Italy’s footwear sector experienced what national industry association Assocalzaturifici has called a sharp slowdown in sales in the first quarter of 2024. By Leatherbiz.

In a new report, Assocalzaturifici said its member companies had reported a decline in export revenues of 9.7%, with export volumes falling by 10.3% compared to the same quarter in 2023. Italian footwear producers earned almost €3.2 billion from exports in the first quarter of this year, shipping 51.9 million pairs to customers overseas.

Overall, member companies’ combined turnover fell by an estimated 10.1%.

The organisation’s president, Giovanna Ceolini, said that a slowdown that began in the second half of 2023 had continued into the first three months of this year. She said this decline had “now become even more marked, with a strong reduction in orders and production activity”.