Italian footwear represents not only a supply chain of excellence recognised worldwide, but a living cultural heritage that continues to evolve thanks to its ability to combine tradition and innovation, creativity and manufacturing expertise, quality and research – built up over time through the work, skills and passion of generations of entrepreneurs, technicians, designers and trainers. Building on this premise, the process to nominate the Art of Italian Footwear for inclusion on UNESCO’s List of Intangible Cultural Heritage is now officially underway. An initiative promoted by Assocalzaturifici, Museimpresa, CERCAL and the Politecnico Calzaturiero through the Promoting Committee chaired by Giovanna Ceolini, established with the aim of recognising, promoting and passing on to future generations one of the most representative aspects of Made in Italy. The art of Italian shoemaking would be the first in the world to receive UNESCO recognition.
Supported by the Ministry of Enterprise and Made in Italy, the project is a sector-wide initiative involving the worlds of business, education, culture and research, with the aim of establishing a shared approach capable of promoting the manufacturing, economic and social culture of a key sector in the country.
On 11 June, at the Ministry of Enterprise and Made in Italy, the Promotional Committee for the Safeguarding and Promotion of the Art of Italian Footwear will be officially established; this body will lead the nomination process.
“The UNESCO nomination stems from a desire to recognise and promote a heritage that belongs to the whole country. Italian footwear is an expression of a culture of craftsmanship that combines technical skills, creativity, regional identity and the capacity for innovation. Through this process, we wish to affirm the cultural value of our know-how and strengthen our commitment to passing it on to future generations,” stated Giovanna Ceolini.
From the Diadora Research & Development Center comes A.Box, the technology that represents the new frontier of thermal and functional comfort in safety footwear and tackles extreme summer temperatures with a thermoregulation system optimized for workers’ well-being. This innovation, patented by Diadora Utility, was created to achieve new heights of performance and breathability, through a perfect synergy of design and materials. The large side ventilation holes revolutionize the shoe’s architecture, providing constant airflow to the foot and a dry microclimate that reduces the sensation of fatigue. At the same time, the unique positioning of the anti-puncture insert enhances the sole’s cushioning and responsiveness. The design is completed by the next-generation Ariatex membrane, developed by the Diadora Research Center, which combines waterproofing, mechanical strength, and breathability twice that of the already high standards of previous models. Diadora Utility has integrated the system in different ways across two flagship models: Run A.Box and Glove A.Box.
Football boots are no longer confined to the stadium. They can be found tucked under the jeans of those who haven’t played for years, in display cases designed for collectors, and on the shelves of archives that have become flagship stores. On 5 June 2026, Pantofola d’Oro added a new chapter to this evolution: it opened a 100-square-metre concept store at Via Seneca 4 in Milan. It did so within the Aretè Showroom. Not a standalone opening, not a single-brand temple: a space within the space of its own showroom.
The Thebe Magugu x Pantofola d’Oro capsule collection was presented at the opening. The South African designer — the same one who brought the codes of contemporary Africa to European catwalks — worked on the idea of street soccer. The result: kits with African influences, symbolic details, and footwear straddling the line between technical and lifestyle. On paper, it’s a classic formula: historic brand plus recognisable designer equals hype. In practice, it’s something more interesting. Football is one of the few truly universal languages left, and Magugu uses it as a pretext to talk about identity, inclusion and cultural belonging. In other words: a collection that doesn’t target those who buy because it’s fashionable, but those who buy because they see themselves in it.
The space launches with a promise that now accompanies every new opening in Milan, Paris and Tokyo: not to be a retail outlet, but an experiential space. The test will be the calendar. Pantofola d’Oro announces ongoing events, exclusive launches and ‘Su Misura’ appointments for footwear customisation, as well as future collaborations with partners from the world of sport and lifestyle. Customisation is the detail that makes the most sense. For a brand born from bespoke footwear for footballers, putting ‘artisanal craftsmanship’ back at the centre is an active way to forge a new community.
The brand’s history is worth remembering if only for the story behind its name. The name was coined by John Charles, the Welsh top scorer for Juventus, who, upon slipping on the shoes, exclaimed: ‘They’re more comfortable than my slippers’. That marked the start of 140 years for a brand founded in Ascoli Piceno by Emidio Lazzarini, an athlete and son of shoemakers, who applied the softest materials available to football — a minor revolution, inspired by his having remade his own extremely stiff wrestling boots — and then extended the same method to rugby, tennis, basketball, golf and cycling. When sport ceased to be a craft and became an industry, the brand struggled. Its revival came with Kim Williams and Massimo Ubaldi, who revived two models from 1950 and 1956 and adapted them for leisure wear. Tradition becomes trend. Those shoes can now be found in the windows of the world’s finest shops. Today, the Superleggera has reached version 2.0: just 175 grams.
They arrive at our doorsteps. They are small, lightweight parcels, sent by people with unpronounceable names. They cost less than a hundred euros, incur no customs duties, and for the fashion sector alone, between 120 and 150 million of them enter Italy every year. An industrial scale disguised as personal shipments. From July 2026, the rules will change: new duties on non-EU parcels below the €100 threshold will come into force. Too late, according to many.
Those parcels are the face of ultra-fashion, the perfect negative of another story. That of Italian workshops, electroplating plants, engineering firms and finishers that produce luxury metal accessories and would never end up in those parcels. It is the supply chain that, over the past twelve months, has stopped asking for permission. And has started writing its own rules.
The third edition of the Physis Annual Summit, held in Florence on 28 May 2026, showcased the incredible work developed over three years of participation in various working groups.
The Physis Consortium — a benefit corporation and innovative start-up founded in 2023 — has grown to over forty member companies across four sectors: process materials, industrial plant engineering, accessory manufacturing, and finishing treatments. There were eight at the start.
A year ago, at ISO headquarters, the Italian request for a working group dedicated to resistance testing for metal accessories was viewed as the request of a sector with requirements too specific for a global working group. In short, the ‘younger siblings’ of fine jewellery and watchmaking. Today, that working group includes more than ten countries, because the fine jewellery sector has also recognised that those requirements were its own as well. ISO/CD 25392-1 on resistance to humid heat will move to the DIS stage in September 2026, following the final consultation in May. It is a small standard, but it is Italian, and it comes from an industry that for decades had been testing its own accessories using methods developed for the electronics and automotive sectors. Meanwhile, ISO 19376-1:2025 on terms and definitions and ISO 9202:2026 on methods for determining the purity of precious metals have been published, whilst another working group (WG 6) is addressing the dimensions and functionality of jewellery items, from bracelet sizes to clasp specifications. Regarding recycled metal, the definition of ‘recycled gold’ established by ISO has already been adopted by the RJC and the LBMA. The next step comes from Italy: in the coming weeks, a proposal will be submitted to establish a European CEN working group dedicated to supply chain due diligence and the recycling of all precious metals.
CHEMICALS
The same pattern applies to substances. The textile, leather and footwear sectors have had an MRSL — the list of restricted substances in production — for years.
Metal accessories, however, do not. A conversation between Ester Falletta – technical director of Physis – and Elisa Monica Gavazza – Sector Lead and Quality Assurance Director of the ZDHC Roadmap to Zero – gave rise to a project that now sees the Consortium as the technical lead, with the patronage of ZDHC and the support of Kering and LVMH — at the summit with Maria Cristina Ligi, Gaia di Tommaso and Enrico Fatarella. The first draft has been sent; the technical council is being formed; kick-off in June 2026; publication expected by the end of the year. Future extension to paint formulators is already on the agenda. The message from the two luxury groups was clear: no one is asking to stop electroplating; the aim is to enhance a sector that is already performing well and to make its commitment measurable.
WATER
In bronze and alkaline copper baths, cyanides are a technical necessity, not a whim: they entered production precisely when, for regulatory reasons, nickel had to be phased out. For years, the only way to dispose of them was through chemical treatment with hypochlorite — a process that doubled the volume of water to be managed and which, in LCA tests, caused impact indicators to skyrocket. The solution developed within the Consortium is called electrochlorination. It started in the laboratory, moved through pilot lines, and is now in production. It operates continuously at low voltage, breaks down cyanides up to 40 grams per litre without increasing volume, and is scalable from a few hundred litres upwards. And — a detail of no small importance — it simultaneously recovers non-precious metals, which until recently were sent for disposal. Integrated with evaporators, it paves the way for a virtually closed-loop cycle.
AUDITS AND DATA
How many audits does a company in the supply chain undergo each year? Between fifteen and thirty, according to Francesca Rulli (co-founder of Ympact and 4sustainability), based on requirements that largely overlap. To reduce the burden and make the most of third-party certifications already held, a working group was set up — in collaboration with Confindustria Moda — which reviewed more than 20 different checklists and produced a single model: the 4s Ethic programme. Bureau Veritas Italia is the first body to apply it in practice from June 2026, with three other bodies already set to adopt it. Objective: to optimise verification processes across the supply chain and improve transparency for brands and suppliers.
A Physis consortium member acted as a test case in the beta trial.
The European Accelerator, with the contribution of the Physis Consortium, has released a harmonised questionnaire for energy, water and waste, already adopted by several brands. Here too, the aim is clear: to simplify and harmonise ESG data collection and the exchange of information along the supply chain
The Common Water Framework — developed by Kering, LVMH and other luxury and sports groups, with input from WWF, AWS, ZDHC and the Consortium itself — aims to harmonise the collection and assessment of information related to water management. It is currently in public consultation and is designed to be modular so that even a micro-enterprise can engage with it without being overwhelmed.
On the reporting front, Physis has continued its contribution to the EFRAG VSME standards, developing multilingual training materials and mapping free tools for unlisted SMEs. The leap to be made, said Rulli, is not from document-based bureaucracy to a new form of bureaucracy: it is the transition from a document-based ecosystem to a data-based one.
MARKET
The third round table — moderated by Minister Plenipotentiary Giuseppe Scognamiglio, president of Eastwest — looked beyond the laboratories. Maria Cristina Squarcialupi – Confindustria Federorafi – described a perfect storm: gold above $5,500 an ounce in January 2026, US tariffs, frozen Middle Eastern markets, and the collapse of Turkey, which went from a 500% increase in exports in the 2024–25 period to eighth place in the first two months of 2026. The rush for the metal, she noted, began before the geopolitical crises: it was the central banks that had been buying gold for years to break free from dependence on the dollar, and when the financial sector joined in, the price skyrocketed. Italy remains the world’s leading exporter of gold jewellery and the third-largest producer — after India and China — with exports accounting for 90% of production. Carlo Palmieri – Confindustria Moda – laid the figures on the table: the sector, which was worth €96 billion in 2023, fell to €89 billion in 2024, whilst 2025 is expected to close at €70 billion. For the first time, the association has adopted a strategic plan with a horizon extending beyond 2030, presented to the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies, which calls for energy subsidies, EPR, redundancy schemes and the harmonisation of audits. Mauro Bergozza – Assomac – pointed out that Italy is the only European country left as a supplier of leather processing technologies: competition comes from China, Korea and Taiwan, offering lower prices and incomparable quality. The direction to aim for, he said, is clear: artificial intelligence and traceability from livestock farming to the finished product.
What will the Physis Consortium focus on in the coming months, and which critical issues within the supply chain will it seek to address and resolve? How to approach due diligence within the supply chain; how to handle auditing of supply chain due diligence whilst protecting companies’ know-how and confidential data; how to continue on the path towards harmonising audits and enhancing the value of third-party certifications; considering the certification of recycled materials; continuing to focus on collaboration and dialogue between client brands and the supply chain to develop shared solutions that, in effect, represent a win-win solution.
Top Repute Co. Ltd. – a leading trade fair organiser since 1989 – invites industry professionals to Vietnam from 8 to 10 July 2026 for the 26th edition of the International Footwear and Leather Goods Industry Fair, which includes the International Footwear and Leather Goods Products Fair. The venue is the Saigon Exhibition & Convention Centre (SECC) in Ho Chi Minh City, the dynamic economic hub of southern Vietnam and the country’s traditional centre for footwear production and export. Mirroring the format of IFLE – Guangzhou, the leading event dedicated to the sector organised by Top Repute Co. Ltd., Shoes and Leather Vietnam will also feature over 800 exhibitors from 30 countries and regions and attract more than 15,000 trade visitors from 70 countries and regions, all within a 20,000-square-metre exhibition area. The event offers an excellent platform for ASEAN and international buyers and suppliers to engage with Vietnam’s rapidly expanding leather and footwear sector, explore the entire supply chain, from materials to finished products, and capitalise on the strong export-oriented industry concentrated in the south of the country.
With the IILF – India International Leather Fair in Chennai in February and the APLF Leather in Hong Kong in March, Assomac’s 2026 program to support the internationalization of Italian companies producing machinery and technologies for the tanning, footwear, and leather industries has begun, with a targeted presence in markets where investments, production chains, and industrial growth dynamics are concentrated.
During 2026, the Association’s efforts to support the internationalization of Italian producers in the sector will continue with subsequent stops in Asia, Southeast Asia, and Latin America.
“Italy maintains a significant presence among the world’s leading exporters, despite a context marked by international tensions and dynamics that have impacted value chains – declared Cristiano Paccagnella, Vice President of Assomac -. The 12.2% contraction in Italian exports (January-October 2025 compared to the previous year) is a figure that captures the difficulties of the current phase. At the same time, companies continue to demonstrate a strong foreign propensity, investing in market surveillance and participating in promotional initiatives in major global contexts. In this scenario, ICE Agenzia’s support is a central element in strengthening the visibility and international positioning of Made in Italy technologies. For the effort to be sustainable over time, it is equally important to be able to count on actions and resources that can favor exports and investments in machinery, capable of accompanying the competitiveness of companies in global markets. Recent developments in the European Union-India Free Trade Agreement represent a step in this direction”.
At the Italian National Pavilion in Chennai, promoted by ICE Agenzia, covering an area of 280 square meters, the Italian participation registered 25 Italian companies producing technologies and machinery for the leather-footwear supply chain, 15 of which are associated with Assomac. Overall, Italian technology was represented at the fair by over 60 companies active in the country.
GSC GROUP has produced three series of videos dedicated to various topics within the industry, each with a specific focus, a distinct voice, and a clear purpose. The topics covered in these videos are as follows:
1. Determination of bisphenols from leather 2. Fogging Test for automotive 3. Veslic Test
“This outreach,” explains the Venetian tanning chemicals company, “stems from the same approach that guides our work every day: research, scientific discussion, and a desire to share knowledge in a clear, accessible, and practical way. This is what guides us even when we choose the language of video to explain complex topics and make them more accessible.”
In the latest series published—as well as in the recent conferences, meetings, and scientific forums in which the company has participated—a topic that is more relevant today than ever is explored in depth: bisphenols. A central topic in the industry debate and closely tied to the questions GSC receives every day from customers and partners. Now GSC GROUP has compiled all the content so it can be accessed as needed, at your own pace, episode by episode. To view the videos, click HERE
The final event in Arzignano on 14 May marked the completion of the programme of local meetings launched by the National Association of Manufacturers of Technologies for Footwear, Leather Goods and Tanning, in collaboration with SACE, Credem Euromobiliare and Studio Russo De Rosa, following events in Vigevano, Santa Croce sull’Arno and Civitanova Marche.
The tour brought together member companies and credit experts in a focused dialogue on the strategic priorities for the sector’s development – including generational transitions, governance and corporate finance – with the aim of strengthening a manufacturing system that is key to Italian exports within a competitive international landscape and enhancing the country’s position in global trade networks.
During the sessions, the Economic and Financial Report on the national machinery sector for tanning, footwear and leather goods was also presented. Compiled by Assomac’s Research Department, the report provides a synoptic analysis of the sector’s performance from 1995 to 2024, with the aim of offering a clear picture of industrial trends, international competitiveness and the financial soundness of manufacturing companies.
“Italian manufacturing represents an industrial and productive heritage that must be safeguarded and strengthened over time, preserving an integrated supply chain model that is unique on the international stage,” said Mauro Bergozza, President of Assomac. “To maintain this role, during our series of regional meetings we have highlighted how essential it is to adopt coherent, long-term strategies capable of supporting the competitiveness of businesses and the evolution of the production system in an increasingly challenging global landscape. In this process, platforms such as Simac Tanning Tech are taking on an increasingly central role, not only as an exhibition event, but as a meeting point for innovation, industry and the market, capable of bringing the supply chain together and showcasing Italian technological excellence.”
Mauro Bergozza, President of Assomac
‘Made in Italy’ put to the test by globalisation
The report highlights how the ‘Made in Italy’ system is becoming increasingly vulnerable to globalisation, the relocation of production and growing competitive pressure.
Innovations, raw materials and finished goods form a unified network, affected by the same market trends and financial fluctuations that have a widespread impact on every single segment. In this context, the close connection between technological progress and manufacturing activity is the defining feature of the national approach, helping to ensure standards of excellence and ample scope for customisation at every stage of the value chain.
This structure has gradually transformed due to an organic shift: industrial output has declined over time in favour of higher quality standards, leading to a commercial focus on the most profitable areas, particularly in the luxury and premium markets.
Foreign trade is the primary driver for this cross-border sector, recording positive trends or declines influenced by global macroeconomic conditions; however, there is a shift in the goods offered, with tanning machinery and components gaining greater prominence at the expense of footwear production equipment. Of the total of over €290 million in overseas sales of technology and equipment recorded in 2024, €119 million relates to tanning, €53 million to classic footwear, €30 million to leather goods and €89 million to insulated components.
Solid financials but falling margins: the sector’s dual challenge
From an economic and financial perspective, an analysis of the financial statements reveals a sector that is structurally sound in terms of its balance sheet and financially stable. However, the sector is facing a slowdown in growth and more aggressive global competitive pressure, with direct impacts on companies’ profit margins.
Over the specific period analysed, there has been a very strong expansion in China, which by 2024 had become the world’s leading exporter at Italy’s expense, creating a clear dichotomy between the two competitors on the international stage.
While Beijing has assumed a dominant position in the footwear machinery sector, aided by price competitiveness and the ability to serve high-volume markets such as Vietnam, Indonesia and Bangladesh, linked to large-scale manufacturing, Italy still maintains a leading position in machinery for tanneries, leather goods and spare parts.
The ability to maintain a leading role on the global stage will depend on the capacity to combine financial strength, innovation and strategic vision, whilst proactively and synergistically addressing the transformations currently taking place within production chains and key markets.
To manage business continuity, generational succession and the evolution of competitive structures, it is also essential to adopt governance tools and organisational models that support corporate transformation processes, including through approaches such as wealth planning, family agreements and advanced corporate structures, complemented by forms of industrial integration: from mergers and partnerships to the sharing of expertise and the development of complementary offerings. At the same time, access to advanced financial instruments and insurance solutions for exports represents an important strategic lever for supporting internationalisation and growth in foreign markets, whilst investment in innovation and development remains essential for strengthening competitiveness and seizing new international opportunities.
Lightweight design has now become an essential requirement in the footwear industry. It is therefore no coincidence that the German company – a world leader for 80 years in the design and manufacture of machinery, systems and automated solutions for the footwear industry – is placing lightness and the direct injection process (DIP) at the heart of its upcoming DESMA House Fair 2026, reflecting current developments in both performance and sustainability.
The event will feature live demonstrations of highly automated, practice-oriented production processes, featuring innovative foamed sole materials such as polyurethane (PU), thermoplastics or Super Critical Foam (SCF). PU material is foamed using precise CO₂ dosing, while SCF soles are directly injected onto the uppers. Together, these advanced technologies allow for the creation of soles with significantly reduced density while maintaining excellent performance characteristics.
Visitors will have the opportunity to explore the entire value chain of lightweight shoe production—from design and mould development to efficient series manufacturing—gaining comprehensive insights into state-of-the-art processes and solutions.
The exhibition will be further enriched by more than 50 co-exhibitors from the global footwear industry, alongside a program of high-level technical presentations, making the event a key meeting point for innovation and exchange within the footwear sector.
Specialising since 2001 in the production of cutting-edge polyurethane systems for the footwear industry, Elachem® has made innovation its hallmark, focusing its attention on the combination of performance, lightness, sustainability and creativity as guiding principles for the future of technical footwear.
For the Vigevano-based company, the starting point for those designing and manufacturing the footwear of the future is no longer the shape, but the material: it is in the way a polymer responds to stress, returns energy and supports the foot that a product’s competitive edge is now determined.
In this transformation, two families of materials are redefining the boundaries of footwear innovation: Epamould® and Epalite® TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane), and SCF – Super Critical Foam (expanded thermoplastic polyurethane).
TPU: a language, even before it is a material
TPU is not merely a raw material; it is a technical vocabulary. By varying its density, hardness and geometry, the same polymer can become a durable tread, a stable heel counter, an aesthetic insert, or a dynamic, high-resilience component. For the designer, this means translating an intention into a solution, without compromising between aesthetics and performance: greater responsiveness where thrust is needed, greater support where protection is needed, and greater lightness throughout.
SCF: the paradigm shift
If TPU is grammar, SCF is revolution. Gas expansion generates a uniform, ultra-fine cellular structure with extremely low density and a springy rebound that, until a few years ago, was confined to laboratories. The result is felt from the very first step in terms of progressive cushioning, unflagging comfort and reduced weight. SCF is not ‘a lighter foam’; it is a designed ‘cellular’ architecture.
Sustainability born of engineering
In a market where ESG criteria are now entry requirements, rather than mere reputational exercises, the choice of material becomes a strategic decision. At Elachem, sustainability stems from technology, not marketing – a distinction that even the premium market is learning to recognise and appreciate. Because lighter footwear consumes fewer raw materials, reduces logistical impact and lowers energy consumption during use.
Not just innovation, but new frontiers for creativity
There is one aspect that often remains in the shadows when discussing technical polymers: the creative freedom they offer. Epamould®, Epalite® and SCF allow designers to conceive soles with unprecedented geometries, to integrate functions into individual components, and to experiment with transparencies, colours and finishes that were once purely aesthetic.
For the designer, this represents a broader palette, like a chef giving free rein to their creativity to redefine the paradigm. For R&D, a coherent platform. For the buyer, a product that speaks to both the performance market and the market of desire.
