Assocalzaturifici: Turnover falls, trade surplus rises

According to figures from the research centre of the umbrella organisation Confindustria Accessori Moda, which were made available to Assocalzaturifici, Italian footwear exports totalled 4.77 billion euros between January and May 2026. This represents a 2.4 per cent decline in value. Export volumes thus fell by a similar margin to that of total turnover. In terms of volume, exports were down by 5.8 per cent compared with the same period last year. Export performance was particularly affected by those markets most exposed to geopolitical tensions. Exports to Russia fell by 24.6 per cent, whilst shipments to the Middle East dropped by 34 per cent and those to the United States by 5.2 per cent. Exports to East Asia also remained in a downturn, recording a 1.6 per cent decline following the sharp fall in 2025.

The European Union moved in the opposite direction, recording overall growth of 2 per cent in value. France led the way with a 4.3 per cent increase in exports. The country remains the most important destination market for Italian footwear, accounting for more than a fifth of the sector’s total exports.

In the domestic market, following three years of continuous decline, footwear purchases rose by around 2 per cent in both volume and value terms in the first half of 2026, bringing a long period of falling consumption to an end. By product category, women’s shoes recorded the strongest performance in the domestic market: both sales volumes and consumer spending rose by 4 per cent. Sports shoes and trainers rose by 1.5 per cent and accounted for more than 42 per cent of total consumer spending on footwear.

The challenging economic environment is also weighing on production. In the first six months of the year, the sector lost 151 active companies (-4.7 per cent) and 3,065 employees (-4.5 per cent) across industry and the skilled trades. This brought the total number of Italian footwear manufacturers to 3,045, with a workforce of 65,279. In terms of employment, authorised working hours across the entire leather supply chain fell by 24.1 per cent compared with the same period in 2025, totalling 12.9 million hours.