No matter the seasonal hike in December, with flat retail sales of footwear since June 2020 and 20% lower than the 2018 average, the 1st quarter of 2021 will hardly beat this baseline. Even if one considers the hike in ecommerce, perspectives are not great. On top of that low consumer confidence and uncertainty regarding a full return of shoppers to the high street, add to the gloomy picture of retail in the US   

The US, one of the largest footwear markets, is the country registering more positive cases of COVID-19 since the outbreak of the pandemic. We have spoken with Matt Priest, President & CEO of the FDRA, the local footwear association, about the current situation in the country   

The Milan-based fashion shows, MICAM, Lineapelle, MIPEL, HOMI and TheOne, which have joined forces in the #strongertogether exhibition project, have decided to cancel the physical trade fairs planned for March 2021 at the Fieramilano Rho exhibition centre   

The European Footwear Confederation (CEC) organised the fifth edition of the International Footwear Forum (IFF) on the 2nd of February 2021. Held virtually, the IFF brought together 25 associations from 24 countries across the globe to discuss current common challenges for the footwear industry   

According to Aprisindo, the Indonesian Footwear Association, the country's footwear industry has recorded a good performance in 2020, with exports experiencing an annual growth of 8.97%