A total of 42 footwear companies are travelling to Milan to take part in the 100th edition of MICAM, the world’s leading international footwear trade fair.

Over the course of a month, more than 80 Portuguese companies will take participate in a series of events in Milan. This initiative is organised by APICCAPS in partnership with AICEP and supported by the Compete 2030 programme.

"In an international context characterised by great uncertainty, we remain strongly committed to returning to gradually returning to international markets”, emphasises Luís Onofre. According to the president of APICCAPS, "the Portuguese footwear and leather goods cluster exports more than 90% of its production, so a presence at international events is particularly important”. 

For APICCAPS, after two years of strong containment, "2025 is the year for footwear to consolidate its position in international markets”. "The first half went well, and we are doing everything we can to maintain this trajectory until the end of the year”, he concluded.

The Portuguese delegation at MICAM and MIPEL will comprise 42 companies, while at Lineapelle it will comprise 33 footwear component and leather companies. Portugal will be represented by five companies at SIMAC, the leading event for high-tech.

The 100th edition of MICAM will celebrate half a century of history, built on the expertise and innovation of the ‘Made in Italy’ signature and its international vision. This has transformed the fair into a globally recognised footwear event.

The event has become a benchmark for small and medium-sized Italian companies, as well as international brands. The first edition took place in Vigevano, the cradle of Italian footwear, in 1931. However, it was not until 1974 that the event underwent a significant transformation when ANCI (the National Association of Italian Footwear Manufacturers) took charge of its organisation, consolidating and expanding it in subsequent years.

Since the 2000s, Milan has been the permanent headquarters, paving the way for a strategy further directed at internationalisation.
Currently, 1000 brands from all over the world exhibit their products at MICAM, an event that welcomes visitors and buyers from over 10 countries with different cultures.

The 100th edition of MICAM, chaired by Giovanna Ceolini, will be inaugurated by Italian Minister Adolfo Urso. This will also mark the launch of the commemorative stamp in the "Excellence of the Made in Italy production system” series.

An extensive programme of events and seminars, as well as a special exhibition called ‘100 Steps into the Future’, will provide an opportunity to deepen the knowledge of the sector and the history of the fair, as well as of fashion and footwear over the last 50 years. 2025 is also a significant year for Assocalzaturifici, as the association, which represents and promotes 500 Italian companies in the sector globally, celebrates its 80th anniversary.

The footwear and leather goods cluster is continuing its strategy of diversifying investments. Following the participation of over 70 companies in the Valorização da Oferta (Enhancing Supply) project last year, totalling close to 3 million euros, a similar number of companies are expected to invest in promoting their brands in international markets this year. This investment will focus particularly on Communication and Advertising Consultancy, Membership of Online Platforms, Digital Marketing, and the Production of photographic and multimedia content. Investments in Trademark and Design Registration, as well as in Websites and online stores, will also continue.

Milan fair welcomes the new generation of Portuguese products
Shoes made from apple or pineapple peel? That’s old news! A new generation of even more innovative products is ready to hit the market. Made from materials such as olive pits, coffee grounds, rice, eggshells, olive and pine extracts, mussels and tomato pulp, the new line of products is part of the BioShoes4All project and will be presented at the next MICAM in Milan, which takes place from the 7th to the 9th of September.
The BioShoes4All project involves 70 partners, including 20 research and development entities and 50 companies. With an investment of 62 million euros under the PRR, the project is now entering a decisive phase. "We have brought together companies that represent the entire supply chain,” says Maria José Ferreira, "with the aim of achieving radical change in terms of the sustainability of materials, chemicals, production processes, business models and the end products of the footwear and leather goods industries”. According to the project coordinator, "BioShoes4All is the biggest project ever in the Portuguese footwear industry and the largest investment in research, development, innovation and capacity building realised in such a short timeframe. This was made possible by the Recovery and Resilience Programme (PRR) and Next Generation EU”. 

"Given the way it has been organised, the project has significant potential to transform the Portuguese footwear cluster and make an impact internationally”, she says. Several new solutions have already been developed and are expected to reach the market as early as 2025. They will be presented to potential industry customers at the largest and most important international footwear fair.

Maria José Ferreira asserts that "new products are created and refined based on studies to measure and reduce their environmental and carbon footprints. This involves acting at the level of the development and selection of materials and processes”. These products are essentially "lightweight and appealing but made from a few different materials to enhance their agile production and recycling. The materials and products incorporate by-products from human or animal food, such as rice, cereals, olive pits, chestnuts, mussel shells and vine prunings, as well as seaweed. These reinforce or create new materials, insoles, reinforcements and soles. They utilise waste from national agroforestry industries, such as pine bark, coffee and olive tree extracts, for tanning hides. They also recycle waste from leather production, components and footwear to create new leather and components, including headpieces, counters and soles”.

In addition, "the new footwear and leather goods products are more durable and have a smaller environmental footprint according to the European PED method”. "They can also be repaired or recycled”. "The production processes have also been redesigned to be more efficient and environmentally friendly, using fewer chemicals, energy, and producing fewer effluents and residues”. 

One of the areas in which the BioShoes4All project has had the greatest impact is recycling. "The project addresses all materials that could potentially be used in footwear, encouraging the development of new molecules or formulas for producing leather, adhesives, rubber, polyurethane and EVA, as well as manufacturing processes that prioritise overall sustainability and closing the production cycle”, recalls Maria José Ferreira. "The motto is to be innovative, inclusive, efficient and ‘zero waste’”. For this reason, the new generation of leathers, insoles and soles will be "up to 100% organic, recycled or recyclable, offering superior flexibility, wear resistance and slip resistance, among other features”. 

Investments are also underway in cutting-edge technologies for producing bioleathers, bioplastics, biorubbers and biocomponents. "This project will contribute to the implementation of the first systems for producing components and footwear from expanded, recyclable thermoplastic materials in Europe”, she concluded.