Micam Milan Commerce Present Report February 2026

As the worldwide footwear trade continues to grapple with change and problem, Micam continues to evolve.

This week at Rho-Fiera Milano, the commerce present introduced collectively 794 manufacturers, together with 402 worldwide distributors and 392 Italian labels. Organizers have been targeted on constructing the worldwide retail contingent, with the variety of hosted patrons doubling in comparison with earlier exhibits, due to help from Italy’s Ministry of Overseas Affairs and the Italian Commerce Company.

For this version, Micam strengthened its collaboration with Mipel, the leather-based items truthful, to construct a extra cohesive expertise for each distributors and patrons. From showcasing retail applied sciences and development tales to bringing the manufacturing unit expertise to the present ground, the exhibits’ objective was to present attendees new instruments to extra successfully compete. Micam additionally highlighted up-and-coming expertise in its rising designer part, and hosted academic seminars.

“At the moment, Micam represents far more than a commerce truthful: it’s a strategic hub for the whole footwear ecosystem, a gathering level for industrial imaginative and prescient, innovation, and internationalization,” mentioned Giovanna Ceolini, President of MICAM and Assocalzaturifici. “Its centrality on each the nationwide and international stage demonstrates how the Italian sector continues to be a protagonist and a degree of reference for the worldwide market.”

A number of Italian gamers have been marking main milestones on the present this season, together with Brunate, which is celebrating its a centesimal anniversary in 2026. The household model, headquartered in Lake Como, started as a kids’s purveyor, shifting to the ladies’s sector within the Eighties. It staged an exhibition on the present to focus on key moments by the years, showcasing its deeps dedication to Italian craftsmanship.

“It’s important to be targeted on what you’re good at. It’s a matter of endurance and resilience,” mentioned Andrea Galli, who runs the enterprise along with his household.

Different large names have been plotting new development initiatives to benefit from gaps available in the market. Enrico Paniccià, managing director of Giano Srl — which operates personal and licensed manufacturers together with Woolrich, La Martina and Harmont & Blaine — is increasing his firm’s attain by relaunching in-house label Giano after a decade-long hiatus.

The manager’s objective is take the corporate’s experience in sneakers and translate that into males’s gown sneakers by incorporating consolation and tech parts.

Exterior of latest launches, the tariff dialog dominated this week, with each distributors and patrons unsure about what’s forward following the U.S. Supreme Courtroom’s ruling this month that President Donald Trump’s reciprocal tariffs are unlawful. The European Union is in search of readability on Trump’s commerce coverage earlier than ratifying its settlement.

Salina Ferretti, chief government officer of Falc SpA, proprietor of Flower Mountain, Naturino and Voile Blanche, amongst different manufacturers, mentioned the trade has weathered storms like this repeatedly.

“Many firms have been round lengthy sufficient that they’ve been by wars and are available out the opposite facet,” she mentioned, noting that it’s vital to remain targeted on modern product. “We’ve labored with clients in a diligent method on costs, but it surely’s not solely about costs. It’s in regards to the product. Typically the costlier issues are what sells,” Ferretti mentioned.

Different executives have been additionally upbeat in regards to the highway forward. “[In 2025], Portuguese footwear grew in exterior markets and even gained market share from its rivals, and we left Milan with a really optimistic feeling,” mentioned Paulo Goncalves, government director of APICCAPS, the Portuguese Footwear, Elements, Leather-based Items Producers’ Affiliation. “We’re at the moment residing by a interval of uncertainty, which naturally impacts enterprise typically. Even so, we stay firmly dedicated to the U.S. market, which we consider might be our foremost market over the subsequent decade.”

Imanol Martinez, advertising and marketing and worldwide enterprise growth director on the Federation of Spanish Footwear Industries (FICE), mentioned that regardless of the apparent challenges, there are alternatives, even at house. Madrid, particularly, is booming, with high-end shoppers transferring to town and snapping up actual property. That opens the door for Spanish manufacturers to develop of their native market, he mentioned. One of many largest targets is the attire specialty retailer sector.

“Lots of our manufacturers, particularly those that concentrate on the “stylish consolation” market, are doing fairly properly,” Martinez mentioned.

Retail Response

Patrons procuring Micam this season supplied up combined critiques. With fewer distributors than traditional, the present lacked newness, in accordance with some longtime attendees.

“There’s just a little Western right here and there, but it surely’s been numerous boots, and numerous black and brown,” mentioned Peter Lawson, vice chairman at Shoe Inn, who mentioned he was detailing lower than traditional.

Like many retailers, Lawson and his crew are additionally grappling with confusion surrounding tariffs on European product. “We nonetheless don’t know the place something’s touchdown. We now have issues which might be on the boat proper now, and we’re attempting to determine whether or not we wait to ship them,” he mentioned.

Total, Shoe Inn — which operates shops in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut — has modified up its technique to deliver spring product into shops later amid shifting seasons. Working example: Climate boots are flying off cabinets within the Northeast this week amid a late-season snowstorm. “The climate in New York has modified every part,” he mentioned, noting that spring deliveries might be rolling in a month later than traditional.

Just like the Lawson household, David Assil, proprietor of Madison in Beverly Hills and his in-house label Madison Maison, has been coming to Micam for many years. However this time round, he didn’t discover as a lot as traditional.

“The optimistic for me was the factories that I do work with are very cooperative in making the designs I want,” Assil mentioned. “At this second, it’s all in regards to the gadgets, and designing items that may generate a fantastic promote by.”

Robust partnerships are extra vital than ever amid tariff turmoil, in accordance with Robert Schwartz, president and CEO of Eneslow Pedorthic Enterprises, Inc. “We requested for brand spanking new, artistic cost-savings methods from our European distributors to assist maintain costs in verify,” the retailer mentioned.

Schwartz, who operates Eneslow in New York, was feeling optimistic in regards to the winter boot enterprise “after getting hammered once more prior to now week.”

David Sajdak, proprietor of Midwest Shoe Retailers and Stan’s Sneakers, mentioned that sneakers continued to dominate the merchandise combine on the present, with many leather-based higher choices on show. Taller shafted boots are getting extra consideration for fall ’26, in addition to low booties.

As for tariffs, they proceed “to be an ever-changing problem, and there isn’t a transparent answer,” the retailer mentioned. “We now have nice relationships with our distributors from Europe and I do know we’ll work collectively to make certain the enterprise continues in a sustainable method for each of us.”

Jake Humphreys, proprietor of Humphreys Bootery & Luggage in Shavertown, Pa. visited Micam for the primary time, with the objective of strengthening his assortment and constructing relationships with manufacturers not extensively distributed within the U.S. market.

“I used to be very pleased to seek out high quality merchandise that pushed past my traditional consolation zone,” he mentioned. “I leaned into distinctive coloration palettes and extra trend-forward designs with the objective of constructing a robust, long-term import enterprise.