Micam 99 offers creativity and resilience
Around 850 companies – half of them Italian – are presenting autumn-winter 25-26 footwear collections at the 99th edition of Micam in Milan (February 23 to 25).
This event’s theme is “game changers”, representing the footwear industry’s ability to “face change with courage while maintaining a strong bond with tradition”.
“The world of footwear is complex; it always requires new professionals, a visionary approach to the supply chain, creativity in inventing new styles, and a deep respect for a history of excellence,” said Giovanna Ceolini, president of Micam and shoemakers’ association Assocalzaturifici.
“2024 ended with a decline in exports (-8.4% in value) and turnover (-9.4%), along with a drop in production. However, forecasts indicate a gradual market improvement by the end of the year, with recovery prospects driven by the industry's capacity for innovation and resilience.”
The Micam X trends area, curated by consultancy Spin360, focuses on four key theme areas: art, fashion, heritage and future; trends and materials; sustainability; and the future of retail.
The Italian Start-up area provides a stage for young Italian companies and includes RE49, a brand making shoes from boat sails, deckchairs and beach umbrellas. The company was founded in 1949 by Valentino Masolini, recycling materials collected from barracks abandoned after World War II. In 2020, Nicola - the fourth generation – launched spinoff RE49 using recovered materials from Italian beaches.
Another start-up, Yush, makes shoes in Florence that integrate smart, 3D-printed insoles and sensors, along with electrostimulation technology controllable via a Bluetooth app, developed to optimise physical wellbeing, improve circulation and reduce fatigue.
The Academy Area aims to inspire future generations, displaying craftsmanship from younger workers, with Stoll finishing machines, 3D printed outsoles and the opportunity to discover footwear production processes through virtual reality, thanks to headsets provided by the European project Metaskills4 TCLF. Italian colleges and universities brought contingents of students to the show.
Micam is preparing for its 100th edition this September.
Giorgio Possagno, CEO of Micam, said: “Through important investments planned in our industrial strategy, we aim to strengthen our positioning as the premier event that guarantees new commercial opportunities for our exhibitors. Indeed, we have new initiatives in store that will guide us toward a new project to be unveiled in the coming months, designed to enhance the identity and centrality of the event.”
