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206 items found in Fashion & Consumer Demand.

Downloadable PDF Shoes help Kipchoge smash barrier
Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge has said running a marathon in under two hours, which he managed to do in October, sends a message to the world that “no human is limited”. The special...
World Footwear - 06 - Nov/Dec 2019
Downloadable PDF Micam celebrates sports shoe success
The Milan footwear exhibition Micam added a new component for the September 2019 edition. For the first time, sports and outdoor brands were able to show off their latest...
World Footwear - 06 - Nov/Dec 2019
Downloadable PDF Online tools spark start-up success
The experience of a Berlin footwear start-up shows that a strong social media output and securing the help of key influencers could be more important these days than finding...
World Footwear - 05 - Sep/Oct 2019
Downloadable PDF Writing on the wall
Messages of appreciation for its products that safety and work footwear brand Red Wing Shoes has received, from millers, miners, loggers, farmers and other workers who have to...
World Footwear - 05 - Sep/Oct 2019
Downloadable PDF Beautiful comfort
The chief executive of Manolo Blahnik’s company explains the designer’s aversion to athletic shoes. The brand has always had comfort as well as beauty at the heart of its designs...
World Footwear - 04 - Jul/Aug 2019
Downloadable PDF A night that can launch careers
The 2019 Cordwainers’ Footwear Student of the Year competition took place in London in June with a total of 15 footwear design students presenting their ideas. Three universities...
World Footwear - 04 - Jul/Aug 2019
Downloadable PDF Futurecraft.Loop takes a stride
By creating a shoe from a single material, adidas claimed to have made a 100% recyclable product – but it is still some way from a true ‘closed loop’.
World Footwear - 03 - May/Jun 2019
Downloadable PDF Happy feet
When it comes to making shoes for the feet of a child, compromising on quality is out of the question for Spanish brand Dechics.
World Footwear - 03 - May/Jun 2019
Downloadable PDF ISPO goes outdoors
The outdoor segment is growing in importance at the ISPO exhibition. World Footwear rounds up some of the footwear highlights from February’s show, with sustainability and...
World Footwear - 02 - Mar/Apr 2019
Downloadable PDF The king of shoes
Considered by many to be the greatest women’s shoe designer of the past century, the career of eccentric genius Manolo Blahnik has been celebrated with a travelling exhibition...
World Footwear - 02 - Mar/Apr 2019
Downloadable PDF Lexus-inspired sports shoe
A new handmade shoe from sports brand Norman Walsh takes its inspiration from automotive brand Lexus, including its use of upholstery leather in the upper.
World Footwear - 01 - Jan/Feb 2019
Downloadable PDF There’s no business like shoe business
A number of diverse brands from the worlds of outdoor and fashion have suddenly decided that adding a footwear collection to what they already offer will drive growth.
World Footwear - 01 - Jan/Feb 2019
Downloadable PDF Billy Tannery steps into footwear
UK specialist goatskin tannery Billy Tannery has partnered with a fifth-generation Northampton shoemaker to create its first footwear product, a sneaker made from exquisite...
World Footwear - 06 - Nov/Dec 2018
Downloadable PDF Mainstream shoes are not coming back
Received wisdom in the leather industry is that the price of hides always moves in a cycle from cheap to expensive and back again. Prices reached historically high levels in 2014...
World Footwear - 06 - Nov/Dec 2018
Downloadable PDF A shoemaker’s story
Master bootmaker Jean-Michel Casalonga of Berluti explains the appeal of seeing the process through from beginning to end.
World Footwear - 06 - Nov/Dec 2018
Downloadable PDF Louboutin gets green light to protect its red sole
A recent ruling by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) looks set to allow high-end footwear brand Christian Louboutin to continue to protect the distinctive red sole with which it ...
World Footwear - 05 - Sep/Oct 2018
Downloadable PDF The needs of the many
A number of UK footwear companies have come together with the British Footwear Association (BFA) to launch a new nationally-accredited apprenticeship standard that it is hoped...
World Footwear - 05 - Sep/Oct 2018
Downloadable PDF More to 3D than printing shoes
Deckers director of innovation, Chris Hillyer, says the term ‘3D’ now makes some in the industry think of “magic 3D-printed shoes” that may or may not have an impact on the...
World Footwear - 04 - Jul/Aug 2018
Downloadable PDF Saucony celebrates 120 years of making shoes
As it marks its 120th anniversary, Saucony has vowed to continue its efforts to demonstrate the “transformational power of running”.
World Footwear - 04 - Jul/Aug 2018
Downloadable PDF Allbirds branches out
After a meteoric rise from crowdfunded startup to Silicon Valley, wool footwear brand Allbirds has turned to Lenzing’s plant-based Tencel fibre to help it write a new chapter in...
World Footwear - 03 - May/Jun 2018
Downloadable PDF Every step they take
A commitment to using natural materials, well-thought-out design and confidence in the skill of its shoemakers – these are the pillars on which Croatian children’s footwear brand...
World Footwear - 03 - May/Jun 2018
Downloadable PDF Because shrinking and pinking isn’t enough...
Sports shoe brands are beginning to realise that to develop footwear for women they need to do more than just adapt the products they have already created for men.
World Footwear - 02 - Mar/Apr 2018
Downloadable PDF Initiative secures luxury shoemaking skills
Five European countries have joined together to ensure knowledge is retained and that Europe continues to be the number one region for high-end manufacture.
World Footwear - 02 - Mar/Apr 2018
Downloadable PDF Footwear students step into the unknown
An exchange programme launched by the JM Weston Foundation gave four footwear students, two from France and two from Japan, the opportunity to experience shoemaking in their...
World Footwear - 02 - Mar/Apr 2018
Downloadable PDF A woman’s world
It’s more than geography that separates Mexico’s two main centres of footwear production, Guanajuato and Jalisco. Unlike its more famous neighbour, Jalisco devotes itself almost...
World Footwear - 02 - Mar/Apr 2018
Downloadable PDF Changing times in China
An in-depth report in the December 2017-January 2018 issue of World Leather makes it clear that the China Leather Industry Association is optimistic about demand for leather and...
World Footwear - 01 - Jan/Feb 2018
Downloadable PDF Vivobarefoot puts the feet first
Footwear brand Vivobarefoot is on a mission to prove less is more when it comes to making shoes that complement the natural function of the feet.
World Footwear - 01 - Jan/Feb 2018
Downloadable PDF Platform for change
Cameroon-based manufacturer OMES uses local wood to create clogs and soles for overseas brands, in an attempt to claw back some shoemaking to the African country.
World Footwear - 06 - Nov/Dec 2017
Downloadable PDF Clarks goes back to its roots
A little over a century since the birth of its creator, Nathan Clark, the iconic Clarks Desert Boot will soon be returning to British shores after the footwear group unveiled...
World Footwear - 06 - Nov/Dec 2017
Downloadable PDF Walk this way
The latest footwear collection from Decathlon’s Newfeel brand includes, for the first time, shoes specifically designed for Nordic walkers.
World Footwear - 06 - Nov/Dec 2017
Downloadable PDF Esposito will help Geox keep its links to Italy
With 2017 proving to be a year of major change for footwear brand Geox, its work with designer Ernesto Esposito is helping it keep close contact with Italy and the highly...
World Footwear - 05 - Sep/Oct 2017
Downloadable PDF Footwear fundamentals
Life in the footwear industry isn’t always rosy, admits shoe designer Nicholas Kirkwood, but he says he “wouldn’t change it for anything else”.
World Footwear - 05 - Sep/Oct 2017
Downloadable PDF Shoe museum at the end of the road
The Dutch Leather and Shoe Museum closed for refurbishment in January. Recent events have put its reopening, promised for 2019, in serious jeopardy.
World Footwear - 05 - Sep/Oct 2017
Downloadable PDF Tricker’s celebrates lasting value
The English shoemaker’s best-selling styles are based on lasts that are 80 years old.
World Footwear - 04 - Jul/Aug 2017
Downloadable PDF Sportswear giants shoot for the moon
Following several years of intense product development and multi-million-dollar investment, Nike narrowly missed out on achieving the first sub-two-hour marathon. Rival adidas is ...
World Footwear - 04 - Jul/Aug 2017
Downloadable PDF Inspired by art
Australian footwear design student Kira Goodey has won the fifth ‘Craft the Leather’ prize in an annual outreach competition organised by Tuscany’s Consortium for Genuine Italian...
World Footwear - 03 - May/Jun 2017
Downloadable PDF France fights for footwear future
France’s footwear industry is searching for a new generation of shoemakers to take over from those who are soon to retire.
World Footwear - 03 - May/Jun 2017
Downloadable PDF Persistence pays off for Gore
A new Environmental Chamber at WL Gore’s headquarters in Maryland will help the company test new ideas for using its membrane technology in footwear and apparel.
World Footwear - 03 - May/Jun 2017
Downloadable PDF Shoes at ISPO 2017
The once-a-year ISPO winter sports fair was buzzing, as usual. Penny Leese reports from Munich.
World Footwear - 02 - Mar/Apr 2017
Downloadable PDF Reebok breaks the mould
Sports brand Reebok is aiming to revolutionise the way athletic footwear is made with the help of a new liquid material developed by chemicals manufacturer BASF.
World Footwear - 02 - Mar/Apr 2017
Downloadable PDF Pensole sketches a path to success
The Pensole Footwear Design Academy gives aspiring young designers, regardless of background, the tools they need to have a successful career in the footwear industry.
World Footwear - 01 - Jan/Feb 2017
Downloadable PDF End of an era
Stuart Weitzman is to step down as creative director of his eponymous brand as Coach begins to stamp its mark on the brand it purchased in 2015.
World Footwear - 01 - Jan/Feb 2017
Downloadable PDF Enda targets pacesetters of running shoe market
Kenyan start-up Enda believes the country’s reputation as a producer of world-class runners means it should be capable of also producing world-class running shoes.
World Footwear - 06 - Nov/Dec 2016
Downloadable PDF Footwear’s front runners
A recent report ranked the top ten non-athletic footwear groups in the world by their 2015 revenue; World Footwear examines how they are faring so far this year.
World Footwear - 06 - Nov/Dec 2016
Downloadable PDF In with the old
It may seem a contradiction but retro shoes are in fashion; footwear brands are counting on the popularity of reissued models to boost their sales.
World Footwear - 06 - Nov/Dec 2016
Downloadable PDF Time for change at sheepskin footwear brand
California-based Lamo Footwear has made its name selling sheepskin boots. Now it wants to position itself as a brand that can be worn all year round.
World Footwear - 05 - Sep/Oct 2016
Downloadable PDF Dreams can come true (with hardwork)
London-based shoe designer Sophia Webster has enjoyed startling success in the four years since she launched her own brand, but she has a clear recollection of long years of...
World Footwear - 05 - Sep/Oct 2016
Downloadable PDF In her shoes
Ashley Roberts made her name as a member of US girl group The Pussycat Dolls. She has loved performing from a young age and now she is putting her energy into something that she...
World Footwear - 04 - Jul/Aug 2016
Downloadable PDF Best foot forward
Low-cost airline easyJet has developed a prototype vibrating smart shoe that could help tourists find their way around cities more easily. The company is urging travellers to...
World Footwear - 04 - Jul/Aug 2016
Downloadable PDF Shoes with soul
Family-run business Melvin & Hamilton has been producing sophisticated shoes since 1988 by adding unique twists to classic designs. It manufactures all of its footwear in India, a ...
World Footwear - 03 - May/Jun 2016
Downloadable PDF Young audience
Paris-based fashion consultant Jayne Estève-Curé has clear ideas about the questions footwear companies need to address if they are to reach out successfully to millennial...
World Footwear - 03 - May/Jun 2016
Downloadable PDF Dancing shoes back in the swing
The south of England is home to a number of the world’s most successful dance shoe manufacturers, including Strictly Come Dancing supplier International Dance Shoes and...
World Footwear - 02 - Mar/Apr 2016
Downloadable PDF Impressions from ISPO
The once-a-year ISPO Munich sports fair is not just a trade fair, it is a meeting place, a place to have fun with physical activities and, of course, after-work parties. Outdoor...
World Footwear - 02 - Mar/Apr 2016
Downloadable PDF Kering kicks off its shoes
Paris-based luxury group Kering decided in mid-December 2015 to sell the only one of its portfolio of brands to be devoted almost entirely to shoes, Sergio Rossi. Industry...
World Footwear - 01 - Jan/Feb 2016
Downloadable PDF Shoe ‘snob’ dreams of better-shod men
Justin Fitzpatrick started his blog to educate men on well-made shoes and provide a portal for like-minded enthusiasts. His brand is based on dress shoes with a modern twist and...
World Footwear - 01 - Jan/Feb 2016
Downloadable PDF Artisans provide inspiration for new-season shoes
Autumn-winter 2016 will see burnished leathers and military looks inspired by the craft movement, styles will be updated with new material combinations and athleisure will have...
World Footwear - 06 - Nov/Dec 2015
Downloadable PDF Philadelphia story: small boutique flies the flag for Italy
Italy’s footwear manufacturers’ association, Assocalzaturifici, chose Blue Sole Shoes, a small, independent boutique in Philadelphia, US as the winner of its 2015 overseas ...
World Footwear - 06 - Nov/Dec 2015
Downloadable PDF Athletic brands spin a new yarn
Adidas is launching a collection made from recycled from ocean waste, while Keen’s Uneek design uses 75% new manufacturing methods.
World Footwear - 05 - Sep/Oct 2015
Downloadable PDF Haglöfs extends sustainability aims
The Swedish outdoor brand has set the bar high so there can be no accusations of greenwashing, and has introduced a set of criteria for footwear to carry its Take Care label.
World Footwear - 05 - Sep/Oct 2015
Downloadable PDF Italy needs to tell its special story better
The appeal of ‘Made in Italy’ is the envy of the rest of the footwear world, and yet, when academic Dr Giuliano Noci addressed a group of young industry professionals from all...
World Footwear - 05 - Sep/Oct 2015
Downloadable PDF Beauty is still a pain
Social media went wild when guests at the Cannes Film Festival claimed they had been turned away for wearing flat shoes, coinciding with an exhibition at London’s V&A examining...
World Footwear - 04 - Jul/Aug 2015
Downloadable PDF Stuart Weitzman aims for the stars
In the past decade, the US brand has learned the power of celebrity endorsements. Regular appearances on the red carpet have propelled sales northwards, and new owner Coach plans...
World Footwear - 03 - May/Jun 2015
Downloadable PDF Street style offers inspiration
For autumn/winter 2015, classic styles will be updated with embellishments, woven materials and shine.
World Footwear - 03 - May/Jun 2015
Downloadable PDF German shoe fair reinvents itself again
Once upon a time, the GDS shoe fair in Düsseldorf led the world. However, it gradually lost ground to the more fashion led Italian fairs we see what was on display for the coming...
World Footwear - 02 - Mar/Apr 2015
Downloadable PDF Vivier treasures unearthed
The expertise, determination and sheer hard work of footwear museum curators in Germany and the Netherlands have made it possible for a shoe exhibition to cast new light on some...
World Footwear - 02 - Mar/Apr 2015
Downloadable PDF Seventh-generation shoemaker is a barefoot believer
Galahad Clark’s family has been involved in footwear production since 1825, which lends a certain weight to his belief that all shoe designs should mimic the bare human foot.
World Footwear - 02 - Mar/Apr 2015
Downloadable PDF New York brand turns to Spain for supply of handmade shoes
Manhattan-based shoe start-up Jack Erwin appears to have had a remarkable first full year in business in 2014, cementing its reputation as a provider of affordable, high-class,...
World Footwear - 01 - Jan/Feb 2015
Downloadable PDF Arezzo means business in the mid-market
A group founded in Brazil in 1972 believes it has a great opportunity to make an impression on the US market thanks to its value proposition. There is fierce competition at the...
World Footwear - 06 - Nov/Dec 2014
Downloadable PDF Better boots have a lower carbon footprint
As consumers become increasingly keen on knowing the environmental profile of all the products they buy, WL Gore has calculated the extent to which high quality hiking boots can...
World Footwear - 06 - Nov/Dec 2014
Downloadable PDF Outdoor and action all the way
The focus of footwear and apparel group VF Corporation is still broad, but in 2014 its senior management team has consistently said sports and outdoor are where all the momentum...
World Footwear - 06 - Nov/Dec 2014
Downloadable PDF Who needs product diversity?
Thought by many commentators at the start of the century to be a one-season wonder, Crocs now claims to be the eighth biggest footwear brand in the world and is still growing. It...
World Footwear - 05 - Sep/Oct 2014
Downloadable PDF Kobi Levi to launch “factory-friendly” collection
Footwear designer Kobi Levi is famous for quirky shoe designs that often appear to have more in keeping with surrealism than with shopping, but he is in the process of preparing a ...
World Footwear - 05 - Sep/Oct 2014
Downloadable PDF Chagall-inspired shoe collaboration
In a new twist to an old partnership, Brazilian designer Sarah Chofakian has recreated an updated version of an old Repetto shoe, the Tango.
World Footwear - 04 - Jul/Aug 2014
Downloadable PDF Gore claims “all-round breathability” breakthrough
WL Gore has announced its first major footwear development in more than a decade. It involves incorporating a new version of its membrane technology into a specific shoe...
World Footwear - 04 - Jul/Aug 2014
Downloadable PDF Double benefit for Re-Cut project
Puma and Saitex are helping children close to their Vietnamese bases by donating all profits from recycled-denim footwear collection Re-Cut to the Be Tho Orphanage in Bien Hoa.
World Footwear - 04 - Jul/Aug 2014
Downloadable PDF Shoe man, not show man
He rarely gives interviews, believing that his track-record in the athletic and outdoor footwear sectors speaks for itself, but it’s clear from recent comments that Deckers...
World Footwear - 03 - May/Jun 2014
Downloadable PDF Sporty gets fashionable
ISPO 2014 in Munich clearly demon­strated how much the lines between sport and fashion are blurring.
World Footwear - 03 - May/Jun 2014
Downloadable PDF 30 years in shoes, and counting
Innovators–a new series of features in World Footwear will aim to tell the stories of people, ideas and companies that have had a lasting effect on the industry. We aim to...
World Footwear - 02 - Mar/Apr 2014
Downloadable PDF ‘We just want to create something positive’
Two brothers, who lost their parents in the 2004 tsunami, have launched a flip flop brand to support other orphans around the world.
World Footwear - 02 - Mar/Apr 2014
Downloadable PDF Heart and sole
The wedding shoe market might lack the volumes of other market segments, but those involved in the design and manufacture say there is something special about contributing to the...
World Footwear - 01 - Jan/Feb 2014
Downloadable PDF Quality demands drive designer to do her own thing
What she describes as a dearth of high quality, stylish shoes for children has inspired UK-based designer Louise Shill to launch her own luxury children’s footwear brand, Young...
World Footwear - 01 - Jan/Feb 2014
Downloadable PDF The battle for the beautiful game
July 2014’s World Cup in Brazil will be a lucrative opportunity for all sports brands, and Nike and adidas have thrown down the gauntlet with their latest football boots.
World Footwear - 06 - Nov/Dec 2013
Downloadable PDF A fair for the family
Footwear fair GDS took place in Düsseldorf in September and has something for the entire family, or family retailer. It covers high-end Italian footwear from brands such as...
World Footwear - 06 - Nov/Dec 2013
Downloadable PDF A solution to size confusion for online shoe shoppers
New technology for capturing 3D images of consumers’ feet can help footwear companies deliver the right size first time, cutting down on the expense and inconvenience of returns...
World Footwear - 05 - Sep/Oct 2013
Downloadable PDF Sendra stays the course
A trip to the US at the start of the twentieth century provoked a lifelong passion for cowboy boots in Spanish leather expert Andrés Sendra. A hundred years later, his grandson,...
World Footwear - 05 - Sep/Oct 2013
Downloadable PDF Swimming with the tide
Footwear brands are shunning regular materials and turning to salmon, cod and other fish to add texture and strength to their designs.
World Footwear - 05 - Sep/Oct 2013
Downloadable PDF Cremona’s creativity commemorated in Kobi Levi shoes
Israeli footwear creator Kobi Levi was one of eight artists commissioned by the city of Cremona to mark a moment of great significance in the history of the city and its artisan...
World Footwear - 04 - Jul/Aug 2013
Downloadable PDF Shoe Innovations
The big brands are in a race to bring the latest footwear innovations to consumers and are discovering new ‘concepts’ along the way.
World Footwear - 04 - Jul/Aug 2013
Downloadable PDF Footwear entrepreneurs refuse to wait for economic woes to lift
Even in this economy, new footwear business ideas keep coming to light. Then again, if you have the skill, the knowledge, the passion and the creativity, why hold back?
World Footwear - 03 - May/Jun 2013
Downloadable PDF Trends for autumn-winter 2013-14
Brands and designers are preparing for a bright winter. Penny Leese reports on some of the most eye-catching styles on show at GDS in Düsseldorf in March.
World Footwear - 03 - May/Jun 2013
Downloadable PDF Deckers aims to outgrow sheepskin boots
There’s more to Deckers Outdoor Corporation than UGG, and there is more to UGG than the classic sheepskin boots synonymous with the name.
World Footwear - 02 - Mar/Apr 2013
Downloadable PDF Heels without pain
Former nurse Julie Lopez had such a struggle finding shoes she could wear to her daughter’s wedding that she gave up her job and devoted herself to sourcing stylish but...
World Footwear - 02 - Mar/Apr 2013
Downloadable PDF True grit
Away from the glitz and glamour of the high-profile commercial battles between big-name sports shoe brands, a much quieter footwear revolution has been taking place amidst the mud ...
World Footwear - 02 - Mar/Apr 2013
Downloadable PDF Bouncing back
KangaROOS shoes have suffered mixed fortunes - from leaping off the shelves in the early 1980s to heading towards a crash a decade later. But true to the name, it is on the way...
World Footwear - 01 - Jan/Feb 2013
Downloadable PDF Out of Africa
Ethiopian footwear brand soleRebels’ powerful message has helped it grow from a community enterprise into a multimillion dollar company, and it is setting its sights on a global...
World Footwear - 01 - Jan/Feb 2013
Downloadable PDF Tenson marches on
The Swedish brand has spanned the product spectrum from swimwear to skiwear and its new line of footwear showcases the innovative nature that keeps it fresh after 60 years.
World Footwear - 01 - Jan/Feb 2013
Downloadable PDF The real message communicated by those red soles
Christian Louboutin’s recent legal victory in protecting his signature red sole was an important first for the fashion industry. It cements the idea that branding can be defined...
World Footwear - 06 - Nov/Dec 2012
Downloadable PDF Technical turns for Merrell
Outdoor footwear brand Merrell knows it faces new in-house competition from Saucony since parent group, Wolverine World Wide, moved to acquire the performance and lifestyle group...
World Footwear - 06 - Nov/Dec 2012
Downloadable PDF New parents, old values
Children’s footwear brand Start-rite has been a by-word for quality shoes that fit young feet well for decades. It is now working harder than ever to get its message across to new ...
World Footwear - 06 - Nov/Dec 2012
Downloadable PDF China’s domestic footwear market is good news for all
Figures show that shoe imports into the country are growing at a phenomenal rate, and cost seven times more than those that are exported, while exports of leather shoes declined....
World Footwear - 05 - Sep/Oct 2012
Downloadable PDF Barefoot shoes, Danish style
There has been a lot of talk about the barefoot revolution, in both trade and consumer press over the past couple of years. With the launch of the BIOM collection in 2009, Ecco...
World Footwear - 05 - Sep/Oct 2012
Downloadable PDF The long and short of it
Footwear brands are worried that last winter's mild conditions will deter retailers from ordering high volumes of winter boots this year - but designers have other plans.
World Footwear - 05 - Sep/Oct 2012
Downloadable PDF A stroll down memory lane...
Highlights in fashion, music and lifestyle over the past 25 years have all influenced footwear and styling. Some of the trends really set the ball rolling. At the time we covered...
World Footwear - 04 - Jul/Aug 2012
Downloadable PDF Only the best will do
Chennai-based footwear brand Gaitonde has gone through various phases in its development. Now, based on a complete commitment to the finest quality raw materials and technological ...
World Footwear - 03 - May/Jun 2012
Downloadable PDF Sports trends – colourful, retro and luxury
There are many seemingly contradictory trends in winter sports footwear, but they can complement each other too. Very obvious trends at ispo 2012, the international sports fair in ...
World Footwear - 03 - May/Jun 2012
Downloadable PDF Against the odds
Once considered by many to be just another passing fad, the Crocs brand has made it through its financial hurdles and recently announced that revenue for 2011 will have exceeded...
World Footwear - 02 - Mar/Apr 2012
Downloadable PDF The natural way?
As the barefoot running trend grows ever more popular, experts argue the pros and cons of cushioning, muscle tuning and whether ‘natural’ really is better.
World Footwear - 02 - Mar/Apr 2012
Downloadable PDF Fantasy footwear
Footwear designer Kobi Levi creates imaginative and humor­ous shoes which look just as much at home on the catwalk as they do on display in an art gallery.
World Footwear - 01 - Jan/Feb 2012
Downloadable PDF Patrick Cox is back with a bang
Italian footwear brand Geox asked former high-profile shoe designer Patrick Cox if he knew anyone it could work with to build up its presence in the UK market. It didn’t have to...
World Footwear - 01 - Jan/Feb 2012
Downloadable PDF The sexiest shoes of 2011
A contest in the US to find the ‘sexiest shoe’ of 2011 saw Valentino take the accolade for a pair of lacy, leather peep-toe pumps, showing a turn towards elegant sophistication in ...
World Footwear - 01 - Jan/Feb 2012
Downloadable PDF The bare necessities
Footwear brand Merrell recently teamed up with a professional barefoot runner to promote its first range of 'barefoot' shoes, showing that the old proverb is true - if you can't...
World Footwear - 06 - Nov/Dec 2011
Downloadable PDF The speed of lightness
Lightweight sports shoes have rocketed this year, accounting for nearly a third of sales in the running category in the US.
World Footwear - 06 - Nov/Dec 2011
Downloadable PDF Brands put footwear first
With Under Armour launching its biggest ever footwear advertising campaign and more and more brands reporting increases in footwear sales, we consider why so many companies are...
World Footwear - 05 - Sep/Oct 2011
Downloadable PDF Sandals with soul
Swedish brand Haglöfs has created a new series of outdoor sandals featuring mouldable footbeds from Sole; a development which it claims places it ahead of the competition.
World Footwear - 05 - Sep/Oct 2011
Downloadable PDF Another string to the bow
VF Corporation, which owns outdoor brand The North Face, recently added Timberland to its list of acquisitions, prompting questions about how two companies with a similar product...
World Footwear - 05 - Sep/Oct 2011
Downloadable PDF New numbers for China’s shoe requirements
The China Leather Industry Association caused a stir last year when it predicted that footwear consumption in China will double in the coming years. Obvious questions on detail...
World Footwear - 04 - Jul/Aug 2011
Downloadable PDF Going global
US retailer Genesco recently bought UK-based footwear retailer Schuh, in a £125 million deal. International expansion is a bonus for both companies, as business practices and...
World Footwear - 04 - Jul/Aug 2011
Downloadable PDF Running against the trend
Puma claims its new performance running shoe, called Faas, is the best running shoe on the market. And the German brand took a different approach when it came to designing the...
World Footwear - 03 - May/Jun 2011
Downloadable PDF The Royal Wedding: footwear highlights
The Royal Wedding in April was surely the biggest fashion event of 2011 and, with this in mind, we take a look at some of the fabulous shoes worn by the guests.
World Footwear - 03 - May/Jun 2011
Downloadable PDF Stepping out
Warm tones of brown, khaki, camel and deep red are all key colours for the autumn-winter 2011 women's footwear season. We can also expect to see some interesting contrasts, says...
World Footwear - 03 - May/Jun 2011
Downloadable PDF Bright colours and barefoot running
Regular contributor Penny Leese reviews the footwear offerings on show at the ispo 2011 exhibition in Munich in February and notes that, in shoes at least, sport is...
World Footwear - 02 - Mar/Apr 2011
Downloadable PDF Imelda’s artistic licence
Imelda Marcos’s love of shoes had an impact on her commitment to leave a legacy of beauty for her people.
World Footwear - 02 - Mar/Apr 2011
Downloadable PDF Prize boots
Until the advent of mass-produced boots and shoes in the late 19th century, even small villages in the British Isles would have had some form of shoemaker. Some were naturally...
World Footwear - 02 - Mar/Apr 2011
Downloadable PDF The height of fashion
Reports that sales of skyscraper heels have quadrupled for one UK retailer confirm what history has been telling us all along: high heels are high fashion.
World Footwear - 01 - Jan/Feb 2011
Downloadable PDF Louboutin looks east
Headline-grabbing shoe designer Christian Louboutin has pledged to set up an own-brand retail presence in China in the course of 2011. Some commentators believe the plan might...
World Footwear - 01 - Jan/Feb 2011
Downloadable PDF Stone age inspiration
A footwear brand inspired by shoes found on Europe’s oldest mummy is using cork technology to create fashionable, design-led sneakers.
World Footwear - 01 - Jan/Feb 2011
Downloadable PDF Magical footwear at the Harry Potter exhibition
Warner Bros had special leathergoods and footwear considerations to take into account when setting up its itinerant Harry Potter: The Exhibition event. High-profile and popular...
World Footwear - 06 - Nov/Dec 2010
Downloadable PDF Sporting 150 years of heritage
Stuburt footwear may not be a household name that can be mentioned in the same league as Nike and adidas, but in terms of heritage, it has over 150 years of tradition. Situated...
World Footwear - 06 - Nov/Dec 2010
Downloadable PDF Now say hello to the £100,000 shoes
Luxury jewellery brand House of Borgezie has created a shoe made almost entirely from gold and diamonds that it plans to sell from £100,000 ($156,000) per pair. The new shoes, the ...
World Footwear - 05 - Sep/Oct 2010
Downloadable PDF Desert inspiration for Portuguese brand
North African inspiration has helped Atelier do Sapato to earn plaudits at GDS in Dusseldorf. Now it hopes for further international expansion with an entry into the UK market.
World Footwear - 04 - Jul/Aug 2010
Downloadable PDF These feet were made for walking
Why sports and outdoor footwear brands are going back to nature. The popularity of products such as the Reebok EasyTone, Nike Free and Vibram FiveFingers is challenging the idea...
World Footwear - 04 - Jul/Aug 2010
Downloadable PDF Bringing Brazil up to date
Sarah Chofakian came to the end of her psychology degree in Brazil around 15 years ago and decided to take a few weeks off to travel in Europe. Her 30-day break took her, among...
World Footwear - 04 - Jul/Aug 2010
Downloadable PDF Jimmy Choo gives heels to the trainer boot
The brand is releasing a high-fashion sneaker line with the designer range now including eight sneaker styles for women. The most luxurious model is the purple Tokyo, made from...
World Footwear - 03 - May/Jun 2010
Downloadable PDF The changing retail picture
The former president of the Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America (FDRA), Peter Mangione, has made some acute observations on changes to the way footwear is selling in...
World Footwear - 03 - May/Jun 2010
Downloadable PDF The simpler the better
Simple Shoes has been associated with eco-friendly products since it was established in 1991 by Deckers Outdoor Corporation. The company is constantly looking for new ways to...
World Footwear - 03 - May/Jun 2010
Downloadable PDF Putting men back on the platform
New York-based footwear designer Steve Madden says he longs for the return of platform shoes for men. He said men's shoes these days are more conservative and less interesting and ...
World Footwear - 03 - May/Jun 2010
Downloadable PDF The old ways are best
Children’s footwear brand Kavat is still producing shoes in Kumla, Sweden’s traditional home of footwear manufacture, with the founder’s granddaughters now heavily involved in...
World Footwear - 02 - Mar/Apr 2010
Downloadable PDF A warm and cosy winter ahead
Putting footwear in a fashion environment is here to stay. Trade fairs that mix shoes and clothes in the same areas, in carefully selected, hardly renovated old industrial...
World Footwear - 02 - Mar/Apr 2010
Downloadable PDF Date with destiny
The range of new leathers on offer to footwear manufacturers at the most recent edition of the Lineapelle exhibition in Bologna included a few surprises, as Penny Leese reports.
World Footwear - 01 - Jan/Feb 2010
Downloadable PDF Art at the heart of GDS
Art and craftsmanship were important themes at the most recent edition of GDS, held September 11-13 in Dusseldorf, Germany.
World Footwear - 01 - Jan/Feb 2010
Downloadable PDF Oh Carole
The Italian Footwear Manufacturers’ Association (ANCI) has once again put together a trends report for the spring-summer 2010 season with the help of Aldo Premoli, fashion...
World Footwear - 01 - Jan/Feb 2010
Downloadable PDF Technology idea helps Callaghan go sporty
Spanish footwear brand Callaghan has waited a while to build a footwear technology idea it calls Adaptaction into its collections. But the extremely sporty range it will offer for ...
World Footwear - 01 - Jan/Feb 2010
Downloadable PDF South of the border
Mexico’s footwear industry has high hurdles to climb in 2009, but companies that can survive may find they have obvious and powerful advantages over Asian competitors as sourcing...
World Footwear - 01 - Jan/Feb 2009
Downloadable PDF CLEVER IDEAS FROM DESMA
The term ‘Wellington’ boot appears to have been first used by the North British Rubber Company sometime in the late 1800s. Boosted by their use in the trenches of the 1914-1918...
World Footwear - 01 - Jan/Feb 2009
Downloadable PDF INSOLE SECRET IS OUT
Footwear brands are finding insole technology an effective and affordable way to offer product innovation and win consumer loyalty.
World Footwear - 01 - Jan/Feb 2009
Downloadable PDF Here comes the bridal shoe
Awalk through Charlene Clay’s house quickly reveals what’s on her mind these days: her youngest daughter, Karen, is getting married. Hanging in one closet is the billowing ivory...
World Footwear - 01 - Jan/Feb 2009
Downloadable PDF Cindy says: Detail is everything
Cindy Traub has been in the shoe selling business for 35 years and believes she knows exactly what customers and retailers want when it comes to footwear. Having dreamed of...
World Footwear - 01 - Jan/Feb 2009
Downloadable PDF Crocs are here to stay: Part one
Since its launch in 2002, Crocs has certainly made its mark across the globe. It is rare to go a whole day without seeing a pair of the distinctive looking shoes on the feet of a...
World Footwear - 01 - Jan/Feb 2009
Downloadable PDF Crocs are here to stay: Part two
Since its launch in 2002, Crocs has certainly made its mark across the globe. It is rare to go a whole day without seeing a pair of the distinctive looking shoes on the feet of a...
World Footwear - 01 - Jan/Feb 2009
Downloadable PDF Trend talk
ANCI trends consultant, Aldo Premoli, shares his view of the styles that will be in fashion in spring-summer 2009.
World Footwear - 06 - Nov/Dec 2008
Downloadable PDF Second line makes sense
Top New York designers Sigerson and Morrison prepare to launch their second-line collection, Belle, in Europe.
World Footwear - 06 - Nov/Dec 2008
Downloadable PDF Brazilian brands charm China
How a number of footwear brands from Brazil have begun to carve a niche for themselves in the growing domestic market in China.
World Footwear - 06 - Nov/Dec 2008
Downloadable PDF Online retailers take on the high street
Times may be tough in the world of retail, but online shopping is more popular than ever.
World Footwear - 06 - Nov/Dec 2008
Downloadable PDF A splash of Sixties colour
High-end Spanish brand Fluxa has launched a line called Twiggy Twiggy in honour of the model who made the Sixties swing.
World Footwear - 06 - Nov/Dec 2008
Downloadable PDF At the Olympics: global brands versus Chinese brands.
Big footwear brands look to cash in on the success and popularity of the Beijing Games.
World Footwear - 05 - Sep/Oct 2008
Downloadable PDF Standing out from the crowd with customised shoes
More footwear brands find ways of letting consumers decide on their own designs.
World Footwear - 05 - Sep/Oct 2008
Downloadable PDF Shoes for fitness
New footwear technology ideas that could make a real contribution to wearers' fitness.
World Footwear - 05 - Sep/Oct 2008
Downloadable PDF Splash of colour
A review of the shoes on show at European OutDoor in Friedrichshafen this year.
World Footwear - 05 - Sep/Oct 2008
Downloadable PDF Small details make a big difference
Penny Leese reviews the style ideas on show at the Barcelona exhibition for the spring-summer 2009 season.
World Footwear - 04 - Jul/Aug 2008
Downloadable PDF Super-rich shopping list
Which brands made it onto the Luxury Institute's survey of the men's footwear tastes of US millionaires?
World Footwear - 04 - Jul/Aug 2008
Downloadable PDF Footwear for the new rebels
Amsterdam-based trends consultancy talks about moves in the youth footwear market and the new (old) ways in which they will set themselves apart from their parents.
World Footwear - 04 - Jul/Aug 2008
Downloadable PDF Footwear industry reaches a crossroads
Because of its dependence on the retail sector, the global footwear industry can learn a lot from listening to the views of Marshal Cohen of analyst firm the NPD Group.
World Footwear - 03 - May/Jun 2008
Downloadable PDF On tour: Via Montenapoleone, Milan
What an experience, to walk in spring sunshine along the street at the heart of Milan’s high fashion scene, Via Montenapoleone, looking in the windows of the shops and listening...
World Footwear - 03 - May/Jun 2008
Downloadable PDF Ginza gets new Italian touch
Tokyo's most famous luxury shopping district is now home to one of Giuseppe Zanotti's flagship stores, adding to the presence he has already built up in Paris, London and New York.
World Footwear - 02 - Mar/Apr 2008
Downloadable PDF Eco-friendly footwear at ispo
Penny Leese reports from Munich on the impact eco-consciousness is having on designers of winter footwear.
World Footwear - 02 - Mar/Apr 2008
Downloadable PDF Oriental Elements give Vienna-based brand an edge
Designer Yuji Mizobuchi now calls Austria home, but he and his partner, Simone Springer, have allowed lots of influence from his native Japan to permeate their work.
World Footwear - 02 - Mar/Apr 2008
Downloadable PDF Women and Children first
How social change will open up India's domestic footwear market.
World Footwear - 02 - Mar/Apr 2008
Downloadable PDF Athletic appeal
Fashion and consumer demand: The $55 billion US market has become the Camelot of the footwear industry, and athletic shoes are king; NPD figures show that 45% of those shoes fall...
World Footwear - 01 - Jan/Feb 2008
Downloadable PDF Today’s typical shoe shopping experience is relatively universal
Today’s typical shoe-shopping experience is relatively universal. A consumer enters the store, quickly scans its entire contents in a single gaze, identifies and moves towards his ...
World Footwear - 01 - Jan/Feb 2008
Downloadable PDF Slicker supply chain will pay off
A project to revitalise the supply chain of footwear brand Payless ShoeSource is coming towards its conclusion and, by the summer, the company will have its new distribution...
World Footwear - 01 - Jan/Feb 2008
Downloadable PDF Cowboy Boots the art and sole
The 20th century saw cowboy boots develop into more of an art form than a working essential, with both bootmakers and their customers vying with each other in producing the most...
World Footwear - 06 - Nov/Dec 2007
Downloadable PDF GDS: Something for everyone
As the GDS Fair in Düsseldorf becomes smaller overall, the area devoted to imported footwear becomes ever bigger, with particularly large contingents from India, China and Taiwan. ...
World Footwear - 06 - Nov/Dec 2007
Downloadable PDF Midec continues to grow
This September’s Midec international shoe show in Paris attracted 10,790 visitors of which 8,728 were from France and 2,062 from abroad. Although this only represented an increase ...
World Footwear - 06 - Nov/Dec 2007
Downloadable PDF Out with the old and in with the new
Bright, vivid, psychedelic and metallic colours are a fresh addition to the dirty, ‘second hand’ and ‘used’ look we have all got used to. At the Bread and Butter fair in...
World Footwear - 05 - Sep/Oct 2007
Downloadable PDF The strength of opposites and contradictions
Designers are forecasting opposing colours, shapes, prints and details, with contrasting matches, lines and patterns—a wardrobe of opposites and contrasts for autumn winter...
World Footwear - 05 - Sep/Oct 2007
Downloadable PDF Love those shoes
The United Kingdom appears to produce more than its fair share of influential footwear designers who are making waves both at home and in the global markets. Among them is...
World Footwear - 04 - Jul/Aug 2007
Downloadable PDF Fashion: Appeal guaranteed at GDS
Winter shoes and boots were comfortable, in nice, rich leathers, with the essential touches to keep them fashionable and up-to-date at GDS in Germany.
World Footwear - 03 - May/Jun 2007
Downloadable PDF Fashion: The golden touch at Lineapelle
It was said in Greek mythology that everything King Midas touched turned to gold. And you wouldn't be blamed for thinking that King Midas paid a visit all around the Lineapelle...
World Footwear - 03 - May/Jun 2007
Downloadable PDF Footwear fashion: Barcelona, where brands show off their 'street cred'
Exciting young street fashion is what Bread and Butter does best.All the trendy, more casual, shoe brands are there and one nice thing about this fair is that the men's trends and ...
World Footwear - 02 - Mar/Apr 2007
Downloadable PDF Leather gets the Hollywood touch at Lineapelle
Italian tanners pulled out all the stops when they showcased their new leathers for winter 2007 at Lineapelle.
World Footwear - 01 - Jan/Feb 2007
Downloadable PDF Natural themes at GDS
Fashion, wearability and commerciality were the overriding concepts at GDS. This well organised fair offers all these ideas for buyers from around the world in a sound buying...
World Footwear - Nov/Dec 2006
Downloadable PDF Midec — a major event for minors
As one of the largest consumers of footwear in the world—said to be second only to the USA—France seems an obvious choice of location for an international footwear exhibition, and ...
World Footwear - Nov/Dec 2006
Downloadable PDF Marc inspires Sergio and Carmen
When it comes to inspiration and musing about the trends, colours and textures for spring/summer 2008, Italian design consultants Sergio Belloni and Carmen Rimoldi obviously had ...
World Footwear - Nov/Dec 2006
Downloadable PDF Footwear fashion: Trendy textiles at Lineapelle
'Lovely leathers' in the May/June issue of World Footwear covered the leathers on show at Lineapelle. This article deals with the textiles and other fashion items that were on...
World Footwear - Jul/Aug 2006
Downloadable PDF GDS: Putting the boot in
Long boots look set to stay for winter 2006/2007.
World Footwear - May/Jun 2006
Downloadable PDF Lineapelle: Lovely leathers
Leathers at Lineapelle were exquisite, with an ultra-soft feel and sensual handle.
World Footwear - May/Jun 2006
Downloadable PDF Stepping into a bright future
Elastogram Italia has developed a spectacular fashion trend using PU foam, TPU foils and a new production technology for coloured shoe soles.
World Footwear - Mar/Apr 2006
Downloadable PDF Streetwear looks back to its European roots
The dominant infuence of American sport and music on European street fashion finally appears to be fading. The look at Bread and Butter in Barcelona, and in Copenahagen, was very...
World Footwear - Mar/Apr 2006
Downloadable PDF Swarovski adds a sparkle to next winter
Many autumn/winter 2006/2007 collections are set to sparkle with the help of Austrian crystal company Swarovski that recently launched its Crystallized collection for footwear.
World Footwear - Mar/Apr 2006
Downloadable PDF ... and who said women don't buy too many shoes?
According to recent research, the average British woman spend £31,000 ($54,000) on shoes during her lifetime.
World Footwear - Mar/Apr 2006
Downloadable PDF Lineapelle: Italian leather looks antique and natural
Real leathers looked really good at the recent Lineapelle... and fur too.
World Footwear - Jan/Feb 2006
Downloadable PDF Trends: Gosh - it's 2007
International chemical supplier TFL's colour trends for leather for spring/summer 2007.
World Footwear - Jan/Feb 2006
Downloadable PDF Mainstream trends at GDS
The latest footwear trends from GDS.
World Footwear - Nov/Dec 2005
Downloadable PDF TFL trends - Designed to last
International chemical company TFL's leather texture trends for spring/summer 2007.
World Footwear - Nov/Dec 2005
Downloadable PDF A carnival of colour
Visitors to Francal in Brazil were left in no doubt as to where they wer in the world with colours reflecting the country's famous carnivals.
World Footwear - Sep/Oct 2005
Downloadable PDF Sports shoes for summer
Comfort, lightweight and increasing breathability are the key words for technical sports shoes.
World Footwear - Sep/Oct 2005
Downloadable PDF Fancy leather from Italian tanners
Lineapelle was awash with bright, intricate and beautiful leathers.
World Footwear - Jul/Aug 2005
Downloadable PDF It's going to be a warm winter next year
Feet will be warm and cosy next winter - GDS showed fur uppers and linings, wool tweed and even felt for shoes.
World Footwear - May/Jun 2005
Downloadable PDF Shaping up lasts for 2006
The toe shapes and side profiles that will feature in 2006.
World Footwear - May/Jun 2005
Downloadable PDF Footwear Focus: You can't keep keep a good show down
The PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando is still the world's most influential golf trade show. Shoes were a hot item this year with cutting-edge styling and biomechanical technology - ...
World Footwear - Mar/Apr 2005
Downloadable PDF Young fashion inspirations for summer 2006
International trend watching agency Y-trends, which works with names such as Mexx Footwear, K-Swiss, Timberland, and Royal Elastics offers an insight into the youth fashions for...
World Footwear - Mar/Apr 2005
Downloadable PDF ispo:Women's winters are warmer - and more stylish
More women's products were on show at ispo than ever before- including better fitting lasts, and boots that are warmer.
World Footwear - Mar/Apr 2005
Downloadable PDF Fashion: An exercise in imagination
BASF comes up with a new way of presenting its colours and trends.
World Footwear - Jan/Feb 2005
Downloadable PDF Fashion and design: L for leather, L for luxury
Luxury was the key word for leathers for winter 2005/2006 at Lineapelle.
World Footwear - Jan/Feb 2005
Downloadable PDF Fashion and design: Through Spanish eyes
New designs from Spain and Mexico.
World Footwear - Jan/Feb 2005
Downloadable PDF Street scene
The sporty street look at Bread and Butter in Berlin.
World Footwear -