The Italian footwear industry is showing tentative signs of recovery after a period of contraction, new data from the Confindustria Moda Research Centre for Assocalzaturifici indicate.
While total revenues for the first nine months of 2025 declined by 4.1% year-on-year, the sector’s performance in the third quarter was notably more stable, with turnover dipping by only 0.9% compared with earlier, steeper falls.
Exports remain the sector’s principal driver. Export volumes rose by 4.3% to 131.8 million pairs in the first eight months of the year, although export value slipped by 1.3% to US $ 9.09 billion as average prices fell by 5.3%, reflecting a correction from earlier price surges.
The European Union continues to be a key market, accounting for around seven out of every ten pairs exported. Value and volume of shipments to the bloc increased by 2.2% and 7.6% respectively, with Germany posting particularly strong gains. The Middle East also emerged as a dynamic market, led by growth in the United Arab Emirates. By contrast, demand in the Far East weakened significantly, with export values to China down sharply.
Domestic consumption of footwear in Italy remained relatively flat over the first nine months of 2025, although a modest volume increase in the third quarter helped narrow the gap with 2024 levels. The number of active footwear manufacturers declined by 3.4% by the end of September, and employment in the sector fell by 2.3%, underscoring ongoing structural pressures.
Giovanna Ceolini, president of Assocalzaturifici, described the latest figures as signalling a “first light at the end of the recessionary tunnel,” noting that total sector turnover for 2025 is projected to reach around US $ 15.07 billion, down approximately US $ 482 million from the previous year.
Despite the overall improvement in export volumes and stabilisation in the third quarter, the industry remains cautious as employment and manufacturing base contractions continue, reflecting the complex global environment and persistent headwinds facing the footwear sector.
