MILAN (ITALPRESS) – The Italian footwear industry stores a 2025 that can be defined as an interlocutory year that compared with dynamics that have influenced markets in a very sudden and unpredictable way. According to the conjunctural note elaborated by the Centro Studi di Confindustria Accessori Moda per Assocalzaturifici, the preconsumption 2025 fixes the total turnover to 12,84 billion euros, marking a contraction of -2,8% regarding the previous year.
“In a macro-economic landscape dominated by geopolitical uncertainties, residual inflation and a global slowdown in fashion consumption, the sector managed losses, showing in the final of the year the first (timid) signs of a possible change of trend – explains Giovanna Ceolini President of Assocalzaturifici – The fact that we look with greater attention is that +1.1% recorded by turnover in the last quarter of the year. This is an encouraging signal, which interrupts the sequence in decrease duration nine consecutive quarters. He tells us that we are beginning to trace the china, even if the road will be complex. However, we cannot ignore the price our production fabric is paying: after the closures of 2024, the loss in 2025 of other 173 footwear and 2,500 jobs in twelve months is a significant figure. Every skill that is lost weakens that competitive advantage that makes us unique in the world.”.
Always analyzing the employment side, the use of social shock absorbers, while being decreased by -6,2% compared to 2024, remains on guard levels, with over 33,8 million hours of cash integration authorized in the leather chain: a figure that remains four times higher than pre-pandemic levels. Export confirms the supporting column of the system, absorbing about 85% of national production.
In 2025 overseas sales reached 11.5 billion euros, according to projections at 12 months, limiting the loss in value to -1.1%. Analyzing the geography of the markets, emerges a world divided into two. On the one hand there is the European Union, which in the first 10 months of the year (which stop the official Istat data available) has demonstrated an encouraging vitality, growing both in value (+1.9%) and in volume (+7.6%), with brilliant performances in proximity markets. On the other hand, extra-markets EU suffered an average contraction of -3.3% in value. In the Far East, however, sales fell by -18%. China, in particular, showed a braking of -23.4% in value, victim of a crisis of confidence of local consumers and a change in luxury buying habits. On the other hand, the dynamism of the Middle East (+12.9% in value), with the Arab Emirates (+18.6%) confirming the fundamental hub for the top of the range.
In the United States, the trend was swinging: while closing the first 10 months with a +4.4% in value (but with a -2,4% in volume), the introduction of new customs duties after the U.S.-EU agreement in late July created a climate of uncertainty that weighs down the short-term prospects. “At international level, export continues to be our vital lung – adds Ceolini – but the geography of markets is changing rapidly. The resilience of Europe and the vigorous growth of the Middle East only partially offset the worrying slowdown of the Far East and China in particular. The Chinese market, once a locomotive of luxury, is experiencing a phase of rethinking that imposes new strategies of approach. At the same time, we look very carefully at the United States.
The introduction of protectionist measures in a key market for our high range adds an additional element of uncertainty in an already delicate phase.” The national production of footwear in 2025 has reached 118,3 million pairs (- 5.5%). On the front of domestic consumption, Italian families remain prudent. Footwear spending only increased by 0.5% compared to stable volumes (-0.1%), a sign that inflation forced consumers to a more accurate selection of purchases. The only section that seems not to know crisis is that of sports shoes and sneakers, which with a +1.4% in value is the only segment to have fully recovered and exceeded the levels of 2019.
As far as the future is concerned, the survey among the associated companies notes that only a small part of the entrepreneurs (13%) expects a growth of their turnover in the first half of 2026, while the majority (52%) provides stability. The prevailing sentiment indicates that the true recovery, solid and structural, will not manifest before the beginning of 2027. The challenge for companies will therefore be to navigate a 2026 transition, investing on sustainability and innovation to get ready at the moment of relaunch.
“We have a crucial year ahead – Ceolini concludes – in which we will have to be good at resisting, innovating and, above all, protecting our supply chain. We ask the institutions for concrete support. Not only social shock absorbers to manage low-production phases, but targeted industrial policies that promote generational transition and investment in digitization and sustainability. Made in Italy footwear has all the cards in order to continue to be protagonist on the world markets”.
– photo press office Assocalzaturifici –
(ITALPRESS).
