1.1 Definition and scope of the study

Babies begin to need shoes when they are about to walk, usually around the first year of life. Children's shoes should be soft and lightweight, but supportive to the foot. Also, it is best to avoid cheap, synthetic fabrics that make the foot sweat. it is best to use materials that are hypoallergenic and free of harmful substances, because you have to take into consideration that children might put the shoes in their mouths. The best material is leather. Today, more durable materials are becoming more popular in Italy.

There are 3 different periods for Italian shoe production:

1980s: before the harmonization of wages in the European Union, manufacturers mainly produced at home;
Early 1990s: manufacturers moved to the south (Maghreb) or to Eastern European countries;
Late 1990s: the rush to Asia. China and India become the world's leading shoe producers.

In Italy, 439,747 children were born in 2018 and 420,084 in 2019. Thus, there was a 4.7 percent decline in 2019, with an average of 1.27 children per woman. Italy in general has one of the lowest fertility rates in Europe.

However, "Made in Italy" remains a globally recognized brand for trusting and caring for the well-being of children's feet.

1.2 The world and European market

The world shoe market:

Evolution and forecast of footwear sales World, ****-****, billion dollars Source: ****

The graph above shows the evolution and forecast of footwear sales by value (***) over the period ****-****. The market is growing fairly steadily over the period.

The forecast shows a steady growth trend for footwear sales ...

1.3 A very strong production of footwear for all

Italian footwear production has always been one of the most important in the world. As seen in the previous part (***), Italy is the **th largest footwear producer in the world, and consequently its turnover is very high.

In addition, what contributes significantly to high production is the name of Made in ...

1.4 The trade flows of footwear

Italian footwear trade with the rest of the world suffered greatly from the Covid-** crisis, and even today this market is marked by a difficult recovery (***).

As for footwear exports, there are consistent improvements that give positive signs for recovery. In fact, compared to ****, exports mark a +**.* percent overall and in ...

2.1 The habits of Italian households

Italian household purchases by commodity segment show the following results:

Increase in Italian household spending compared to **** Italy, ****, in % Source: ****

The main segments of the footwear market show clear signs of recovery, in the case of women's and sports shoes and sneakers even in double digits. Children's footwear has also made ...

2.2 The clientele of companies

In the children's footwear industry, the customers directly concerned are children (***). However, it is not they directly who buy footwear, but it is families. For this reason, this section will analyze the amount of children in Italy, and the number of families on the territory.

If we take into consideration the ...

2.3 Where Italian households buy

Purchases of footwear made by Italian households are divided according to the following sales channels:

Italian household consumption: sales channels Italy, ****-****, in % Source: ****

The graph above shows percentages of total sales. Chain stores are the favored ones in the Italian market. At the same time, it is also the distribution ...

3.1 Footwear manufacturing companies in the country

Children's shoe production is closely linked to footwear production, as the same companies produce women's, men's and children's shoes.

Cribis ' **** report reveals some peculiarities about the composition of Italian companies operating in the footwear sector. The findings highlight the following compositions:

Composition of companies in the footwear sector Italy, ****, in ...

3.2 Employment in the sector

Employment in the footwear industry has suffered greatly from the Covid-** crisis. In fact, the number of employees has been declining since ****.

Number of employees in the footwear sector Italy, ****-****, in whole numbers Source: ****

After a significant increase between **** and ****(***). The industry's workforce is in sharp decline due to Covid-**, ...

3.3 The dynamism of Italian companies

Italian footwear companies are an important engine for the country's dynamism. In this part, the most dynamic regions will be highlighted. The paramenter used will be each region's contribution to international trade (***), measured as a percentage.

Thus, from the results on the **** performance of Italian companies, we find the following ...

4.1 The requirements of children's footwear

There are several components of footwear in general, but children's footwear must possess special qualities so as to fit the child's foot. This is because children undergo constant changes to their bodies, and because they are in constant movement. So the footwear must allow them this movement. The characteristics are:

The ...

4.2 Average prices per pair

The graph below summarizes the price ranges of footwear. The graph differentiates the quantity bought and the value over the total Italian footwear market. The change between the two percentages immediately stands out for the footwear categories over €**,***. In fact, from this segment on, value has more weight on the market ...

4.3 The most commonly used materials

Footwear is produced using a variety of materials, the most popular being:

Leather and leather Synthetic Rubber Fabric

Italian footwear manufacturing companies are also involved in the marketing of these materials, and others.

Exports and imports by upper material Italy, ****, in % Source: ****

These data presented in the graph above are from ...

5.1 European regulation

For the manufacture and distribution of footwear, there are European-wide rules that manufacturers must follow.

All rules can be found at the following link.

Globally, the European standards deal with:

About equal purchase information On export control, brokering, technical assistance, transit and transfer of dual-use items On market surveillance and product ...