international exhibitors, market research and interactive experiences in a growing market niche
Allbirds signs three new distribution agreements
As part of its strategy to achieve long-term, scalable growth in overseas markets, the US-based footwear brand has signed three new distribution agreements covering several countries in the Eurasian region
Stability is the word for employment levels in the footwear sector
In the latest edition of the World Footwear Business Conditions Survey, nearly half of our panel members responded that they believe the level of employment will stabilise in the next few months. Get free access to the report with the main conclusions
Upcoming Latin American Footwear Forum to foster regional dialogue
The 2025 edition of the Latin American Footwear Forum will take place from the 13th to the 15th of August in the city of León, Guanajuato. The aim is to foster industry development and regional dialogue
Dr. Martens kicks off the year in line with expectations
In its latest trading update, the UK-based footwear company reiterated its guidance for the full year 2026, with performance from the start of the year remaining in line with expectations-
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Footwear Consumer 2030
A study reflecting on the main global consumer trends and the key changes for the footwear industry.
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World Footwear Public Calendar
Click here to subscribe an updated version of the calendar displaying the footwear trade shows.
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