From 7 to 9 September 2025, the MICAM event was held at FieraMilano Rho, a global leader in quality, innovative and sustainable fashion footwear, which celebrated its hundredth edition.
The show celebrated over half a century of history between tradition and continuous innovation, in that perfect and consolidated synthesis that has made it an unmissable event for small and medium-sized Italian businesses, but also for the international brands that present their creations here. Parades, meetings dedicated to innovation, an exhibition and a thematic stamp. A wonderful journey between past, present and future.
From Vigevano, cradle of Italian footwear, which in 1931 hosted the first edition of the exhibition dedicated to footwear, MICAM has established itself over time as a leading global exhibition thanks to ANCI, the National Association of Italian Shoe Factories, which took over its management in 1974, to further consolidate it in the following years, giving life to a unique union between high Italian craftsmanship combined with international craftsmanship, with an authentic passion, guided by a constant search for technical innovation and an always open look to the future.
Since the early 2000s, Milan has become the perfect home to host the event, in a path increasingly aimed at internationalisation. So in 2017, MICAM inaugurated spaces dedicated to events, training, entertainment, seminars and special areas, to provide a total visiting experience. A continuous update that in 2018 went through a major rebranding until we get to the present.
There are 870 brands present, of which 401 Italian and 469 international: in the ranking we find Spain, Turkey, Brazil, Germany and Portugal.
The history of footwear fashion was retraced by the special exhibition “100 STEPS INTO THE FUTURE”, testimony to the evolution of taste, style and technology through images that have become true icons. For each decade, two symbolic models: a lifestyle model, an expression of everyday trends and a technical-sporting one, an emblem of innovation and performance.
Note of merit, the Trends & Materials area, linked to the Buyer Guide developed thanks to artificial intelligence (created to optimize purchases and reduce unsold items (s)) and the WOV LABS companies (which presented an innovation to make the contact between manufacturer and end customer increasingly transparent and direct, through the Digital Passport for products ) ; SIZEWISE (which revolutionized footwear retail with AI-powered size recommendations, allowing shoppers to receive accurate size predictions by simply using a smartphone, both online and in-store, helping brands reduce returns and increase conversions ) , WEEV (cloud-based SaaS platform that connects brands and suppliers via digital assets, while also integrating ESG documentation management, with the possibility of intuitive search and API integrations with ERP, PLM and 3D Asset systems ) (YOCABE (D2C platform that helps brands sell on marketplaces ) , MAGICSTORE (cloud management software for fashion stores, which supports the digitalisation of sales processes by perfectly integrating physical and online ) . Finally, 1956 INDIVIDUALS, which develops AI characters capable of interacting in real time with customers, creating personalized and engaging experiences, which strengthen the emotional relationship with the brand, building customer loyalty and optimizing the performance of the point of sale.
Absolute protagonists of contemporaneity and innovation, 12 new emerging designers from all over the world: we remember Le Plagiste (France), which offers elegant and casual shoes inspired by the French art of living, Canella Brand Shoes (Peru), founded by 30-year-old Daniella Pedraglio, who after studying at Polimoda in Florence created collections rooted in Peruvian culture with local eco-sustainable materials, Bróg (Ireland), brand by Brazilian designer Danieli Bergin, which combines Irish heritage, elegance and sustainability, using LWG certified leather and biodegradable packaging, Nuosmiq, a Seoul brand that develops genderless design with sustainable materials and upcycling projects, official member of “1% for the Planet” and Then (South Korea), founded by Soojin Kim in 2020 to support Seongsu-dong artisans, which creates handmade shoes with a classic but contemporary design.
Finally, space for Italy: Lancialy Milano, co-founded by ChiaLi Lin which combines its experience with brands such as Jil Sander and Off White in extraordinary footwear that interpret everyday life with love; Apice, the Made in Italy brand of 20-year-old Zarina Pistonesi, who with the motto “Authenticity lives in imperfection” creates timeless products inspired by the family footwear tradition; Le Signe, an emerging brand and Servati, whose bold dream is to revolutionize the world of fashion with 100% recyclable 3D printed sneakers.
Innovation has established itself at the center of the new MICAM Next schedule curated by Wired Italia, with meetings dedicated to the themes “E-commerce, new tech; omnichannel strategies for footwear”, “Shoe design, between genius and customization”, “At the foot of AI” “Sport shoes, tech shoes”.
The 100 editions of MICAM coincide with the 80 years of Assocalzaturifici, the association that represents at a national level over 400 companies in the sector and a reference member who owns the event. A double goal celebrated with a foot firmly planted in the past, with its artisan tradition and its know-how, and an eye always turned to the future and new goals.
Giovanna Colini, President of Assocalzaturifici, gave us an interesting economic analysis:
“The analysis of the data shows in the January-June cumulation a decline in both turnover (-5.6% among the members participating in the quarterly survey) and industrial production (-9.5% the Istat index, with a trend reduction of -7.5% in the period April-June). Exports remain positive in pairs (+3.2% in the first five months) but appear to be declining in value (-2.7%), being held back by performances in the Far East and the CIS area. The community markets are holding (+1% in value), while the decidedly favorable trend of the United Arab Emirates (+26.6%) and Turkey (+13.5%) continues. Pure marketing activity favoured an increase in imports (+18.2% in quantity), with a marked growth in flows from the Far East (+45%); in addition to China, Vietnam, Indonesia, Cambodia and Burma show sustained increases. The trade balance fell to 2 billion euros in assets (-15.8% on January-May 2024). On the domestic front, household consumption shows difficulties of recovery (-1.9% in volume, -0.7% in expenditure); sports footwear and sneakers are confirmed as the only segment with slight dynamism (+1.2% in expenditure)”.
Returning to exports – which historically “drive” the Italian footwear industry, since ’85% of the footwear produced in our country is destined for foreign markets – in the first five months of 2025 it stood at 4.89 billion euros (-2.7%), for 84.5 million pairs (2.6 million more than the same period in 2024, equal to +3.2%), with an average price per pair falling to 57.82 euros (-5.7%). All product segments, including luxury and brands, suffer from the negative economic situation triggered in the second half of 2023, at the end of the post-Covid rebound. EU markets (+1% in value and +6.1% in volume overall) performed better than non-EU destinations. Among the Community partners, the recovery of Germany stands out (+12.4% in value and +15.8% in quantity) and holds, at least in terms of pairs (+1.3%), exports to France, which however marks -5.5% in value while still remaining firmly in first place among destinations. Consolidations of varying intensity were recorded, both in quantities and values, for several other important markets: Spain, Poland, Belgium and Austria. With reference to extra-EU exports (which globally shows a -6.5% in value and a -3.2% in volume), generalised downturns affected all the main Far East markets (-23%) and several former Soviet bloc countries, including the two at war (Russia -14.4% in value, Ukraine -3.8%) and Kazakhstan (-2.5%), which slows down after the considerable expansion of recent years. Among the types, shoes with leather uppers present an unfavorable trend both in volume (-2.7%) and in value (-7%).
“With regard to the outlook, – explains Ceolini – the unknown impact of the American duties, the real consequences of which on sales can only be quantified with data for the autumn months, is a burden. The tightness shown by exports to the USA in April (+1.9% in value) and May (+1.8%) was valid with caution, because uncertainty and the possibility that even more burdensome tariffs might be set may have prompted operators to speed up transactions with the additional 10% duty. Too early, therefore, to draw conclusions on the matter. A measure – the imposition of the duties that the agreement with the EU set at a 15% baseline starting from 7 August – which was also declared illegitimate a few days ago by an American Federal Court of Appeal and on which in October it will be called to judge the Supreme Court, after the White House appeal. The duties could have repercussions on the purchasing decisions of American customers and directly on the marginality of exporting companies if they decide to “absorb” the new tariff in whole or in part. The importance of the USA for footwear exports – they were the second largest market in value, with almost 1.4 billion euros, at the end of 2024 – has made the topic very topical in recent months, due to the risk it could represent for the stability of companies exposed to that market, rightly alarmed”.
Expectations for the second half of 2025 remain marked by caution: the absence of significant innovations in the international economic and geopolitical panorama and the international trade tensions triggered by US tariffs do not allow for easy optimism. Over half of the entrepreneurs surveyed (58%) expect to end the year with lower results than in 2024.
