While the online channel continues to stand out in a retail market that has seen a slight increase in spending since September 2024, the fashion sector has struggled the most, most likely due to the warm weather that has affected seasonal shopping. For footwear in particular, after a year of low prices, there’s reason to wonder if the picture of near-zero interest rates could hurt consumer behaviour, as their confidence wanes. The overall stability of imports, despite currency fluctuations, doesn't allow for a concrete forecast   

77% of the respondents of the last edition of the World Footwear Business Conditions Survey expect footwear retail prices to increase over the next six months. The report with the results of the 11th edition of the survey is now available   

We have looked back at the data available so far on the performance of some of the world’s top footwear exporters in 2024. Unsurprisingly, Asian countries continue to dominate, but China has slowed. In Europe, we highlight the performance of Spain with consistent growth in value and volume of exports   

With a degree in product design from the School of Arts and Design and a specialisation in footwear design from the Lisbon School of Design, Osvaldo Mesquita is one of the new names to emerge in the Portuguese footwear sector. He recently launched his own brand, Liquito Mesquita   

The California-based company has reported another strong quarterly performance, driven by good results from Hoka and Ugg, and has raised its full year outlook as a result