World Footwear Reports
Retail Flash: Footwear trails broader retail across key markets
The retail landscape in the Netherlands, France, Spain, Germany, the UK, the US and Japan remains uneven, with the footwear sector often trailing behind broader retail and fashion categories. Fragile consumer confidence, varying pricing power and cautious inventory management continue to weigh on the sector, while stronger digital sales have yet to translate into a broader footwear recovery
Japan Retail: Higher rates meet an uneven fashion recovery
Against a backdrop of renewed price pressures and a weaker yen, the Japanese fashion market has experienced an uneven recovery. Interest rates have continued to rise, and consumer confidence remains subdued. Within the fashion sector, clothing inflation has outpaced that of footwear. Commercial sales also diverged, with textile sales enjoying a strong rebound, whereas apparel and accessories only returned to marginal growth. Meanwhile, despite falling volumes, footwear import value held up, supported by higher average prices
US Retail: Footwear remains under pressure as consumers turn to value
The US footwear market started 2026 under pressure. Footwear inflation accelerated beyond headline inflation, while sales lagged behind those in the wider retail and fashion sectors. Additionally, a rebound in imports in late spring contrasted with weakening consumer confidence. Together, these trends point to a market where rising prices, uneven demand and recovering supply are creating a more challenging environment, with consumers becoming increasingly selective and value-conscious
Average worldwide footwear export price reached $11.65 per pair
JUST RELEASED: In 2025, rising export prices continue to underpin global footwear trade, as reveled by the new World Footwear Yearbook 2026 recently released by APICCAPS, the Portuguese Footwear Association
Global footwear exports remain stable despite slight contraction
JUST RELEASED: Global footwear trade remained broadly stable in 2025, but subtle shifts between Asia and Europe reveal important changes beneath the surface. Check all details in the new World Footwear Yearbook 2026 recently released by APICCAPS, the Portuguese Footwear Association
UK Retail: Footwear market faces broad-based weakness
Although clothing sales remained resilient and online fashion retail continued to grow in the first half of the year, the footwear sector faced a more challenging environment characterised by ongoing price deflation, weak retail sales, and subdued household spending. A sharp contraction in footwear imports also suggests greater caution among retailers and distributors, suggesting that pressure has extended beyond consumer demand to inventory and replenishment decisions
Asia accounts for 56% of global footwear consumption
JUST RELEASED: The geography of footwear consumption is evolving, with Asia consolidating its dominance. Check all details in the new World Footwear Yearbook 2026 recently released by APICCAPS, the Portuguese Footwear Association
Germany Retail: Footwear remains under pressure
The German footwear market is under increasing pressure due to declining sales, rising prices and weakening consumer confidence. While total retail and online sales have remained relatively resilient, footwear and leather goods have consistently underperformed. Meanwhile, retailers have become more cautious, as reflected in declining imports and weak retail confidence, which points to a challenging environment for the sector
24.6 billion pairs: global footwear production in 2025
JUST RELEASED: In 2025, global footwear production remained broadly unchanged, recording a marginal increase of 0.1% to a total of 24.6 billion pairs, according to data from the World Footwear Yearbook 2026 recently released by APICCAPS, the Portuguese Footwear Association
Global footwear production holds steady in 2025
JUST RELEASED: In 2025, global footwear production remained virtually unchanged, recording a marginal increase of 0.1% to a total of 24.6 billion pairs, according to data from the World Footwear Yearbook 2026 recently released by APICCAPS, the Portuguese Footwear Association. This follows a revised estimate for the production figures in 2024, which now indicates a robust growth of nearly 10% for that year. While international trade volume saw a slight dip of 0.1%, the total value of exports rose by 1.6%, reaching 172 billion dollars
Spain Retail: Fashion recovers amid mixed market signs
Spanish retail has remained resilient over the past year, supported by sustained growth in online sales. Meanwhile, the fashion sector recovered in early 2026 following a weaker performance in 2025. However, rising prices, weakening consumer and retail confidence, and lower footwear imports suggest that the improvement in turnover this year reflects a mixed market environment rather than an overall strengthening in demand
France Retail: Widespread recovery remains elusive
After an uncertain 2025, the French retail market is showing few signs of widespread recovery. While online sales remain its main source of growth, overall retail has stagnated and the footwear market continues to struggle with subdued consumer demand. Meanwhile, the recent acceleration in headline inflation has not resulted in higher clothing and footwear prices, which suggests weak pricing power and ongoing promotional pressure. Against a backdrop of fragile consumer and retail confidence, it is no surprise that businesses have become more cautious in their approach to inventory management
Digital Product Creation: The New Frontier in Footwear Manufacturing
JUST RELEASED! The global footwear industry is undergoing a profound digital transformation. The shift from physical development to digital workflows - known as Digital Product Creation (DPC) - is redefining how shoes are designed, tested, and manufactured, blending traditional craftsmanship with technological precision
Netherlands Retail: Confidence gap widens, footwear lags
Recent developments in the Dutch retail market reveal an increasing gap. Although consumer confidence has deteriorated sharply, retailers remain positive and footwear imports have shown resilience. Yet, footwear continues to lag behind the broader retail sector, facing weaker demand, persistent price pressure, and inconsistent sales. Meanwhile, online retail remains structurally strong, reflecting the ongoing shift in consumer purchasing behaviour
USA-Iran Conflict: Footwear Industry Prepares Strategic Shifts in Suppliers and Logistics Routes
According to the latest World Footwear Business Conditions Survey conducted in April 2026, the ongoing instability arising from the geopolitical tension between Iran and USA is forcing a significant majority of the industry to re-evaluate its operational strategies-
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