Trump’s Tariffs Are a Hot Topic Among Shoe Execs at Micam Milan as Industry Keeps Pushing Forward
It was business as usual at the 99th edition of Micam in Milan this week as the industry waits to see what may happen given recent political uncertainty.
More than 850 brands exhibited at the bi-annual international trade show, which wrapped on Wednesday after three days at Fiera Milano Rho.
Salina Ferretti, chief executive officer of Falc SpA – which owns Naturino, Flower Mountain, Voile Blanche and other labels — said it best when asked about the current state of business in the U.S.
“I think that everyone is trying not to think about it yet,” Ferretti told FN referring to Trump’s stance on imposing more tariffs. “Everyone has it in the back of their mind, and everyone’s trying to sweep it under the rug until it becomes a big problem. But we need more clarity on what these potential tariffs mean for us going forward.”
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Giovanna Ceolini, president of Micam and Assocalzaturifici, agreed with Ferretti that more clarity is needed on what may happen when it comes to working with the U.S. “In this moment, we are a little bit afraid of Trump’s tariffs because we don’t know what’s happening,” Ceolini said. “Perhaps our luxury footwear market will be okay because price is not an issue there, but we need to have more chances to sell Italian shoes at the right price to the American people.”
Until then, Ceolini and Giorgio Possagno, chief executive officer of Micam, are preparing for September’s show, which will mark the footwear trade fair’s 100th edition and promises to be both a confirmation and a celebration of the footwear event.
“We are all aware of the importance of the 100th edition that awaits us—an occasion to celebrate the history of an extraordinary event,” Possagno said. “Indeed, we have new initiatives in store that will guide us toward a new project to be unveiled in the coming months, designed to enhance the identity and centrality of the event.”
As for trends seen at the show, influences from the outdoor market were everywhere. “We are seeing a lot of development in the outdoor-meets-comfort and ‘easy’ shoe category,” Ferretti noted. “These styles have to be light, have to be comfortable, but they also have to look good. And so, in several of our collections, we’ve introduced shoes with a more outdoor DNA.”
As for more classic styles, they were plentiful as well. Brands like NeroGiardini and Thierry Rabotin showed easy-to-wear and romantic silhouettes for fall — like snipped-toe pumps and kitten heel mules. ”We have brought back several lasts that we haven’t used in quite some time and just updated them slightly to make them more modern,” Thierry Rabotin’s Andreas Schlecht told FN. “They have been selling really well, and our U.S. business continues to be a good success.”
