New footwear material trends revealed by industry survey

Survey results indicate that sustainable natural fibres will be the dominant footwear material trend over the next two years, receiving 39.6% of responses. 

Plant-based leather alternatives follow as the second most anticipated trend at 32.1%, indicating substantial interest in replacing traditional animal-based materials.

Recycled plastics rank third at 29.2%, demonstrating the industry's focus on circular economy principles and waste reduction. 

Innovative foam materials register 27.4% support, reflecting ongoing efforts to enhance comfort, performance, and durability while potentially incorporating sustainable attributes. Compostable materials, at 19.8%, represent the least prevalent expectation, though still garnering notable attention.

In 2019, World Footwear established the World Footwear Experts Panel and has since conducted a Business Conditions Survey every semester. The objective of the survey is to gather information on current business conditions within global footwear markets and to disseminate an accurate overview of the industry’s situation. 

The thirteenth edition of this online survey was conducted during October and November 2025. We have obtained 106 valid answers, 39% from Asia, 35% from Africa, 12% from Europe, 8% from North America, 5% from Oceania, and 1% from South America. More than half of respondents (56%) are involved in footwear manufacturing (manufacturers) or footwear trade and distribution (traders) and the remainder in other footwear-related activities, including consultancy (7%), education and research (7%), trade associations (6%), and other activities (25%).

Previous Editions of this Bulletin can be found HERE