Women’s bags reinterpret the iconic SUN68 styles in a sophisticated way, with fabrics like chenille, velvet, cozy knit, and micro rhinestones, expressed in British patterns and ironic patterns like cow print. Each bag is enhanced with neon orange logo charms, the brand’s hallmark. The new footwear proposals, on the other hand, confirm SUN68’s path towards iconic models with a retro taste, reinterpreted in a contemporary key. This ongoing search for style includes a new line, Urban Street (male and female), and the reinterpretation of the Niki model, both designed for an audience that wants to combine comfort and style.
SCHARLAU: Quality on the move
The brand wants to present itself as a lifestyle that is reflected in each of its products. Designed and crafted with meticulous care and attention, SCHARLAU accessories include backpacks, bags and accessories designed to make life easier, to last over time and reflect a personality of taste. Quality is also reflected in the choice of materials, such as pure aniline leather, totally transparent and soft to the touch with natural grain, or smooth or embossed tassel, with a very fine layer of pigment. SCHARLAU items are designed to last over time and be appreciated for several generations, thanks to the careful selection of materials and meticulous attention to detail in their construction. Thus, for example, the parts of the product that are most exposed to wear, such as the edges, edges and base, are reinforced with a high-tech material with a carbon fiber appearance and resistant to oil, water, grease and abrasion. Never forgetting the importance of comfortable transport, with products designed with ergonomics in mind, with adjustable padded straps and with appropriate weight distribution systems.
Equipement De Vie: spirit of the sea and wind
A timeless boat shoe, born from a love of the ocean and a life spent at sea. Particular attention is paid in each model to functionality both on land and on boats, with the use of materials of unparalleled quality and performance. The soles are made with a patented high-grip, non-slip and anti-marking compound for safety and stability.
BBACK. ProDynamic® by Nature
The technology that brings the project to life is the ProDynamic® System with its Diapason thruster: a heart made of carbon fiber and sintered materials that generates micro-oscillations, promoting natural pitch realignment. The complexity of this system is protected by a shell with a minimal yet powerful design, with distinctive features that underline its identity such as the scratch (“Grit”) on the sole, a distinctive element of the brand, and chromotherapy as a colorways concept for all color variants. BBACK thus relaunches its BB1122 icon, a sneaker designed to improve protection, stride roll and muscle activation thanks to the high-cushion EVA sole. Every detail contributes to the function: technical upper, controlled perimeter, rear shank, rubber tread.
Secrid: when a wallet tells a story of inclusion
“Doing business in an ethical and positive way is complex. But it is essential.” This is not the slogan of an advertising campaign, but the operating philosophy of Secrid, the Dutch brand that has transformed the wallet into a manifesto of social sustainability.
In 2024, the company launched #ValuingCapabilities, a campaign that shines a spotlight on those who actually manufacture the products: workers in sheltered workshops. These are employment centres that offer dignified work to people with disabilities, guaranteeing safe conditions and financial stability to those who would otherwise remain on the margins of the labour market.
Design as a force for good. This is not rhetoric. At Secrid, designers design with the people who will assemble the product in mind. Continuous dialogue with the workshop teams allows for the development of tailor-made tools and workflows, enhancing unique skills. Feedback from these employees simplifies designs, eliminating unnecessary components. The result? Better products, made by people who feel they are an integral part of the company’s success.
While many brands talk about sustainability as an accessory to be flaunted, Secrid demonstrates that authentic social impact comes from upstream choices. Choices that transform a simple wallet into a tool for change.
2AM: cutting-edge 3D technology, respecting the planet
Armed with over 30 years of experience in the footwear industry, 2AM was born with the ambition of breaking the mold and reinventing sneakers for the modern generation that wants to stand out but loves and wants to protect the planet they live on. The vision was clear: to combine the sensibilities of high fashion with cutting-edge 3D technology to create something the world had never seen, or heard, before. Each pair is made of eco-friendly materials, designed to be washable, durable and breathable, and following conscious production. While traditional footwear manufacturing relies on industrial-scale cutting, gluing, and assembly processes, many of which involve toxic adhesives and significant material waste,2AM’s advanced 3D printing technology prints each pair whole, reducing waste caused by cutting and trimming. It also uses non-toxic materials, eliminating exposure to harmful adhesives in the production line. It allows you to break down excess material and reuse it for future prints, minimizing the environmental impact.
Vibram presents EXTREME WORKS
Vibram, the iconic outdoor brand renowned for its technically advanced rubber soles, is present wherever high performance is required. During Paris Fashion Week, Vibram presents Extreme Works, a pop-up installation that explores the intersection between industrial engineering and extreme performance. This time, the brand showcases its expertise in the work and safety sector, where performance and technology are more essential than ever.
Since 1967, when Vibram founder Vitale Bramani introduced the first Vibram sole for work and safety to the market, as an evolution of the iconic first Vibram Carrarmato sole, the brand has studied the needs of workers in all sectors of industrial footwear, gradually expanding into the most demanding and extreme jobs.
This showcase focuses on a selection of high-tech footwear for the industrial work sector, featuring bold designs, advanced aesthetics, and cutting-edge Vibram technologies created for workers operating in difficult environments.
There are jobs that are not only difficult: they challenge nature, push human endurance to the limit, and transform every action into an act of precision. The categories classified as heavy-duty jobs are not simply “heavy jobs,” but real missions in extreme environments where cold, wind, pressure, and isolation leave no room for error. In such environments, the right footwear is not optional, but an essential tool.
Categories classified as “heavy duty” are not simply “heavy work,” but actual missions in extreme environments where cold, wind, pressure, and isolation leave no room for error. In such environments, the right footwear is not optional: it is a vital tool.
Construction sites and heavy industrial plants are the most extreme industrial jobs: steel mills, refineries, chemical plants, cement factories, and power plants. Here, workers face high temperatures, molten or hot materials, toxic substances, dust, intense noise, and limited visibility, often all at the same time. Footwear is a critical safety component: boots must be durable, reliable, and resistant to heat and chemicals, with slip-resistant and abrasion-resistant soles.
When working in cold, windy environments, heavy labor becomes even more extreme because conditions can change quickly and unpredictably. Workers operate on icy and snowy surfaces, often during storms or with poor visibility, handling tools and machinery. Footwear is essential in these conditions: boots must provide thermal insulation, waterproof protection, and a non-slip sole capable of maintaining grip on ice and snow, because a single misstep can quickly become dangerous.
Heavy work on railway networks and emergency repairs are carried out in highly challenging environments, often in remote or confined areas along active lines. Technicians frequently work at night or in low visibility, surrounded by heavy machinery, vibrations, dust, and noise. Footwear must offer maximum reliability, excellent grip on uneven or slippery ground, and strong protection against impact and punctures. Insulation, durability, and comfort during long shifts are essential, because there is no margin for error in railway operations.
Mining work takes place in some of the most hostile environments, where both physical and mental endurance are constantly tested. Operations are often conducted in remote locations, underground or in the open air, with extreme temperatures, dust, noise, vibrations, and limited lighting. Footwear is not only a protective device but also an essential work tool, and its long-term reliability is essential. Soles must maintain grip, protection, and comfort even after long hours, repeated use, and exposure to difficult conditions. Firefighters operate in unpredictable and immediately dangerous environments, such as burning buildings, industrial accidents, and incidents involving hazardous materials. Footwear is critical: boots must protect against heat, impact, crushing, punctures, and slippery surfaces, while providing support and cushioning to reduce fatigue and allow firefighters to remain effective when every second counts.
Fishing is an extreme discipline that combines hostile environmental conditions, continuous physical exertion, and high risk, often in isolation. Workers are exposed to freezing water, wind, unstable and constantly moving surfaces, and heavy, repetitive tasks. Balance is critical, and equipment must function as a true extension of the body. Safety depends on the seamless integration of skill, technology, and protective gear. Footwear plays a key role in traction, waterproof protection, and long-term comfort.
Forestry work requires strength, precision, and absolute control in places where the terrain is steep, remote, and unforgiving, and where the weather can change without warning. The most extreme tasks include felling massive trees on steep slopes and moving heavy logs over muddy and rocky terrain where every step counts. The footwear offers uncompromising ankle support, unmatched traction even on the sides, impact and puncture protection, and durable waterproof performance. The outsole is the foundation of safety, providing relentless grip on wet, sloping, and unstable terrain.
Oil & Gas workers operate at the edge, handling high-pressure systems, heavy machinery, and hazardous substances in environments where precision is critical. Maintenance tasks are often performed on slippery and contaminated surfaces, requiring constant coordination and concentration. Proper footwear is essential: boots must provide stability, heat and hydrocarbon resistance, and reliable grip.
Rock consolidation work takes place in constantly unstable environments such as rock faces, tunnels, slopes, and excavation fronts. Workers operate at height or in confined spaces, often suspended from ropes or platforms, with a real risk of collapse and falling rocks. Every movement must be controlled, as ground conditions can change suddenly. Footwear must offer maximum grip, puncture-resistant soles, impact protection, strong ankle support, and resistance to water, abrasion, and low temperatures.
Italian leather goods: a slight improvement in a scenario that remains negative
After the decidedly unfavourable results of 2024, 2025 also closes with negative signs in the main variables, albeit with less marked declines due to the slowdown recorded in the second half of the year. The usual sample survey conducted by the Confindustria Accessori Moda Research Centre among companies associated with Assopellettieri shows, in fact, an average contraction in turnover of around -2.2% in the third quarter compared to the same period in 2024. This trend is undoubtedly less penalising than those of the first two quarters of the year (-7.7% and -6.0% respectively) . The cumulative figure for the first nine months shows a -5.3% decline in turnover, which initial forecasts for the end of the year place at around €11.4 billion for the entire sector, down -4.5% on 2024 (almost €540 million less).
EXPORTS
Starting with exports, which accounted for over 85% of the sector’s turnover in 2024, in the first eight months of the year (the latest period for which disaggregated data is available at the time of writing), leather goods worth €6.34 billion were sold abroad (down 7.6% on the same period in 2024) for 42.3 million kg (down 5.2%). As usual, these figures include both cross-border sales of goods manufactured in Italy and the pure marketing of previously imported items.
The average price per kg of exported goods stood at €149.85 (-2.5%), continuing the decline already seen in 2024, which indirectly shows how even products in the higher price ranges are suffering from the current economic situation. Preliminary figures for September exports show an increase in value of just over 3% for leather goods compared to the same month in 2024, with a cumulative figure for the first nine months of around -6.5%, an improvement of one percentage point compared to the first eight months.
An examination of destinations confirms the less penalising trend of EU markets (-2.7% in value and -4.2% in KG) compared to non-EU markets, which instead show declines of around -10% in value (with -7.2% in KG) and, above all, are still significantly below (-23.3% in value) of 2019 levels.
Among EU partners, Germany stands out for its dynamism (+15.5%), ranking fifth in terms of value, while France (the largest market, whose figures also include production flows from Italian leather districts for French luxury brands) appears to be struggling (-3.2% compared to January-August 2024). The other main EU members show more negative performances: while Spain limits its losses to -5.9%, for Poland, the Netherlands, Austria, Greece and Romania, i.e. the others in the top 25, the declines exceed -10% in value.
Even outside the EU, trends are rather mixed. Double-digit increases in exports were seen in the Middle East (+13.2% overall, thanks to the brilliant results achieved in the United Arab Emirates, +19.4%, and Qatar, +35.4%) and Turkey (+17.5%), despite the devaluation of the lira.
The trend in the US has been positive, at least so far, with a 4% increase in value in the first eight months of the year (with no change in KG).
The Far East and Russia, on the other hand, were the markets that suffered the most. The United Kingdom (-13.6%), Canada (-14%) and Australia (-9.4%) also recorded negative growth. In a nutshell, therefore, the picture is one in which unfavourable trends clearly prevail among the main outlet markets, both within and outside the EU.
IMPORTS
As regards imports, after the decline recorded in 2024 (-7.7% in value compared to 2023, according to data recently revised by ISTAT), in 2025, inflows began to grow again, recording +4.1% in value and +15.2% in KG in the first 8 months, with a decrease in average prices per KG of -9.6%. Goods worth €2.42 billion entered Italy (corresponding to 109.3 million kg, 14.4 million more than in the same period of the previous year, of which only 12% were made of leather).
China (+3.3% in value and +8% in kg) remained the leading supplier: in terms of quantity (kg), it accounts for over 55% of total imports. The average price of goods from China (€11.19 per kg) is one of the lowest among the main suppliers (surpassed only by Vietnam: €7.47).
An analysis of the list by origin shows a continuation of the strong growth trend in Spain, already evident in 2024, which could be explained by the logistical choices of some large distributors or e-commerce platforms. As a result of export and import dynamics, the sector’s trade balance, while remaining largely in surplus for the first eight months at €3.92 billion, fell by 13.5% compared to January-August 2024.
DOMESTIC CONSUMPTION
As regards domestic consumption, with the exception of the positive contribution made in 2025 by foreign tourism – which recorded increases in arrivals and overall spending of around +4% and +5% respectively in the first nine months, according to Bank of Italy figures – there are few positive signs in what has been a disappointing scenario for some time now.
Once again, Italians’ purchasing decisions have been marked by caution: the ISTAT cumulative index relating to the value of retail sales in Italy of leather goods and footwear shows a -2.2% decline in the first nine months compared to the same period in 2024, increasing the gap with 2019 levels to -4.5% (already largely unsatisfactory). After a subdued first quarter (which closed at -4.4%) and a virtually flat second quarter (-0.3%), the third quarter saw a further decline (-2.4%, with a marked weakness in September, -5.8% year-on-year). Not surprisingly, when asked about their company’s performance on the domestic market in the first nine months of the year, a significant 38% of leather goods manufacturers reported worse results than on foreign markets.
EMPLOYMENT
The prolonged unfavourable phase has penalised employment dynamics: in the first nine months of the year, the sector’s workforce showed a negative balance of -1,346 employees, down 2.8% compared to the final figures for 2024, with a simultaneous decrease in the number of active companies, which fell by 110 (-2.4%). The number of hours of authorised wage supplementation in the leather supply chain increased by +2.5%: despite the slowdown in the second and third quarters, the use of wage supplementation remains high (26.7 million hours in the first nine months, more than four and a half times the corresponding levels in 2019); the trend varied between districts (with a new peak in Tuscany, +57%) .
La rivoluzione green di Mojito Re-Shoes by SCARPA
L’iconica Mojito di SCARPA è oggi proposta in una versione totalmente ripensata in chiave sostenibile. SCARPA, l’azienda italiana leader nella produzione di calzature outdoor per alpinismo, climbing, hiking, trail running e sci alpinismo, ha infatti annunciato il lancio sul mercato di Mojito Re-Shoes, una nuova versione del modello ispirato al climbing, interamente progettato e realizzato secondo i principi dell’eco-design. Si tratta della prima calzatura che fornisce una soluzione alternativa e circolare per la gestione del “fine vita” delle calzature all’interno della stessa filiera produttiva, un cambiamento realizzato grazie al progetto LIFE Re-Shoes, coordinato da SCARPA nell’ambito del programma LIFE dell’Unione Europea. La campagna di raccolta, attiva per due anni all’interno delle reti distributive europee di SCARPA, ha consentito all’azienda di recuperare calzature usate, in quantità sufficienti per produrre 15.000 paia di nuove Mojito Re-Shoes.
“Questo progetto, che ora si conclude con la commercializzazione del prodotto – ha affermato Sandro Parisotto, Presidente di SCARPA – rappresenta un nuovo punto di partenza per l’industria calzaturiera: l’idea è quella di sviluppare un nuovo modello di business più sostenibile, in cui le calzature a fine vita diventino la fonte da cui ricavare nuovi materiali da impiegare direttamente nella produzione di nuove scarpe. Un approccio circolare che restituisce valore a ciò che esiste già, riduce gli sprechi e promuove un’idea più consapevole di prodotto e di impresa”.
DESIGN FOR RECYCLING CONCEPT
Il cuore dell’innovazione è un processo avanzato di idrolisi selettiva, che ha permesso di separare tomaia e suola, decomporre chimicamente la pelle e rigenerarla in nuovo materiale. Le suole usurate sono state macinate e trasformate in nuove intersuole, mentre il nuovo battistrada ed i rinforzi sono stati ottenuti con alte percentuali di materiale riciclato. Nel dettaglio, l’intersuola contiene fino al 35% di materiale proveniente da suole macinate e la suola è composta per il 50% da gomma devulcanizzata, ottenuta dagli scarti produttivi di SCARPA. In generale, le scarpe risultano difficili da riciclare a causa della complessa stratificazione di materiali eterogenei che le compongono, spesso difficili da separare in fase di smaltimento. La Mojito Re-Shoes, invece, è stata progettata seguendo i principi del “design for recycling”: sono stati eliminati gli occhielli in metallo, ridotto il numero di materiali utilizzati e impiegate nuove tecnologie, favorendo così la separabilità dei componenti (suola e tomaia). Questo approccio rende a sua volta la Mojito Re-Shoes più facilmente riciclabile a fine vita, senza comprometterne l’estetica e la funzionalità che hanno reso iconico il modello originale. Il processo di riciclo e quello produttivo sono tracciabili digitalmente e accompagnati da un’analisi LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) che fornirà dati puntuali su emissioni, consumo di acqua, energia e sostanze chimiche impiegate nel processo produttivo.
TFL highlights sustainable leather solutions at IILF 2026
The global supplier of leather chemicals is strengthening its position as a partner for responsible innovation and high performance in the leather industry.
TFL confirms its participation in the India International Leather Fair (IILF) 2026, taking place from 1–3 February 2026 at the Chennai Trade Centre in India. Building on a tradition spanning more than 20 years, TFL will present its high-quality leather chemical solutions.
At booth H1A‑05‑A in Hall 1, TFL will not only showcase its latest collection of leather articles for garments, accessories, and footwear in the forecasted Spring–Summer 2027 colors, but also demonstrate its commitment to sustainability and efficiency combined with technical excellence.
A particular highlight this year will be TFL’s “local for local” range of ultra‑low bisphenol syntans, developed to support ecological production without compromising performance. These ultra‑low bisphenol solutions remain a key focus, as TFL continues to offer a versatile portfolio enabling the manufacture of all types of leather articles while staying below the detection level for bisphenols.
In addition to the ultra‑low bisphenol range, the exhibition will demonstrate how TFL delivers solutions that best meet tanners’ and market demands, including:
* A new era of biobased products with a high share of biogenic carbon.
* The RODA® Line coating application system for versatile finishing.
* An extended waterproofing portfolio enhancing protection and durability.