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CEC welcomes two new associate members

Sep 4, 2026 CEC

The European Footwear Confederation (CEC) has welcomed Trade Partners Sweden and the CAST Trade Platform for the Footwear, Sports & Fashion Industry in the Netherlands to its network

Their admission reflects CEC’s ambition to expand its community and strengthen cooperation across the entire footwear ecosystem. This follows its decision to expand its membership to include a wider range of relevant stakeholders, such as technology centres, expert groups, distributors, retailers, and other key figures, at the start of 2026.

“At a time of growing political and economic uncertainty, collaboration across the European footwear ecosystem is more important than ever”, said Carmen Arias, CEC’s Secretary General. She emphasised that the sector faces interconnected challenges, including weaker consumer demand, rising costs, geopolitical instability, and an increasingly complex regulatory environment as the industry seeks to transition to a more circular and sustainable economy. “This is why stronger cooperation is essential”.

“By bringing together manufacturers, brands, technology centres, experts, distributors, retailers and other stakeholders, we can share knowledge, identify common solutions and ensure that the expertise of the entire footwear ecosystem is heard at European level. CEC’s ambition is to strengthen these connections and contribute to a competitive, innovative, sustainable and truly European footwear sector”, she concluded.

With more than 110 years of experience, Trade Partners Sweden represents commercial agents, distributors and suppliers, and runs the Stockholm Fashion District, which includes the Stockholm Shoe House. The organisation also coordinates the Swedish Shoe Environmental Initiative (SSEI), designed to support the footwear industry regarding sustainability and EU regulatory developments.

CAST is a business platform for the footwear, sports and fashion industry, serving the Netherlands and the Benelux region and connecting over 500 brands, retailers. Through initiatives such as the PREVIEW trade shows, the BrandPortal and product data standardisation projects, it supports its members’ digitalisation, sustainability and compliance with evolving European legislation.

Image Credits: Ambre Estève on Unsplash

CEC Footwear Organisations