We spoke to Richard Shetliffe, a veteran of the footwear and accessories industry who was appointed CEO of the British Footwear Association a few months ago, to discuss the role of the association in light of the various challenges facing the UK industry   

Last year saw footwear production and exports decline by 6% and 9.1% respectively, according to data published in the World Footwear Yearbook 2024, as recently released by APICCAPS, the Portuguese Footwear Association   

After unexpectedly slipping into recession at the end of 2023, the Japanese economy appears to be back on track to grow 3.2% in 2024 (FMI forecast). Against this backdrop, fashion retail sales are outperforming the overall retail performance and, interestingly, footwear inflation is now below the 2% target for any economy. However, the picture is not so clear-cut. The weak yen could dampen any growth in imports and the country is still adjusting to a major change in monetary policy. Nevertheless, as predicted in our last Flash, it’s safe to say that a modest recovery has taken place in the sector   

The German-based sportswear company has reported a robust performance in the second quarter, led by the footwear segment. As a result, it has again raised its full year outlook