All Shoe Intelligence articles in Volume 28, Issue 9+10 – Page 3

  • News briefs

    French footwear sales rebound in March

    2026-04-23T09:02:00Z

    In March, French footwear retail sales rose by a seasonally and working-day adjusted 1.8 percent month-on-month, after a sharp fall the previous month, according to the Bank of France. Overall, retail sales in France rose a seasonally and working-day adjusted 0.4 percent following a 0.5 percent drop in February. ...

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    Article

    Shoe Zone expects to post a loss this year

    2026-04-23T16:05:00Z

    Shoe Zone has warned it is set to swing to an annual loss, citing declining consumer confidence and the Middle East war. The British footwear chain, which has 259 stores nationwide, also said recent government budget measures October had “increased customer caution”. Shoe Zone, which employs about 2,000 people, said ...

  • News briefs

    German April business climate declines due to Iran war

    2026-04-24T14:11:00Z

    The business climate index for Germany fell to 84.4 in April from a revised 86.3 in March, reaching its lowest level since May 2020, according to data from the economic research institute Ifo. The figure was below economists’ expectations of a reading of 85.7 for the month. “The Iran crisis ...

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    Article

    Golden Goose opens it largest Asia-Pacific in Beijing

    2026-04-24T14:27:00Z

    The Italian luxury sneaker brand Golden Goose opened its largest store in the Asia-Pacific region on April 15: a 475-square-metre flagship at Beijing’s Taikoo Li Sanlitun. The store is roughly twice the size of a typical Golden Goose boutique. The launch offers one of the earliest visible tests of the ...

  • News briefs

    Nike cuts 1,400 jobs

    2026-04-24T14:30:00Z

    Nike is cutting approximately 1,400 positions in its Global Operations division — the majority in technology — as the US sportswear company pushes deeper into a restructuring effort that has repeatedly taken longer and cost more than originally planned. The announcement is the company’s second round of job cuts ...

  • ANWR Order days Summer
    Article

    ANWR revamps footwear trade show strategy, consolidates summer event

    2026-04-24T14:35:00Z

    ANWR Schuh is restructuring its trade show portfolio, consolidating formats and expanding its core summer event in response to mounting pressures across the footwear industry. Starting with the Spring/Summer 2027 order season, the ANWR Order Summer trade show will be extended to four days, running from Aug. 10–13, 2026. At ...

  • Clarks
    Article

    Clarks returns to profit after two years but warns of tough backdrop

    2026-04-24T14:36:00Z

    Clarks has swung back into profit after a two-years in the red, driven by cost cuts that offset weaker consumer demand and a more volatile retail backdrop due to tariffs. Pre-tax profit came in at £44.8 million (€51.64m) for the year to Dec. 31, compared to a loss of £39.2 ...

  • Asos
    Article

    Asos seeks £7m in US tariff refunds as H1 losses narrow

    2026-04-24T15:11:00Z

    Asos is seeking refunds for the £7m (€8.1m) in US tariffs paid during the first half of its fiscal year as it also reported narrower interim losses. The British fast fashion retailer said it had started the process using a government portal opened up after the US Supreme Court ruled ...

  • News briefs

    French footwear exports down 5% in the first 2 months of 2025

    2026-04-24T15:11:00Z

    French exports of footwear totaled €818.0 million in the first two months of 2026, down by 5 percent year-over-year, while imports were down by 10 percent at €1.229 billion, according to data released by Alliance France Cuir, the trade association representing the country’s leather and leather goods industry. It added ...

  • News briefs

    Garmont debuts lightweight 9.81 Etere shoe

    2026-04-27T09:40:00Z

    Garmont has introduced the 9.81 Etere, a lightweight outdoor shoe designed for speed hiking, technical trails and everyday use. Weighing approximately 310 grams per half pair, the 9.81 Etere is positioned for users seeking lightweight performance and versatility in outdoor footwear. More in our sister publication Outdoor Industry Compass.

  • News briefs

    Chaco and Wrangler join forces

    2026-04-27T13:45:00Z

    Chaco, the footwear brand owned by Wolverine Worldwide, has joined forces with Wrangler, the denim brand controlled by Kontoor Brands, to create an eight-piece unisex collection “built for adventure.” The Chaco x Wrangler collaboration targets outdoor enthusiasts, particularly among Gen Z and Millennials. The collection features four pairs of shoes ...

  • News briefs

    German consumer confidence deteriorates

    2026-04-27T13:45:00Z

    In May, consumer confidence in Germany is expected to fall to -33.3, the lowest level since February 2023, from a revised -28.1 in April, according to the GfK Consumer Climate, published jointly by NIQ/GfK and the Nuremberg Institute for Market Decisions (NIM). The April reading was revised down from a ...

  • News briefs

    ​Vivaia opens 2 more stores in the US

    2026-04-29T08:20:00Z

    Vivaia, initially a digitally-native New York-based comfort footwear brand launched in 2020, is opening two more stores in the US as it expands its physical retail network. On April 27, the brand opened a 650 square-foot store in the Roosevelt Field Mall in Long Island and another shop will be ...

  • News briefs

    Aldo’s mobile app launched in India

    2026-04-29T08:20:00Z

    Apparel Group, a global fashion and lifestyle retail conglomerate based in Dubai, launched the Aldo mobile app in India on April 22. The application is available on Google Play Store and Apple App Store. “This strategic rollout marks a significant milestone in Apparel Group’s mission to redefine omnichannel retail and ...

  • Rocky Brands
    Article

    Rocky Brands’ sales momentum continues in Q1 but tariffs squeeze margins

    2026-04-29T13:51:00Z

    Rocky Brands’ sales momentum continued in the first quarter of 2026, as Xtratuf and The Original Muck Boot Company both reported a “high teens” percentage increase in their top lines. Profit margins continued to be squeezed by US import tariffs, although management expects tariff headwinds to lessen as the second ...

  • News briefs

    Deichmann appoints new Head of Communications

    2026-04-29T13:52:00Z

    Deichmann has appointed a new Head of Corporate Communications to oversee national and international corporate communications, internal communications and fashion PR of the German footwear retailer. Christopher Zurheiden has taken on the role, succeeding Christian Hinkel, who left the company after more than five years to pursue a new professional ...

  • News briefs

    Italian consumer confidence declines

    2026-04-29T13:52:00Z

    Italy’s consumer confidence index fell to 90.8 in April from 92.6 the previous month, while business confidence declined to 95.2 from 97.3, data from statistics institute Istat showed. Among consumers, the economic climate component of the index fell to 82.7 from 88.1, the future climate component declined to 82.5 from ...

  • News briefs

    Legero United expands production site in India

    2026-04-29T13:52:00Z

    The Austrian footwear manufacturer Legero United has opened a second factory hall at its production site in Vellore, India, as it expands manufacturing capacity for its Superfit and Legero brands. The company said the move enables full-shoe production at the site and strengthens its international production structure, aiming to ...

  • News briefs

    Zegna posts more than 7% organic growth

    2026-04-30T17:25:00Z

    Ermenegildo Zegna generated revenues of €470.2 million in the first quarter of 2026, up by a reported 2.5 percent compared to the year earlier and reflecting 7.4 percent organic growth. By sales channel, direct-to-consumer (DTC) sales rose by 7.8 percent to €371.9 million, with organic growth of 14.2 pecent and ...

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    Article

    Prada’s Q1 sales bolstered by Versace acquisition

    2026-04-30T17:26:00Z

    In the first quarter of 2026, Prada Group posted a 14 percent rise in net revenues to €1,428 million thanks the acquisition of the Versace brand. Organic growth was 3 percent. Versace, whose acquisition was completed on Dec. 2, 2025, contributed €143 million to net revenues. Retail sales for the ...