Footwear Today Live returned to the National Conference Centre (NCC) in Birmingham on Sunday 4 and Monday 5 February with hundreds of brands coming together to network and liaise with footwear retailers from all across the UK.

If you missed highlights from the show back in February, why not catch up on the Footwear Today Instagram or Twitter/X page!

The show has grown rapidly since its first edition in September 2022, and it now occupies nearly the whole of the NCC – taking over nine event rooms across two levels, whereas at the first show it was just one room!

Footwear Today Live welcomed more than 130 different brands for this February 2024 edition, including Art, Bugatti, Chatham, Dasco, Fidelio, Elle Sport, Geox, Healthy Back Bag, Joya, Levi’s, Mustang, Osprey London, Ravel, Rieker, Scholl, Skechers, Wrangler, XTI and many, many more.

It really is the perfect mix of both brands and retailers under one roof – providing not just plenty of networking opportunities but an all-new buying location in a manageable and friendly environment.

What the retailers said…

Amanda Fowler, of Buckle & Bows in Lincolnshire, said Footwear Today Live is a one-stop-shop to visit all your favourite brands under one roof…

“The layout of the show is great; it’s easy to navigate and well laid out so every brand is visible and not missed,” she said. “The number of brands showing has increased, meaning you get a great variety of footwear on show. I visited Piccolino, Marco Tozzi, Jana, Caprice, Legero and XTI to name a few and also placed orders with a couple of new brands, which is great.”

Meanwhile, Shirley Allum from Shirley Allum Fashions & Lingerie in Dorset, added: “It is always an absolute dream to go to the Footwear Today Live show and to find all the good brands under one roof on one weekend. On my first visit to the show I found Pikolinos, which has grown from strength to strength with us, and not forgetting Birkenstock, Toni Pons, Fly, Geox, Strive and many more.

“I hope to see you all there again in the Summer!”

Natalie Taylor, of Runway Boutique in Somerset, said visiting Footwear Today Live is “the perfect tie-in” with Spring and Autumn Fair, plus the free drinks and lunch are “a lovely bonus”!

“We look forward to visiting the show as it’s a very friendly, well laid out show,” she said. “We always visit our normal brands, Heavenly Feet, Jana, S.Oliver, Laura Vita and BBS, but we also like to try to find new suppliers and have picked several up in the past.”

What the brands said…

“It’s always a good sign when the two days pass by in a flash,” commented Russell Galliven from Galliven Agencies. “It was another well organised show and with a great turnout from existing and potential new customers. I felt that buyers generally appreciate the central location and accessibility, as well as lay out of the show, and not to mention the excellent free lunch!

“It will be interesting to see how the earlier and revised dates will impact the August show. Pikolinos will definitely be in attendance and I’m already looking forward to it!”

Andrew Paget, of Brocton Footwear, added: “We had a good show. We saw plenty of businesses – some existing customers and many new faces, several of which opened accounts with us and placed orders. The Birmingham Footwear Today show gains in strength and importance each time!”

Elsewhere, Helen Fraser from West Midland Shoe Company was a first-time exhibitor at the February show – “for us it was a great success”, she said.

“We opened new business and also saw existing customers. We felt it was a great way to launch our new collections and a very positive start to the season. Plus, we found the venue has a lovely feel to it.”

Footwear Today Live returns to the NCC Birmingham on 12-13 August 2024. To find out more information about the show and to register, click here.

Partner of the show: The British Footwear Association