Trade

Signs of stabilisation emerge in the Italian footwear industry

Jan 6, 2026 Italy

According to Assocalzaturifici, the Italian footwear industry is beginning to stabilise following a challenging start to the year. However, activity remains below 2024 levels

Data compiled by the Confindustria Accessori Moda Study Centre for the Italian Footwear Association (Assocalzaturifici) shows that, although the industry is still in negative territory, it is experiencing a “significant easing of the downturn”. Revenue declined by 4.1% in the first nine months of 2025, as compared to the same period the previous year, but the decline in the third quarter was just 0.9%.

“The current overall picture remains complex and does not spare even the top end of the market, but third-quarter data indicate a slowdown in the decline and the first glimmer of light at the end of the recessionary tunnel”, said Giovanna Ceolini, President of Assocalzaturifici.

Exports remained the main driver of the industry. From January to August, in particular, the volume of exports increased by 4.3% year-on-year, reaching 131.8 million euros. This equates to a 1.3% year-on-year decline in value, reaching 7.72 billion euros. This recovery in volume was accompanied by a repositioning of average prices to 58.58 euros per pair (down by 5.3%), reflecting a correction after the double-digit increases seen in 2022/23.

The European Union accounted for around 70% of total exports, with growth in value and volume of 2.2% and 7.6%, respectively, recorded in the first eight months of the year compared to the same period in 2024. Germany stood out with growth of 6% in value and 10% in volume, while positive performances were also recorded in Spain, Poland, Belgium and Austria.

The Middle East continued to grow in importance as a non-EU market, with overall growth of 13%, driven by a surge of 20% in the United Arab Emirates. In contrast, Italian exports to Far Eastern markets fell sharply, contracting by more than 20% in both volume and value. This reflects the sharp slowdown in China (with a 24.6% fall in value) as well as in other major Asian markets, such as Hong Kong, Japan and South Korea.

The US market closed the eight-month period with a year-on-year 2.9% increase in value, despite a year-on-year 4.2% decline in volume. While August saw a discouraging 17.8% decline in value, preliminary September data indicates an unexpected level of responsiveness. Currently, 55% of member operators exporting to the US consider the tariffs to have a significant impact, with one in five companies experiencing severe consequences.

In the first eight months of the year, the volume of imports increased by 12.8%, as compared to the same period last year, reaching 271.6 million pairs. This growth was driven by stronger logistics flows for re-export, particularly for sportswear. In fact, household consumption only equalled 2024 levels over the first nine months, boosted by a positive third quarter (up by 2% in volume), and remains 7.7% below pre-pandemic levels.

The Italian footwear industry expects a 2025 decline in turnover of around 409 million euros, as compared to the previous year, corresponding to a contraction of 3.1%. This is a far less severe outcome than that recorded at the close of 2024, emphasises Assocalzaturifici.

Italian Footwear Industry

According to the World Footwear 2025 Yearbook (more information available HERE), Italy remains a key player in the global footwear industry, ranking among the top ten producers, exporters and importers. While export volumes have gradually declined over the past decade, rising prices have driven export value up by one-third. However, in 2024, prices fell, leading to an 8% drop in export value.

Image Credits: ducanero.it

Italy Exports Footwear Imports Organisations