Thursday, September 19, 2019 - 13:18English

The 50th anniversary edition concludes on a positive note. Siro Badon: the event’s leadership is confirmed; now our attention turns to the February 2020 edition

The 88th edition of MICAM, the international footwear exhibition promoted by Assocalzaturifici, came to a close yesterday at the Rho Fiera Milano. The event was attended by 44,076 trade visitors, including 60% from abroad, who were able to peruse a wide range of exhibits offered by 1303 companies.

Attendance figures showed a 0.94% increase in individual visitor numbers compared with February 2019. In particular, dealers from abroad rose by almost 2% while there was a 0.55% drop in the number of Italians.

On the international front, we continued to see substantial numbers of visitors from China and Hong Kong, due to the fact that the show did not coincide with holidays in those countries; we also had a 10% increase in attendees from our neighbour, Switzerland. Traditional European markets substantially held up while we saw a double-digit drop in visitors from Russia (-12.85%) and Ukraine (-8.68%).

MICAM 88 was the first edition under the guidance of the new Chair Siro Badon: “Trade fairs continue to provide our companies with a great opportunity to do business and, seeing the results, we are proud of the success of this edition which confirms MICAM’s standing as the world’s leading footwear trade show”. “Our association – continues Badon – will continue to help our companies internationalise their business, using every possible means to bring together quality products and buyers who are capable of appreciating them – with particular reference to the Russian and Ukrainian markets which, as was already forecast prior to the event, are shrinking”.

The edition which has just concluded marked an important anniversary: fifty years since the first edition of the fair. A symbolic and pivotal moment for the industry which is undergoing a significant transformation, both as regards the production process and the whole ethos surrounding footwear, including the way it is perceived by the final consumer.

MICAM also represented an opportunity to relaunch Italian-made footwear at a time when our shoe manufacturing districts continue to experience difficulties, by showing that Italian fashion creations are not only extremely well-made but also an iconic part of our country’s culture. An aspect reiterated by Ivan Scalfarotto, Undersecretary of State for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, on the occasion of his visit to the fair, during which he announced a series of initiatives to promote internationalization and fully exploit the fashion system’s potential.

Amongst the various novelties presented during this edition of MICAM, the one that aroused particular interest on the part of trade visitors was the PLAYERS DISTRICT. This new exhibit area was created to provide a showcase specifically for sports and outdoor shoes, a segment that is increasingly attracting the attention of buyers and consumers and that requires manufacturers to invest continually in research and technology. A number of exciting collateral events, such as the MICAM Trophy, were held in this lively new area, which is to be developed further for the February edition.

The It’s Shoe Time exhibition in the Fashion Square was a huge success. Set up to celebrate the trade fair’s fiftieth anniversary, it took visitors on an immersive journey through time, tracing the way life-styles - as reflected in shoe fashions - evolved from the Seventies to the present day.

After wowing trade visitors at the fair centre, the exhibition will transfer to MUDEC where it will be open to the public from 19 to 22 September, free-of-charge: a unique opportunity to present the ‘footwear culture’ and MICAM to the wider public present during fashion week.

The next edition of MICAM from 16 to 19 February 2020, with the F/W 2020-2021 collections.

PLUG-Mi, the sneakers culture experience, looks forward to seeing you at fieramilanocity, pavilion 4, on 5 and 6 October 2019.

Press release

MICAM

Milan, 19th September 2019