From 19 to 22 February, 988 brands present the best of Italian and international footwear; the future of the industry will be in the limelight with a host of new events.

Milan, 14 February 2023 MICAM Milano, the International Footwear Fair, will be back at Fiera Milano from 19 to 22 February 2023 for its 95th edition. In the light of encouraging signs of an upturn in the market, it was decided to reinstate the fair’s four-day format so as to offer exhibitors and Italian and foreign buyers more opportunities to network and do business.

A total of 988 brands, including 451 foreign exhibitors, will be showcasing their products. New entries at this edition include Alberto Guardiani, Buffalo Boots, Cult, Kenneth Cole, Luciano Padovan, and Oxs.

MICAM will be offering plenty of new events and content covering every aspect of the world of footwear: from new trends to sustainability, from innovations in retail to customer engagement. According to MICAM and Assocalzaturifici Chair Giovanna Ceolini: “MICAM is an eagerly awaited event for international dealers who see it is an excellent business opportunity. It has always represented not only the litmus test for the market, but also a privileged opportunity to get a sneak peek at the trends of the future. At a pivotal moment for sustaining the economic recovery of the sector and bringing productivity back to pre-pandemic levels, this trade show represents an extraordinary opportunity. The upcoming edition has a strong focus on innovation in retail and the latest developments in sustainability. Technological upgrading and digitisation are key factors in our industry that can help make footwear companies more attractive to new generations’.

MICAMX: the sector’s innovation hub has a new look

The MICAMX area will be back in Pavilion 1 with a completely new layout designed to offer visitors a unique opportunity to gen up on issues of key importance for the industry thanks to distinguished guests, best practice and important international speakers, covering four main themes: trends & materials, sustainability, art fashion heritage & future and the future of retail.

The curator of the panel will be Federico Brugnoli, CEO & Founder di SPIN 360.Within the MICAMX space, the Trends & Materials area, set up in collaboration with Lineapelle, will take the form of a display of materials and components featured in the FW 23-24 collections. The area was devised in conjunction with a new tool for buyers: the Trends Buyer Guide powered by Livetrend, a guide to trends and must-haves for the next FW season that helps buyers identify the season’s best-sellers and optimise their purchases.

Future of retail: the biggest novelty of the coming edition. A space for innovative ideas that will revolutionise sales outlets. The new area will be dedicated to the future of retail and will host companies that produce avant-garde technologies for the world of footwear retail while remaining people-oriented. According to MICAM X the retail of the future is hybrid: people will continue to play a key role and will be increasingly aided by technology. Customer profiling, augmented reality, and live shopping experiences with virtual influencers are both enabling and increasingly indispensable.

FUTURECLO will present the magic mirror, a technology that allows customers to try on clothes and shoes virtually in real-time. DTECH LAB, BAMBUSER and an Offbeat virtual influencer will make it possible to simulate a live shopping experience, with a camera revealing products created by the Emerging Designers that can be commented on live on the Bambuser platform.

FOOTWEAROLOGY will offer an AI-powered immersive experience revealing visuals of the shoe shop of the future. THE FOOTWEARIST will present an example of on-demand manufacturing thanks to two 3D printers for the creative/design part, offering visitors the possibility of seeing and touching the finished styles. Lastly, ZAKEKE will provide a 3D Configurator enhancing the customer experience with virtual 3D models ready to be customised.

Sustainability: VCS creates more space for sustainability. The issue of sustainability as addressed by MICAM X will reach its apotheosis in a new area dedicated to VCS Verified & Certified steps, the first certification mark for the footwear industry, awarded to companies that have embarked on a process of assessment, measurement, and above all, improvement of their corporate sustainability performance in line with internationally
recognised standards.

Art, Fashion, Heritage & Future: initiatives for emerging designers and startups
As always, MICAM gives space to young people and invests in initiatives aimed at promoting their talent.

Situated inside MICAM X in Pav. 1 is an area dedicated to Emerging Designers, featuring the work of 12 creative designers from all over the world. Their creations range from rediscovery of age-old traditions to more extravagant research into forms and materials, with original style, mindful of the values of sustainability and brimming with influences from cultures all over the world. Selected by a highly qualified panel of experts, the Emerging Designers will present their concepts at the fair and recount their creative journey to trade professionals. The protagonists of this edition are: 10.2 (France), Ahdiid (Italy), Éhonté (USA), Felipe Fiallo (Ecuador), ID-Eight (Italy&Korea), Marianna Mazza (Italy), Salone Monet (USA), Selva (Spain), Shoe Shoe (France), Sophie Benel (France), Sucette (Italy), Vandrelaar (Great Britain).

This edition of MICAM will once again include the Start Up area in Pav. 1 H01 dedicated to talented young entrepreneurs: emerging Italian companies abounding in creativity and curiosity about the world, who have chosen the footwear and fashion industry to express their revolutionary ideas. The area is set up in collaboration with Startup Bootcamp with the support of ITA and MAECI, and the startups presented will be: Appcycled, Leath3R, Lab-go and iHeel. Appcycled is a digital platform that simplifies the creative upcycling process in the fashion industry in order to reduce clothing and fabric waste.Leath3R is a programme combining strategy, support for sustainability transitions and product development, through an SaaS solution aimed at reducing environmental impact and ensuring greater transparency for sustainable supply chains of leather products. Lab-go’s prime objective is to protect and guarantee the origin and authenticity of products by taking users on an exclusive digital journey using coloured QR Codes. iHeel is the world’s first technology allowing the heels of women’s shoes to be raised or lowered to three different heights with a simple click; the form adapts without causing any discomfort in the plantar arch area, ensuring a perfect ergonomic fit.

MICAM Tales Square:

The last episode in MICAM’s fairy-tales campaign MICAM will host the final chapter in the #micamtales communication campaign that, from 2020
to today, has brought the enchanted world of fairy-tales to the trade fair, starting with MICAM in Wonderland, followed by MICAM Glass Slipper and concluding with MICAM of Oz. It was this fantastic journey into a magical world that inspired the book “Scarpe da Favola” (“Fairy-tale Shoes”), promoted by Assocalzaturifici and produced in collaboration with ITA and MAECI. To mark the 95the edition of MICAM, 95 Italian footwear companies were featured in the book, which will take the form of a digital displaythat can be seen in the MICAM Tales Square in Pav. 3 over the four days of the event. Creativity, versatility, quality and beauty: these are the distinguishing features of fabulous Italian footwear.

We look forward to seeing you from the 19th to the 22nd of February, 2023!
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