The third Prima Solutions Adventure Challenge on 21st June is fast approaching! Teams are signing up and getting their boots on to train for the event, aimed exclusively at the fashion and fashion retail sectors. The Adventure Challenge will see teams from across the industry hiking, biking and canoeing in the stunning setting of the Southern Lake District. As well as being a fantastic and demanding team builder and a great networking event, the efforts of each team's fundraising are all for a remarkable cause.

By 12pm on day one a record number of visitors had registered. Exhibitors and visitors commented on the atmosphere and the positive vibe around the exhibition - a welcome lift to what has been a challenging season for most. Over 300 debuts contributed to the 1400 collections on show. Newcomers to the footwear section included Austin Reed and J shoes and accessory brands Bolla, Abbacino and Owen Barry.

With innovative ideas, sharp styling and an appealing palette of autumnal colours, this year's Padders AW08 collection caused quite a stir at Moda.

The Lexus collection, with its wonderful colours and dynamic styling and trendy classic looks has shoes and handbags to match the dress for that special occasion be it a party, wedding or you just want something g lamorous and special. Lexus collection is style without compromise plus elegant for the cosmopolitan woman of today. This year sees the launch of many new styles and has usual the range can be purchased as single pairs or carton lots, with an in stock and fast delivery service.

The word on the street has been less than optimistic since the year began - read the paper, watch the television, listen to the radio - wherever you are people seem to be talking themselves into some kind of decline. The word on the street is - recession.

"Love it.........."
"Fantastic........"
"Very commercial....."
"Great styling....."(We liked that)
"Like the margins........"
"Looks cheap!!......" (we didn't like that)
"Great value for money......."
"Different........"

A short hop from the rather well heeled bustle generated by the boutiques, arcades and department stores of Kensington High Street in west London is the Kensington Close Hotel which was again playing amiable host to the Kensington Shoe Event 2008 last month (9 - 11 March). We went to have a look around. It's fairly easy to identify the air of anxiety, of quiet foreboding surrounding the retail sector at the moment.

The Pure London womenswear show has become renowned for slick organisation, the high quality of exhibitors and its attractiveness to the buyers. Occupying five areas of the Olympia centre, its continuing goal is combine directional fashion with creative designs.

Taking steps to help eams are already signing up for the Prima Solutions Adventure Challenge for the fashion and fashion retail industry on 21st June! Supported by Footwear Today, this one-day event will see teams from the industry hiking, biking and canoeing around the stunning Lake District to raise money for CARE International's essential work helping 55 million people in over 60 countries find a route out of poverty.

Martin and Claire Ward have recently revised their portfolio of factories to reflect their traditional position in the UK market. They feel it is more important than ever to offer Retailers the best ranges available, so they are pleased to announce that they will now be showing the full Collection from Christian Rossi and introducing an outstanding Collection from the Ruggeri factory in Italy - "Manufacture D'essai".

The GDS/GLS Footwear and Leathergoods event will again take place at the Messe Dusseldorf trade fair grounds between 14th - 16th March 2008. The show will open its doors to a host of international visitors and looks set to be the most exciting edition so far. Two fashion segments, one joint appearance. More than 30,000 fashion professionals from all over the world, the majority responsible for buying fashion products, will be using GLS and GDS as a purchasing platform and contact point for their business, for the new season and beyond

Fashion in the coming autumn and winter remains simple and the shoe is the most important accessory. HÖGL, the Austrian quality shoe manufacturer, enters the autumn/ winter season with new, casual town shoes as a modern and elegant statement, and sporting boots with a focus on the functional finishing.

Cool & sporty are the magic words this coming winter for active boys who know what they want! New hiking designs inspired by the "grown up" outdoor fashions are perfectly transformed into footwear kids can relate to. Styles that boast robust Velcro fastenings, non-slip soles and protective anti-scuff toecaps are ideal for any outdoor pursuit! Successful "skater" articles from the summer like Kevin and Hunter have been developed in earthy brown tones combined with cool splashes of colour. Oiled nubuk leather ensures outdoor durability, whilst hi-tech materials including Sympatex provide comfort, breathability and dry feet.

Ladies

Simplicity and comfort together with the first true court shoe of the brand!

PIKOLINOS launches two clearly defined ranges for this winter 2008. On one hand there is the classical casual PIKOLINOS and on the other we have a new more feminine line, minimalist in detail with clean straight lines and a more elegant feel to it.

Leading overseas development agency CARE International is delighted to announce the launch of the third Prima Solutions Adventure Challenge, exclusively for the fashion and fashion retail industry.

Pure, showing 10-12 February 2008 at Olympia London has increased its line-up, now showing more than 800 womenswear, footwear and accessory collections. The increase reflects the growth of the show and the launch of the additional Pure Footwear section. 

Blackpool is one of those quaint anomalies in the footwear trade that for Jaybill makes fantastic commercial sense, it is a well attended highly profitable show for both buyers and sellers.”

MOCADALZADO + IBERPIEL, the International Footwear and Leather Fashion Trade Fair, staged its twentieth edition at Feria de Madrid between 27th and 29th September.

46,313 trade professionals visited the MICAM ShoEvent, setting a new record for the footwear fashion exhibition organised by ANCI, the National Association of Italian Footwear Manufacturers. The fair was held from 20-23 September at the Milano Rho Exhibition Centre.

The Kensington Shoe Event has grown significantly over the last seven years since its launch. Establishing itself initially as a small "additional show" to the many other national and international events taking place throughout the season to a now well established and important buying venue for all UK buyers of quality and fashionable footwear.

Central Expo the latest edition to the London Shoe Events has been coined “the best shoe's exhibition in town” by organisers. The first edition held 30th September - 1st October at the Hilton London Olympia was a great success with its close knit feel and range of exciting brands that exhibited.

The Shoe Show London, running nicely alongside other London based shoe events every season at the Copthorne Tara Hotel is a close-knit, intimate affair which attracts buyers who enjoy the relaxing showroom feel and know the handful of brands they want to see. This season saw a few newcomers and plenty back for good. We were there to speak to some of the exhibitors.

The Pikolinos Spring Summer collection has combined urban casual styling with it's own unique characteristics and Mediterranean feel, creating fresh individuality for 2008. The ladies collection will include ethnic styling with hand stitched detail, boots with perforated uppers, together with contemporary wedged heels and those all important mules.

GDS/GLS , global shoes & accessories ran from 14th to 16th September, featuring 1,392 exhibitors (including 280 new and returning exhibitors) from 45 countries presented shoe and bag collections for the 2008 Spring/Summer season. With around 33,500 trade buyers (51% from abroad) from over 80 countries the three fairs closed at the previous year’s level.

Slippers hit the national headlines recently when a Slipper Amnesty campaign was introduced by the Charity Age Concern. Elderly people were urged to stop wearing worn out and potentially dangerous footwear around the house. We all tend to keep slippers long after their 'sell by' date has expired, enjoying their comfort and familiarity, however a worn sole and little support can be a recipe for disaster.

Midec has recently been acquired by the prestigious event and publishing company, The Tarsus Group, to bring us an event which offers a feasible alternative to the few international shows that dominate the footwear buying season. With the beautiful location of Paris, an with all modern amenities that could be desired and just the right amount of exhibitors, we think it is well worth a try for next season... and with UK visitors on the up this year, perhaps, after 23 years running, it is finally breaking the international market.

Moda Footwear, running from 12th to 14th August is a national favourite with buyers across the sector. The event captures the essence of footwear in this country- a brand mix of high fashion, trend driven, comfort and sports wear with a good range of price points.

This exhibition has proved again that value for the independent retailer is not to be found in footwear at the lowest price - but rather in footwear with that point of difference. MOSHULU has seen a huge increase in volumes of their higher priced top quality Italian spring shoes - styles like Bree (featured) Laila & Madison - following on from a successful launch last season. The sell through has been the best ever with none of these styles hitting the SALE period.

Following the success of its 2007 spring/summer range, which achieved a 151 per cent increase in year-on-year sales, leading designer of wider fitting fashionable footwear for women, Emotion, is receiving an enthusiastic reaction to its 2008 collection, not only from existing outlets but from new accounts as well.

Pure has improved its reputation within the fashion sector to become that "must-see" event for retailers and buyers all over the country.

GDS and GLS, the International Event for Shoes, Leather Goods and more will be held in Dusseldorf from 14th to 18th September this year. After a difficult few years for the show, as increased European competition prevails, what have the organsiers got planned for the event this year?

One of the most important showcases for the finest designers and manufacturers in Europe, The Kensington Shoe Event may be a compact show, but it is well worth a visit. The idea for this event, held in the Royal Borough of Kensington, at the beautiful Kensington Close Hotel, is to retain a varied mix of medium to high grade products that suits the target buyer who visits the show, namely boutique and independents, who are not fond of the bustle and over crowdedness of the large international exhibition.

The footwear produced in the Guglielmo Rotta factory is 100% ITALIAN in both style and content. In recent years, the Design Team has become more ambitious and included higher fashion concepts in the collection, without ever forgetting the excellent fitting for which the brand is rightly known.

The Micam ShoeEvent takes place this season from the 20th-23rd September 2007at the Fiera Milano in Milan, Italy. The event has rapidly become a "must see" expedition for buyers and retailers worldwide and, located in the heart of Milan offers a beautiful, accessible setting to showcase footwear from all sides of the world and all areas of the industry.

DB Shoes Ltd have been busy raising their profile internationally, and so far 2007 has seen them going places! This year saw the Northamptonshire-based company deciding to give their already successful UK brand 'easy b' greater international exposure, as DB's Chris Payne explains:

Pure, running from 5.6.7. August 2007 at London Olympia is set to showcase its largest and most diverse mix of footwear and accessories to date. As one of the most important British fashion events in the trade's calendar , this season over 80 footwear brands covering top end luxury labels to funky high street brands will be gracing the show floor- all with the firm stamp of approval from the Pure team for cutting edge style and fashion.

Among key buyers attending were Selfridges, Harvey Nichols, House of Fraser, John Lewis, El Corte Ingles, Debenhams and key independents Drome, Stone and Psyche. Creating a real buzz, buyers were impressed by the strength of the product on show. Over 800 collections showcased at the London Olympia venue, including over 160 brands new to Pure.

As more brands than ever participate in the footwear section, and a greater array of retailers and buyers turn up for the event, which brands particularly stood out?

As another MODA exhibition fades into memory what remains may be memories of low expectation, yet pleasant surprises. MOSHULU came to MODA and did exactly what it says on their tin. Colour, colour and more colour. Their ever colourful offering of bright innovative slippers, ankle boots and shoes were especially colourful this season and made their stand a really fun place to be.

The 1990's – A decade which gave us The Spice Girls, Friends TV show, and our first Harry Potter novel. Dolly the sheep was cloned and Mad Cow Disease spread throughout our countryside.

The two day event was born out of a desire to exhibit medium to high grade products in a setting of their own, away from the much larger showcase than previously seen in the industry. The showcase for autumn/winter 2007 is equally as pleasing as the last event, with a broad range of middle to upper end exhibitors and some fantastic new styles to please all who attend.

The footwear produced in the Guglielmo Rotta factory is 100% Italian in both style and content. In recent years, the Design Team has become more ambitious and included higher fashion concepts in the collection, without ever forgetting the excellent fitting for which the brand is rightly known.

A new season, fresh challenges, new ideas and fashion progresses in many directions. Please come and join us at Pedro Miralles so we can move together to the top of the line. We have new developments in many areas, our sport line going into new materials with some beautiful feminine details. We have a complete range of ballerina styles with detailed trims and some beautiful rich patent colours.

GDS will be sharpening its profile as an international information and order platform. This season sees three new additions to the show, including Prime Square, Concept 10 and Kidwalk. These three areas will ease orientation for international trade buyers at the exhibition grounds and allow exhibitors to focus on their specific target markets.

It’s common knowledge that the closer a shoe is to the shape of a foot the more omfortable the shoe. Unfortunately with the human foot coming in so many different shapes and sizes it has been impossible to achieve this for the majority of customers.

Crocs may be a fairly new as a brand, but there is nothing "infant" about their success.

This season PIKOLINOS’ designers delight us with a very exclusive Collection - extremely comfortable shoes, designed to make walking an everyday pleasure. For the ladies, comfort has been reinvented with the line CANTABRIA (in the picture). Extra comfortable lasts and latex soles for extreme softness are combined in this urban patchwork line. An absolute eye catcher for next Fall’07.

Mothers are always asking him about children ’s feet, suitable shoes and WMS. The specialist answers the most frequently asked questions in this edition of Community.

The jenny by ara collection has acquired a more youthful and modern feel. Retailers hold a deep affection for the brand because it combines proven design with good value for money. This "love affair" looks set to become even more passionate with the beginning of the Autumn/Winter 07 season, which marks the dawn of a new era for jenny by ara in terms of meeting customer requirements in a more targeted manner.

After the success of its September edition, MICAM SHOEVENT, the most prestigious international show for high, medium-high and medium level footwear, is ready to open its doors at Fiera Milano Rho. From 15 to 18 March 2007, it will be presenting collections for autumn/winter 2007/2008.

In a competitive market, the Chic show seems to have struck a chord with the big names in accessories and travel goods, and has gained itself a reputation as a must see buying event of this kind. We saw the event unfold, and chose some of our favourite brands for the Spring/Summer season...