Recovery for Italy as Micam organisers admit complexities
The Italian footwear industry showed signs of an upturn in 2021, with an 18% rise in turnover compared with 2020 to €12.7 billion.
This is, however, still lower than pre-covid figures (-11% compared to 2019).
Exports (+17.5% over the previous year) reached the second-best result ever in terms of value (€10.3 billion), even taking inflation into account.
The top two destinations performed particularly well: Switzerland (+16.2% in value over 2020 in the first 11 months) and France (+24%), traditionally associated with work performed on contract; while the US (+42%) and China (+37.5%) also performed well above 2019 levels.
Siro Badon, chairman of shoe manufacturers association Assocalzaturifici, said: “After the collapse of 2020, a year heavily penalised by the lockdown and the restrictions imposed during the various waves of the pandemic, the sector has taken off again, with a physiological bounceback in the second quarter followed by recovery at a less intense rhythm.
“This recovery is, however, uneven, and often insufficient to make up for companies’ losses. Only one company out of three has returned to pre-covid levels. Manufacturers are therefore looking forward to Micam as an essential business appointment, an irreplaceable opportunity to negotiate orders and strengthen exports by penetrating new markets and consolidating existing ones.”
Micam will take place next week in Milan despite what organisers accept is a “complex moment” caused by the Russian-Ukrainian conflict.
It will run alongside leathergoods fair Mipel, fashion show The One Milano and HOMI Fashion&Jewels.
