Footwear is a definitive bright spot in fashion, but global executives are somewhat cautious on the road ahead.
According to a 2026 World Footwear Business Conditions Survey, footwear trade data for 2025 shows import growth in most major markets, especially in Europe, although the U.S. and China recorded declines. Despite that backdrop, 60 percent of respondents — the survey consisted of 108 responses from footwear experts across all major regions — said they expect their companies’ business situation over the next six months to be strong or very strong, down from 71 percent from the Autumn 2025 survey.
“Trade and distribution businesses are considerably more optimistic than manufacturers, while European respondents report the weakest outlook,” the report said. “Employment expectations point mainly to stability, with just over half of companies expecting no change, 32 percent anticipating an increase, and 16 percent expecting a decrease.”
You May Also Like
Other data points show that almost 90 percent of respondents expect retail footwear prices to rise by at least 1.5 percent over the next six months, while nearly three-quarters expect growth in the number of pairs sold. The most frequent forecast by respondents is moderate growth at between 1.5 percent and 5 percent. The report concluded that the positive outlook reflects expected demand growth as well as inflationary pressure. It also found that South America is the “only continent where responses pointing to price decreases exceed those that point to price increases.”
For Europe, considered the least dynamic region, cost pressures remain the shoe industry’s main concern. Forty-one percent of respondents cite cost of merchandise and raw materials as a chief concern, closely followed by competition in the home market at 40 percent. But there may be some improvement in market conditions as insufficient domestic demand remains a concern but appears to be less important in the 2026 survey. The report also found that worries about cost are less common in the Americas, both North and South, than elsewhere.
Company-owned online sites are viewed as the most promising channel for the next three years, followed by multi-brand online shore or fashion stores and general online sellers, while respondents were more cautious on their expectations for physical retail doors.
And while the footwear experts see strong expansion in global footwear consumption in 2026, the U.S.-Iran conflict is “perceived at a material business risk.” The results indicate that “nearly 45 percents of respondents consider a significant negative impact likely or very likely, mainly through higher logistics, raw material, input, and energy costs. More than seven in ten expect companies to adjust suppliers, markets, or logistics routes to some extent.” The outbreak of the conflict impacted energy prices and trade routes, such as the Strait of Hormuz.
And the report noted that while the International Monetary Fund presumes that the “conflict will remain limited,” it also warned of higher inflation due to rising energy costs and disruptions to trade routes.
The report also showed data for the top ten footwear importers for the first and second quarters of 2025. Netherlands posted a 48 percent growth in imports, with the report concluding that the growth reflects the country’s role as a hub for international trade. It said that Germany, Spain and Poland posted growth rates of 19 percent, 18 percent and 18 percent, respectively. Belgium saw modest growth at 10 percent, followed by Italy at up 6 percent, France at 5 percent and the U.S. at 2 percent. The largest import decline was in China at down 9 percent, while the U.S. saw a 4 percent decline.
