World Footwear

News

US threatens tariff hikes on eight European countries over Greenland dispute

Jan 21, 2026 / United States
President Donald Trump announced that the US plans to impose additional tariffs on imports from eight European countries, citing a dispute over Greenland as the reason

Valentino dies aged 93

Jan 20, 2026 / Italy
Italian fashion designer Valentino Garavani has died aged 93. He became synonymous with 'Valentino red', a vibrant shade introduced at the end of the 1950s that went on to define his aesthetic

Zalando plans to close its Erfurt logistics centre

Jan 20, 2026 / Germany
Following its acquisition of About You, the German online retailer will streamline its European logistics network. This will include the closure of the Erfurt fulfilment centre by September 2026

Edvin Prençe, President of ProEksport: towards a more value-added footwear industry in Albania

Premium Content Jan 20, 2026 / 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

Richemont posts strong third quarter

Jan 19, 2026 / Switzerland
The Switzerland-based luxury group has posted a strong performance in the third quarter, with year-on-year growth of 11%, driven by growth across all segments, regions and channels

Emily in Paris features accessories made in Portugal

Jan 19, 2026 / Portugal
The Hana handbag by Portuguese brand Alameda Turquesa appears in the international hit series Emily in Paris, whose fifth season has already premiered on Netflix

JD Sports to enable direct purchases through AI platforms

Jan 16, 2026 / United Kingdom
The sportswear retailer has announced that its US customers will be able to use AI platforms to search for and purchase sports footwear, apparel, and accessories without having to leave the interfaces

British Footwear Association announces CEO departure

Jan 16, 2026 / United Kingdom
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

Expo Riva Schuh and Gardabags attendance stable at 8,000

Jan 15, 2026 / Italy
The Italian trade fair specialising in footwear, bags and accessories, which took place from the 10th to the 13th of January, attracted almost 8,000 visitors, which is comparable to the previous June edition

Saks Global files for Chapter 11 protection

Jan 15, 2026 / United States
Saks Global, the owner of Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman, has filed for bankruptcy protection while it works to reduce its substantial debt

Genesco lifts full year adjusted earnings outlook on strong holiday sales

Jan 15, 2026 / United States
The Nashville-based footwear company has increased its full-year adjusted earnings forecast after achieving strong comparable sales during the holiday season

Birkenstock forecasts strong first quarter sales despite external headwinds

Jan 14, 2026 / Germany
Despite the impact of a weaker US dollar, the Germany-based footwear company has reported strong preliminary sales figures for the final months of 2025

Majority of EU countries approve the Mercosur trade deal

Jan 14, 2026 / European Union
A qualified majority of EU states have given the green light for the bloc to sign its largest free trade agreement with the South American bloc Mercosur, 25 years after negotiations began

Portugal: footwear components target foreign markets

Jan 13, 2026 / Portugal
The Portuguese footwear components sector is set to bolster its international presence through initiatives in key markets, including Spain, the United States, France, Italy and the UK

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

Nike quietly offloads its NFT business

Jan 12, 2026 / United States
The sportswear company finalised the sale of its virtual sneaker subsidiary, RTFKT, to an undisclosed buyer at the end of 2025, quietly marking its exit from the blockchain-based collectibles market

FAIST Voices: meet Atlanta and JPM

Jan 12, 2026 / Portugal
Atlanta is a family-owned business specialising in the production of footwear soles. Its main partner, JPM, focuses on providing technology solutions. Together under the FAIST consortium, they are exploring how to replace labour-intensive processes in the footwear sector with technology

ABF warns on profits as Primark faces tough start to the year

Jan 9, 2026 / United Kingdom
Associated British Foods has revealed that it expects profits to be lower than last year. Primark has had a challenging start to the year, with improvements in UK trading offset by weakness in continental Europe

Marubeni strengthens lifestyle brand platform with Jacobson acquisition

Jan 9, 2026 / United States
As part of a strategic push to develop its scalable lifestyle brand business platform, the Japanese conglomerate Marubeni has acquired the multi-brand footwear owner Jacobson Group Limited

UK retail sales fall in December as Christmas boost fails

Jan 8, 2026 / United Kingdom
BDO’s latest High Street Sales Tracker shows that discretionary retail sales fell by 1.4% year-on-year in December, representing the weakest monthly performance since November 2024