The first quarter of the year brought some contradictory signs, but perhaps all is not lost, especially for footwear retailers. Prices in the category have been rising at a slower pace than general items, becoming more stable every month, which perhaps helps explain the (albeit residual) increase in footwear sales in March. Confidence indicators for both retailers and consumers remain in the red, but the small year-on-year increase in imports at the start of 2024 points to higher demand later in the year. With the European elections in June and the Olympic and Paralympic Games in August, as well as real wage growth, the ball is in consumers’ court to boost retail   

According to the latest edition of the World Footwear Business Conditions Survey more than 60% of the respondents expect quantities of footwear traded to increase. All results are now available   

US footwear price increases decelerated in May, in line with overall consumer retail prices, according to the latest data from the FDRA. In general, however, they are still rising   

The Institute of Economics and Management (ISEG) and the Portuguese footwear brand Sanjo have teamed up in a groundbreak collaboration to create an exclusive edition of sneakers   

The parent company of the British footwear retailer Clarks suffered a net loss in 2023, despite overall revenue growth. The results reflect a weak demand, with cautious consumers facing high inflation and rising interest rates